Extension radial socket circuit wired in 1.5mm!!??

[Simon_]

I went to visit a customer yesterday who has had an extension built on an existing external bare brick wall a number of years ago and he wants the last socket on the radial circuit in there moving back about half a metre to make room for some fitted wardrobes. Firstly the whole house is on a single 32a breaker for the sockets which is not ideal but fine, but when I removed the front from the socket in the extension the radial was wired in 1.5mm t/e. it's definately 1.5 as the conductor cables look too thin to be 2.5 and also the cable outer sleeving is a white colour which I only know as the low smoke omitting cable used in flats etc. It looks like the radial is spurred off a switched FCU just outside the patio doors in the corridor to the kitchen. I'm having my doubts about this one as spurring off that is ok but the load would be too much on the current cable for sockets.The cables are also buried in bare brick.

 

[Marvo]

So effectively if there's an overload on the 1.5 mm radial circuit the only thing protecting it is a 32A MCB?

 

[Des 56]

The way I read it is
The 1,5mm radial is protected by the 13 amp fuse in the switched fused spur,yes?

If extra sockets were added to the load side then the current drawn is limited by that fuse

 

[dingledong]

cables used to be white and grey when that was installed

 

[goldie]

could well be acceptable if its protected by a 13a fuse at fcu, Would change it to an rcd protected fused spur after making the alterations, not ideal for plugging in heavy load appliances though. Maybe recommend it be added onto the ring or a radial from consumer unit

 

[dingledong]

i also read it as the 1.5 comes from a spur in which case thats ok

 

[Marvo]

After re-reading the op I think you're right.

 

[Simon_]

The FCU is on the ring and has a 13 amp fuse protecting the circuit. I personally still wouldn't use 1.5 for sockets.

 

[dingledong]

but the regs say you can cos 1.5 can carry more than 13 amps its in the onsite guide 16th edition a little picture of a ring with a 1.5 spur .
i think your wrong to make your customer spend money when he doesn't have to just out of personal preference

 

[GLENNSPARK]

I went to visit a customer yesterday who has had an extension built on an existing external bare brick wall a number of years ago and he wants the last socket on the radial circuit in there moving back about half a metre to make room for some fitted wardrobes. Firstly the whole house is on a single 32a breaker for the sockets which is not ideal but fine, but when I removed the front from the socket in the extension the radial was wired in 1.5mm t/e. it's definately 1.5 as the conductor cables look too thin to be 2.5 and also the cable outer sleeving is a white colour which I only know as the low smoke omitting cable used in flats etc. It looks like the radial is spurred off a switched FCU just outside the patio doors in the corridor to the kitchen. I'm having my doubts about this one as spurring off that is ok but the load would be too much on the current cable for sockets.The cables are also buried in bare brick.

old or new colours mate?....old colours then white was LSF....new colours then both grey and white are not necessarily LSF.....i know its a sidetrack from the real issue here but........

 

[GLENNSPARK]

but the regs say you can cos 1.5 can carry more than 13 amps its in the onsite guide 16th edition a little picture of a ring with a 1.5 spur .
i think your wrong to make your customer spend money when he doesn't have to just out of personal preference

and if it was feeding a 2 gang socket?..............

 

[Simon_]

I'm not trying to make the customer spend anything more than he should. All I'm doing is moving the socket to where he wants it. I was simply stating about the cable size that's all.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

fcu mate....fuse it down....

 

[fuzzydunlop]

I'm not trying to make the customer spend anything more than he should. All I'm doing is moving the socket to where he wants it. I was simply stating about the cable size that's all.

Don't take this the wrong way but, how can you go and take on work and not have the first clue about it?

 

[dingledong]

glenspark it doesn't matter if its feeding a double socket as its fused at 13 amps and i'm not giving you a personal thought i'm just doing as the regs allow sir