Ring on the end of a Radial!!?!?

[Geoffers]

Hi Folks,

Ok, advice required.

A neighbour a few doors down, wants a CU change. It's as straightforward as you like. Most of the earthing is in place. Basic circuits etc, everything on rewirealble fuses at the moment. The sockets are all on 6mm T&E 30A radials, no problem there apart from the kitchen.

A 6mm comes into the kitchen and feeds one double socket outlet. In the last few years, someone has installed a ring in 2.5mm t&e that goes out and feeds about 3 sockets plus a spur for the boiler and comes back again to this socket. There's no electric cooker or anything. Just your normal kitchen appliances.

I've never actually seen anything like this so not sure if ok. The reason i'm not sure is beacuse the initial cable from the CU is 6mm so it seems to me that there is enough capacity for a 2.5mm on the end. I can't see why they just didn't extend the radial instead. I'm thinking that this used to be for a old electric cooker or something and they've just assumed it should be a ring but couldn't be arsed to run a new cable in and used the 6mm instead.

The problem now is virtually all the 2.5mm is buried, tiling has been done (cables behind etc.) Don't want to have to rip out to get to cables, they go under a tiled floor and all that too apparently.

Any suggestions? ...as in leave it alone / sort it out.

i've not done any testing on it yet either....

Cheers
Geoff

 

[Hawk81]

I suppose it helps if I read posts correctly



For some reason "rewireable fuses" is what stuck in my mind

easy done lol. i've made the same mistake before too

 

[wacko]

Hi chaps,

Is it a ring? Well not really. It's come off some point outside the CU. So it's spurs coming off a spur. And now they're interconnected too. And that's a big no-no shurely?

No chance you can run a leg back to the new CU?

Regards

 

[ian.settle1]

Just going to throw a spanner in the works.

A ring final circuit must start and finish in the consumer unit and be connected to a 30/32a fuse or mcb. Appendix 15 p362

I don't see must in the text box

 

[Sintra]

I don't see must in the text box

Nor do i now i'm looking at it but it says "A ring final circuit starts and finishes at the distribution ................"

It also doesn't say "should" which are both words commonly used in the regs which could imply that there is no other option to the one stated.

 

[Des 56]

They are only informative, so they wouldn't really give out anything difinitive either way,so we are left to work it out ourselves once again

 

[davelerave]

only common sense they should return all the way to DB


it should be readily apparent where there are rings or paralleled cables-as there are particular hazards(namely overcurrent) if they are inadvertently altered etc.

their use should be strictly regulated or you could have' radials in to rings' anywhere and short bits of paralleled cables

 

[Sintra]

They are only informative, so they wouldn't really give out anything difinitive either way,so we are left to work it out ourselves once again

That's it interpritation + forum = good debate.

I've gotta say these are the best types of thread.

 

[Geoffers]

Arrghhh! I've created a monster!!

but seriously, thanks for the replies..... this has opened up more than i thought!.....i'll go back and see what can be done in terms of access to the cables, i could potentially fit a fused spur in there somewhere. I would agree that it's not a hazard as such...but i am now torn!