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Hi,

I have been asked to move some plug sockets from the skirting board (they are too low and this causes problems plugging in equipment) to higher up the wall in a domestic property. I will be chasing in and fitting new flush mounted sockets.

I am after advice on the best way to proceed. There seems to be several options. If the cable under the floor is long enough to reach the new socket position, then there will be no need to extend any cables and no major problems, but if it is not long enough, what is the best method for extending it? NOTE: The cable is in good condition so a full rewire is not necessary due to deterioration as it appears to have been changed in the late 70’s or early 80’s.

To get to the new socket if the cables are too short, I had planned either to use Hagar Maintenance free junction boxes, with the idea of spurring off the ring under the floorboards and having a single new cable to the new sockets, or I could extend both legs of the ring by crimping each conductor then putting the joint in a “chock box” for strain relief and to enclose the uncovered insulation. What is the best practice for extending cables in this circumstance?

Also, I think the best option for the chasing in and putting in the back coxes may be to take my equipment into a room (with three or four sockets) and do them together, then move all the equipment onto another room or location and do another group of sockets in the area. Is this a good plan, or is there a better way to do this?
 
may not need to...just tie on the new cable/s to the old....use the old cable to pull in the new...
This seems like a reasonably good option. Does this tend to work when cables are pulled through holes in joists? Half the sockets are on the upstairs ring and I expect the cables to be in notches or holes to get through joists. Do you find yourself having to pull up floorboards to find problems pulling in cables upstairs?
 
i dont like those 3 way adaptors....best way here would be to have a consultation with the person ordering the work as to how many points they require....it may be that they need more than is at the mo....so now would be a good time to have the extra points installed....should they need & agree to the extra....

The three way adapters are just so they can actually use the socket. Regular plugs do not fit because the sockets are too close to the floor.
 
This seems like a reasonably good option. Does this tend to work when cables are pulled through holes in joists? Half the sockets are on the upstairs ring and I expect the cables to be in notches or holes to get through joists. Do you find yourself having to pull up floorboards to find problems pulling in cables upstairs?
you will struggle to get em through holes on joists....see the thing is...
you don`t want to be pullin through...then find that half way across you lose it..lol...
and as for nochin V drilled.....could be either..lol....
its a mystery...
 
This seems like a reasonably good option. Does this tend to work when cables are pulled through holes in joists? Half the sockets are on the upstairs ring and I expect the cables to be in notches or holes to get through joists. Do you find yourself having to pull up floorboards to find problems pulling in cables upstairs?

If your thinking of pulling in complete new longer leg's, then expect a good amount of lifting floorboards and cable pulling problems. So very much depends on what sort of money you have quoted for this work!!!
 
well he may not need to anyway....
how much (cost) are these maintinance free joints gonna be anyway.....more..or less than any new cable that may have to be used?...
Good point. Ashley J803 Maintenance Free Junction Box 32A = ÂŁ3.47 inc VAT so three times the price of regular junction boxes, but to me, worth the extra.
It depends on how much trouble pulling new cable is.
 
what i meant was the cables serving the point will be terminated into a joint box which would be typically stashed under the floorboards ...bad practice (#12)...then a single cable taken from said jointbox upto the point....not good...

Ah, I get you.

Notice I said I would preferably crimp. Anyways, 'maintenance free' or 'non-maintenance free' JB.............I would prefer the 'permanent' solution of crimping. Like you stated, the JB's need to be considered 'accessible'......under the floorboards in my opinion is very much inaccessible.

Hopefully cleared that one up.
 
short sections of cable to feed points....just my slang...lol..

Theoretically speaking, having a single cable spurred to a socket off a ring main JB, how would this differ from spurring off of a ring main socket? Or for that matter, spurring out of the circuit breaker of a ring main? I admit, it's not something I would go 'looking' to do....................but is it really as bad as your making out?
 
Theoretically speaking, having a single cable spurred to a socket off a ring main JB, how would this differ from spurring off of a ring main socket? Or for that matter, spurring out of the circuit breaker of a ring main? I admit, it's not something I would go 'looking' to do....................but is it really as bad as your making out?
its the accessability thing.....i may be being a bit precious but i just dont like inaccessable joints....
at least when you take a feed from an outlet/point..the terminations are readilly accessable for inspection....and thus improvement (if necessary).....
 
just another thing as well to the O/P....is there any additional/fault protection here?..

earthing arrangements please...

It’s a TNS system, and at the moment, there are two consumer units one with MCB’s supplying the kitchen extension and the lighting, and the other ( an old Mem wooden box) with 30 Amp fuses supplying the two ring mains for upstairs, downstairs and a 15 amp fuse for the boiler radial. The old MEM box has had a cupboard built round it so now you can only open the lid just enough to get the fuse out, but you cannot get access to the wires at all.
I have explained the benefits of RCD’s to the client, and that I cannot test the ring circuit as I cannot access the cables without damaging the consumer unit, so the first job here is to change the two consumer units for a single 17[SUP]th[/SUP] edition, giving me chance to run the standard tests on the rings and radial while changing the unit.
 

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