UK Ring running from fused socket

[Andylong677]

Hi all,

Hoping you can help.

My house has a ring in the kitchen that is no longer wired direct to the consumer unit as it had a fault and kept blowing. It was believed that it might be an 'open ring' and a socket had been removed from the ring at some time in the past. (I think that was what was said). So it is currently fed from a 13amp fused socket. It has 3 double sockets and combi boiler in the ring.

The current wiring seems to be the supply from the consumer unit is wired to the supply in the fused socket and one end of the ring is also connected to the supply and the other to the load.

Does that wiring setup make sense? Hope my description makes sense!

Also should I leave this as a fused socket or replace it with something else?

Thank you

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Sorry, that is not making much sense. I think you are using the term 'ring' to refer both specifically to a ring circuit and also to any circuit in general. Also by 'fused socket' I suspect you are referring to a fused connection unit, which is not actually a socket but a plate with a fuse and usually a switch.

If you have multiple sockets connected to the load side of a fused connection unit, it sounds like that was a fused spur when the overall circuit was a ring. If it has been split into radials protected by separate MCBs of suitable rating, there is probably no need for the fused connection unit.

But this is only conjecture. Perhaps you could sketch or post pics of what you have and we can suggest how it might be better configured?

 

[Dartlec]

Hi all,

Hoping you can help.

My house has a ring in the kitchen that is no longer wired direct to the consumer unit as it had a fault and kept blowing. It was believed that it might be an 'open ring' and a socket had been removed from the ring at some time in the past. (I think that was what was said). So it is currently fed from a 13amp fused socket. It has 3 double sockets and combi boiler in the ring.

The current wiring seems to be the supply from the consumer unit is wired to the supply in the fused socket and one end of the ring is also connected to the supply and the other to the load.

Does that wiring setup make sense? Hope my description makes sense!

Also should I leave this as a fused socket or replace it with something else?

Thank you

What rating breaker/fuse is this fed from at the consumer unit?

An 'open' ring wouldn't cause a fuse to blow by itself unless another fault, such as short occurred, but that may well explain why a socket was removed, to isolate a faulty length of cable.

3 sockets doesn't sound like a lot to be on a ring in the first place - what sort of loads are on them?

Do you know which sockets are on which bit of cable? If the arrangement is suitably fused at the consumer unit (less than 20A) then it may be a radial as Lucien suggests - and perhaps the FCU is there to facilitate isolation of one item (the boiler or an under worktop socket perhaps) if so then all is probably as it should be.

If it is still protected by a 30A or 32A fuse/breaker then there may be an issue. if the 'end of the ring' fed from the supply terminals is feeding more than one (double) socket, there is a potential for overloading the cable which should be addressed.

 

[Andylong677]

Hi

I didnt think it would make much sense.

There is 3 core cable running supply to a fused switch. That is connected to the supply section in the switch.
The kitchen has 2 x 3 core cables running to the fused switch. One appears to be connected to the supply terminals and other to the load terminals.
I have attached a couple of pics. Hope it makes more sense.
To make it even more complicated it has a further 3 core cable attached to the load side running to a single socket.
Bit of a mess. I was guessing the 2 x 3 core cables running in from the top was the old part of the ring for the kitchen, but I may be using the wrong terminology.
Thanks

 

[telectrix]

think if may be best to call in an electrician to find out exactly what's going on here. that's if you can get an essex sparks out of the fake tan/nail/hair/waxing salon for more than 20 minutes. ??