How many cables should there be in a fused switch?

[usenet]

I'm busy replacing some sockets in a house we bought recently.

In one of the rooms there's a fused switch on the mains circuit that has 3 cables attached to the supply (one feeding a spurred socket just next to it) and 1 cable on the load feeding an outside PIR security light. We think it's feeding the light as it doesn't work anyway and I haven't checked why yet. It could just be the bulb. However the light is in line with the switch so that's what we're guessing.

Anyway from my limited knowledge, a normal socket would have a max of 3 cables in it so can the fused switch in effect have a total of 4 in it?

Thanks

Anth

[Christian McArdle]

A single socket could have 4 cables from it, if you include the one attaching to the plug on the front. Effectively it is the same thing. There's no problem on an FCU having two supplies and a spur off cable on the supply side.

Christian.

[Andrew Gabriel]

You can have more than one spur taken from it too, subject to considering the spacing out of loading around the ring, the cable capacity in the connectors, and the space for the cable in the back box.

[Christian McArdle]

I would only do this if the point load can be guaranteed to remain below 20A (and preferably 13A), though. Spuring off in this manner would be fine for a light and a television aerial booster, but highly suspect for a washing machine and tumble dryer.

Christian.