Radial or ring?

[glen.mason]

Just wondering, with the increase of appliances now commonly found in 2/3/4 bedrooms - wall mount TV's, DVD's, XBox's, lamps, electric under/over blankets, who install's radials or help future proof and fit ring finals to re-wires?

 

[Paul.M]

It is down to us to design a suited circuit for its purpose. Very good point regards to all the appliances we all have in our bedrooms now. Thinking about it my 3 bedrooms are all on 4mm radial but no way near flc. In a customers house they will just plug whatever in and think nothing of it until fuse starts tripping all the time.

 

[IQ Electrical]

It is down to us to design a suited circuit for its purpose. Very good point regards to all the appliances we all have in our bedrooms now. Thinking about it my 3 bedrooms are all on 4mm radial but no way near flc. In a customers house they will just plug whatever in and think nothing of it until fuse starts tripping all the time.

Paul's right, it's down to the competent persons design and when you actually add up the loads and the intermittent nature of many of them, you normally find a lot of spare capacity on an average domestic 32A ring circuit.
Kitchens being a possible exception.

 

[glen.mason]

You can only design an installation based on the existing demands, what I'm saying is that an rfc could cope with future additional loads better than a radial. For the slight additional cost involved when rewiring, and as a proffesional electrician, I think you have take into consideration the probability for extra demand in locations such as bedrooms.

 

[IQ Electrical]

You can only design an installation based on the existing demands, what I'm saying is that an rfc could cope with future additional loads better than a radial. For the slight additional cost involved when rewiring, and as a proffesional electrician, I think you have take into consideration the probability for extra demand in locations such as bedrooms.

I agree to a point but you also have to balance that with cost and client requirements!

10 years ago, you'd have laughed at the idea of needing 4 twin sockets in a bedroom, do we now put 10 in as standard to future proof?

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I fit rings into kitchens and utility rooms. also living room and dining room if they are one and the same. Bedrooms i always fit radials 2.5mm 16a mcb for each room. you will have to go some to load up a 16a radial to the point where it overloads the MCB. The most powerful thing ever to see a bedroom will be the vacuum cleaner. It would take loads of tellys, xboxes, etc etc to get anywhere near 16amp.

Cheers.........Howard

 

[nick611]

also regs say segregate circuits to ease testing and fault finding ,also avoid nusience tripping.20amp radial to all rooms except kitchen and utility,4mm radial to these.the ring is dead,long live the radial

 

[IQ Electrical]

also regs say segregate circuits to ease testing and fault finding ,also avoid nusience tripping.20amp radial to all rooms except kitchen and utility,4mm radial to these.the ring is dead,long live the radial

On copper prices alone, the radial is dead, long live the ring!

 

[Sparky Ninja]

Ring finals will become a thing of the past in a couple of ammendments time.

 

[IQ Electrical]

Ring finals will become a thing of the past in a couple of ammendments time.

I've been hearing that since the fifteenth edition!

 

[Sparky Ninja]

I've been hearing that since the fifteenth edition!

well that was only a few amendments ago.. as soon as it becomes economically viable, they will be gone. Well from domestic installations at least.

 

[Risteard]

Not so sure that a circuit which has been considered safe since its inception following the 2nd World War could suddenly be deemed unsafe. Nothing wrong with correctly designed, constructed and inspected and tested ring final circuits.

Long live the ring!

 

[Phil]

i am one for the radials but as said in a previous post it all depends on the installation

 

[telectrix]

On copper prices alone, the radial is dead, long live the ring!

much rather go with radials, less hassle, better segregation (as more circuits) and easier to extend radial without the need for fcu's

 

[Sparky Ninja]

Nothing wrong with correctly designed, constructed and inspected and tested ring final circuits.

Correct, but in the domestic field it is becoming apparent that a 10 yearly check for a circuit where an 'ordinary' person would be unaware of an open circuit occurring is not preferable. So with all options considered, removing the ring final from domestic installations may become common practice. It's under review anyways.

The ring final was introduced for financial gain, not to make the job easier for the spark, and it is now being deemed unsafe by some of the powers that be.