Extending ring final - any potential gotchas?

[ninemaverickbars]

Hello again, been a while.

I'm wanting to extend a ring final and I'm at the 1st fix stage as part of some building work to open up our ground floor. Following demolition, a 2 gang socket is redundant in place, so my plan is to extend the ring and add 2 further 2 gang sockets. To join into the ring I'm planning to use a pair of Hager 32a maintenance free boxes which will be fixed to a plate across a joist.

Other than calculations for the loading due to the increase in sockets on the ring, is there anything else I need to think about? One of the sockets will accommodate a washer dryer, but the others will be used for light loads only (at least by us).

However, as overloading can be a concern when adding sockets, I'd also be interested to know how professionals usually document the work, for the benefit of future occupiers. Both location of the cables and also which circuit they pertain to. We are taking detailed photographs, but it would be nice to have something that makes sense for anyone who happens to read it, for safety's sake and also for future maintenance.

Floor area is less than 100m2.

I do not believe any of the work I'm undertaking is notifable and we're not doing anything with the distribution board. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Many thanks, as always.

 

[James]

modifications to an existing circuit are not normally notifiable.
however they should still be tested and documented to be safe.

extending a ring in a domestic setting is generally considered not to increase the expected load on the circuit by a meaningful amount.
lets face it, most sockets are now days used for phone chargers, led lamps and a couple of tv type devices.

if at all possible i would avoid using any sort of junction that is hidden out of reasonable access, even though it may be ok with the reg's.

trace the cable back to the last junction and remove the old, replace with new.
hidden joints could cost you 10 to 100 times the cost of doing it right in the first place, when later you are trying to find/fix a fault.

also, be aware that the best DiY work is often just a little bit shy of a professional when they are having a bad day, I am not questioning your ability's but there is an art to this electric stuff that takes some time to hone.

further to that, a professional who is making off a maintenance free junction that will be hidden in the fabric of the building and become inaccessible will be on their absolute best junction box I can make off game plan.

 

[littlespark]

If you can, drop the leg between 2 existing sockets and bring your new loops back, one to each.

If not, take your new loops back to the same socket on the ring, connecting through in the back of the box for one leg, and into the socket on the other.
Fit a deeper back box if you can to make room.


I wouldn’t worry about overloading the circuit.
Worse thing that can happen is the breaker trips. (In theory)
Most big appliances will cycle on and off during any operations… and unlikely to be all full power at exactly the same time.

 

[Jock from the north]

Hello again, been a while.

I'm wanting to extend a ring final and I'm at the 1st fix stage as part of some building work to open up our ground floor. Following demolition, a 2 gang socket is redundant in place, so my plan is to extend the ring and add 2 further 2 gang sockets. To join into the ring I'm planning to use a pair of Hager 32a maintenance free boxes which will be fixed to a plate across a joist.

Other than calculations for the loading due to the increase in sockets on the ring, is there anything else I need to think about? One of the sockets will accommodate a washer dryer, but the others will be used for light loads only (at least by us).

However, as overloading can be a concern when adding sockets, I'd also be interested to know how professionals usually document the work, for the benefit of future occupiers. Both location of the cables and also which circuit they pertain to. We are taking detailed photographs, but it would be nice to have something that makes sense for anyone who happens to read it, for safety's sake and also for future maintenance.

Floor area is less than 100m2.

I do not believe any of the work I'm undertaking is notifable and we're not doing anything with the distribution board. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Many thanks, as always.

i guess your tied for length ,rather than use a hidden jb could you add another socket some where else even if you dont plan to use it and continue your ring from there .without knowing what length you have there would be little point in ripping the rest of ground floor to bits to re route ring legs .is it a concrete floor with ring wired from above

 

[brianmoooore]

As above. Fitting additional sockets is preferable to hidden junction boxes, even if you never intend to use them.