Pls help make my wiring bodge legit

[Fred]

Suggestions please to bring my quicky install (but totally effective) bodge up to code.

My bathrom had an electrical shower which I had removed. I pulled the very hefty T&E cable up through the ceiling. = Instant attic electricity supply ! Then a hefty chocolate block to a Homebase type, 4 way strip, 13A, 1m extension lead (13A plug removed), so wired direct to choc block. The

4 way outlet is screwed to a roof truss.

So I have 4x 13A outlets with a florescent light connected to one outlet via a 13A plug - that bit probably not too bad, I guess. At least I can put in a small fuse.

I expect the following need attention (at least):

1. Change the 32A water heater breaker in the old Crabtree breaker box (63A, 30mA trip RCCB, model SB6000) to 16A (?). STILL AVAILABLE (?)
2. Something rather more professional than a chocolate block connector for joining. I expect I could take the T&E cable in directly to the 4 way outlet.
3. What about the 1m extension lead used in this manner ? Maybe find a proper, garage type surface mount 4 way outlet

I expect the the first reaction is call in a local contractor and have him legalise it, but I didn't need to post to heat that !

Thanks in advance.

Fred

[James Salisbury]

Just fit a double socket at the end of the shower cable in a surface box, and change the label in the consumer unit. If you want some fixed wired lights fit a fused spur unit next to the socket and then run the lights in fixed cable.

[Fred]

Thanks James for very prompt response. Don't I need to change the 32A breaker in the consumer unit to 16A ?

Cheers, Fred

[Martin Bonner]

Don't see why. The cable (which is what the fuse was there to protect) is still good for 32A. The double socket will be happy with

32A (well, it /might/ object above 26A, but that's practically the same). Each plug that goes into the socket will be limited to 13A.

I'm not sure about the legitimacy of running a spur off the radial circuit. In particular, I would be concerned about the cable to the lighting fitting (and the fitting itself) not being happy with a 32A current. The cheapest solution to that, is probably to plug the lights into one of the double sockets.

[John Rumm]

fair enough...

OK a few potential pitfalls here:

The 4 way socket may not have its own internal fuse, and hence rely on the plug one to limit possibility of overload. This has now been lost.

The short length of 13A flex is probably not adequately protected against overload by the 32A breaker in the CU.

These trailing lead sockets are not really designed for permanent installation.

Yup, 3A fuse in the plug should fix that.

You may have difficulty with the thick cable in the terminals etc.

It would be better to use a pair of ordinary double sockets on surface boxes. If you get some of the TLC Ultimate range ones they have plenty of terminal space for the bigger cable.

The extension lead is not a good idea - any normal set of sockets will be fine.

The other option would be FCU in place of your chocky block, and then wire sockets from there in more modest cable.

not from me!

[Man at B&Q]

That's why a *fused* spur was suggested. The implication being that it's fused appropriately for the cable used.

MBQ

[Fred]

All very helpful. This is a great NG. Thanks very much. Fred

[John Rumm]

The bit of flex that is attached to the 4 way socket however is not rated for 32A...

There is no concept of a spur on a radial. A radial can have any number of branches and deviations wherever you like, since the cable is rated to carry the full circuit design load (unlike a ring where the cables are in a load sharing arrangement)

I thought that is what he said he had done?

[Martin Bonner]

No, but that bit of cable fits into a 13A plug which goes into the double socket. (I agree that the /current/ arrangement is not right, I was talking about the arrangement after fitting a double socket.)

Ahh! I see. That makes a lot of sense. (I am fairly sure there is a rule about spurs off spurs off rings - but that is, of course, entirely different.)

No. He has just connected the 6mm2 cable to the chopped-off end of the extension cable with a big-arse bit of chocolate-block. James' suggestion was to fit the double socket on the end of the fixed cable, refit a plug to the extension cable, and plug it in. On the assumption that most of the time the attic isn't being used, and this is all about having power up there on the odd occasion when it is, I don't think he needs to do more. (I know expect chapter and verse as to why this is wrong.)

[John Rumm]

Ah, fair enough, thought you meant as it is now with the flex connected vua a junction box rather than a plug.

Yup, with unfused spurs off a ring, you can only have one single or double socket on the spur in total and no further extensions. If you use a fused spur then you can have any amount, but they will be limited to a max load of 13A in total.

Maybe I misread it, but it sounded like the light was to be plugged into a socket via a plug. This bit would be ok, even if the socket itself was connected in a questionable way.

Not at this time of the morning! ;-)

(plenty of lash ups can be perfectly safe in the hands of the lasher upper - it only tends to be when they pass into new ownership that is not conversant with the implicit limitations arising out of the esisting design that problems can start).

[Fred]

As (probably) a last word, I will do the following which after studying the string I genuinely believe legit. The attic is for occasional/storage use only.

1. I will simply relable the breaker section in the consumer unit to "Attic"
2. I will not change it from 32A to 16A (The T&E wire pulled from the bathroom is 32A)
3. I will fit a kosher 13A, double, suface-mount socket "direct" to the T&E cable.
4. I will run the light from one outlet of the twin, surface mount socket via a 13A plug with small fuse (3A). This for simplicity - no fused spur issue.
5. I will arrange that a Homebase type, 4 outlet, 2m extension can also plug into the 13A double, surface mount socket as required, via a

13A plug (just like at the back of the TV in the living room).

I seem to be very fortunate this has been such an easy way to provide an attic electricity supply (getting rid of the bathroom electric shower). Incidentally and a bit OT, a new big water tank (as high as possible) and hot water off the plumbing provides a great shower. I have no idea why the previous owners did what they did !

Thanks to all.

Fred

[John Rumm]

That all sounds fine. ;-)

I know what you mean, and I have seen people do it a number of times. I think part of the issue is they look at the price of a decent shower mixer and assume that a lekky shower will be cheaper and easy to fit. Needless to say they don't find out the performance of them is poor in comparison, and the price of laying on the power for them often costs more than a decent mixer until too late.