6mm Radial from modern CU

[richmwatts]

Hi I have just moved into a 1960's terraced house that is extremely lacking in the socket outlet department...

It appears that a more modern CU has been installed within the last 5 years and their is a 6mm T&E coming out the back which I have traced to be running into the loft - and the house appears to have been wired from top to bottom.

What has me asking questions is that I am about to switch the single sockets for doubles in the lounge and have found they are connected using 2.5mm T&E. My basic understanding is that someone will have needed to have installed a FCU somewhere in order to come off the main 6mm T&E correct?

I have also found one of the single sockets in the lounge has 3, 2.5mm T&E cable in the back of it, which points to a spur but I am unsure to where and to what...

I think it's safe to say I need to get myself into the loft and trace the rest of the 6mm T&E and see what the score is but does anyone with more experience have any useful input for my situation?

Is a 6mm T&E radial usual in a small terraced house running 1 electric shower, 1 dish washer, cooker and fridge freezer? Should I be worried about turning these single lounge sockets into doubles? Is this level of due diligence needed for peace of mind if I was to need to create spur?

Thanks,

 

[SparkyChick]

Without seeing it, it's impossible to provide this kind of advice.

The best advice I can give you is to try and find a local electrician who can come and take a look. Try getting a recommendation from family/friends/colleagues. If you struggle, look up David Savery Electrical Services I think his company is called... he is based in Warwickshire I believe.

 

[brianmoooore]

As above, but a 6mm2 cable, in a loft, in a house that has an electric shower, is quite likely to be the cable feeding that shower.
The wiring regs. make no discrimination between a single 13A socket and a double 13A socket, so, as far as the regs. are concerned, they are the same thing, and one can be swapped for the other with no other action.

 

[richmwatts]

Great thanks for the response, after doing more digging tonight though something else is odd.

The electric shower is being fed by said 6mm cable but is however rated at 8.5KW but the fuse on the CU is rated for 32 amps...

8500 watts / 230 volts = 37ish amps

What am I missing here?

 

[brianmoooore]

Is the shower rated at 8500W at 230V or at 240V. The manufacturers usually choose the latter for marketing purposes. It would only be rated at 7800W at 230V.
The current shower has probably been fitted as a replacement for an earlier, less powerful model, without upgrades being made to the wiring. Naughty, but in practice, the current drawn by the shower is even less than the 34A at 230V, since voltage drop in the supply cable will reduce the current even more.

 

[loz2754]

Without seeing it, it's impossible to provide this kind of advice.

The best advice I can give you is to try and find a local electrician who can come and take a look. Try getting a recommendation from family/friends/colleagues. If you struggle, look up David Savery Electrical Services I think his company is called... he is based in Warwickshire I believe.

They're is also the honourable member for Coventry.....me!

 

[SparkyChick]

They're is also the honourable member for Coventry.....me

Apologies... I don't actually make a habit of looking at members profiles

 

[loz2754]

Apologies... I don't actually make a habit of looking at members profiles

Actually made me wonder if anyone else is from Coventry...

 

[Mike Johnson]

No, but I get sent there most days, most weeks. ?