Adding sockets to a spur?

[Mike Tomlinson]

Following on from the 'Kitchen wiring' thread...

Needed some more sockets behind the telly for all the bits that go with it. Low power stuff - speakers, set top box, DVD player, etc.

Thought I would do it 'properly' and extend the ring from the existing double socket. Installed 4 new double sockets, lovely neat job, lifted off the front of the existing to wire 'em in... to find it is a spur.

Obviously adding 4 sockets onto an existing spur is a no-no. Access to the joint box under the floor to get at the ring wasn't possible (new carpets) so I fitted a FCU mit 13A fuse and ran the additional sockets from that.

Did I do the right thing?

[Bill Wright]

No. No-one's ever going to come along and plug in four electric fires. But if you're anal, put labels on the four doubles behind the telly: "Max load 3A"

Bill

[dennis]

Well its safe to do that if you include the socket you are tapping into in the fused bit. It might confuse others if the fuse blows but it won't harm anyone unless they plug some life support in. Its almost certainly better than screwing multiway extensions to the wall.

[Tim Watts]

Seconded. If fitting a 13A FCU, you can pretty much do what you like afterwards.

[Dave Liquorice]

Moral: Always check that what you expect to exist actually does exist.

Is the orginal double socket before or after the new FCU? It should be after and that is fine. Before is technically breaking the regs.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Strictly speaking, no. The FCU should be before the first socket on the spur. But unless you are taking high loads from that first socket, I doubt it much matters.

[John Rumm]

Yup, you can have as many sockets as you like on a fused spur.

[John Rumm]

I may have misread that when I made my first reply and assumed the OP was saying that all the sockets are now downstream of the FCU. On rereading, that is not so clear.

So for the avoidance of doubt, the first item on the spur should be the FCU, thence the sockets.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Dave Liquorice writes

It's gone now. I extended the single T&E to the FCU and fitted a double blanking plate.

From the FCU it goes to the four new doubles.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , harry writes

That's ok, as I said in the OP, it's all low-power stuff.

I don't see what I have done as being any different to a floating 4-way,

8-way or 10-way extension strip with a 13A fuse in the plug, and frequently another in the strip itself.

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , Dave Plowman (News) writes

Should have made that clearer, sorry. Took the original socket out and extended the cable to the FCU.

so it's:

spur cable ---> original socket ---> FCU ---> 4 new sockets. (removed, blanking plate fitted)

[Mike Tomlinson]

In article , John Rumm writes

That's exactly how it is. Thanks.

[PeterC]

To solve this problem of having 2 sockets and 3 or 4 items, I bought a 4-way strip with individually-switched sockets. Then I got a bigger TV and had to stretch to reach the main socket. Then I moved the wall sockets and also fitted a double-pole MK 2-gang plate. Then I got a PVR that really shouldn't be switched off, so had to use the other wall socket. Now I do need to fit a flippable cover of some sort over the switch for the PVR to guard against carelessness/drunkeness. BUT - I do have a spare socket in the strip: Yippee!

[John Rumm]

What you have done is better in the sense that the quality of the sockets is typically much higher!

[Man at B&Q]

Well, it's very different, but in a positive way.

MBQ