Up and down or front and back

[Greg:]

I appreciate that the convention is to wire up sockets on separate up and down breakers but it occurred to me that, given a centrally located DB, it might be better to make the division in a premises between say front and back. Ring or radial circuits could run between the floors to directly power sockets on the first floor with spurs running downwards from each socket to their counterparts downstairs. This plan might especially suit modern builds with concrete floor where the wiring would need to run between floors. Apologies if this is an issue that has already been discussed but I was wondering what other people thought.

 

[kingeri]

No problem with doing that if it's appropriate and economical. I would probably still have the kitchen on its own circuit though. It actually makes sense in a lot of ways.

 

[telectrix]

i like the idea of "vertical " circuits, on separate RCds. then if 1 RCD trips, customer will still have sockets up and down.

 

[Octopus]

The only issue if you do "front" and back" on sockets, then you are almost duty bound to do the same with the lights, so they are on opposite circuits!

 

[Silly Sausage]

Half up, half down is a reasonable way to go.
Bit like landing light on downstairs cct, hall light on upstairs cct.

 

[telectrix]

not necessarily. if a lighting circuit fails then virtually everybody has table lamps or standard lamps they can plug in.

 

[kingeri]

Or they can do like my missus and wander around in the dark using her mobile phone as a torch then stubbing her toe and blaming me.

 

[Johnny-G]

I like up and down and front & back if I'm honest.
Sometime's she doesn't but that's life.

 

[kingeri]

I like up and down and front & back if I'm honest.
Sometime's she doesn't but that's life.

You just caused beer to come out of my nose.

 

[Fin170]

1 ring for sockets
1 lighting circuit
1 cooker
No water heater, but posh so we'll have a shower

Old school style (so I won't be bonding the gas and water even if they are in the same cupboard as well) :wink_smile:

Aside from that I find up and down to be easiest, the issues raised above are only really problems with a dual rcd unit. This is why I prefer a split board + a few rcbos, e.g.

Sockets up (rcbo)
Sockets down (rcbo)
Lights up (rcbo)
Lights down (rcd)
Cooker, shower etc (rcd)

Although it varies hugely pending house, no. bedrooms, demands etc

 

[Amp David]

Just wired a small terraced house as front and back sockets.

The lighting however I kept as up and down, with the landing light on the down lighting CCT.

This ways works for me. Looped in at the switches too, I know some won't like that

 

[electric will]

I use front and back for sockets, still have kitchen on its own, so 3 ring finals.
still have up and down for lights.
ring finals front and back uses a lot less cable, cheaper and shorter ring finals can only be a good thing

 

[electric will]

Just wired a small terraced house as front and back sockets.

The lighting however I kept as up and down, with the landing light on the down lighting CCT.

This ways works for me. Looped in at the switches too, I know some won't like that

Loops at switches with down lights,loops in fittings with pendants

 

[somersetsparks]

I have noticed from testing that in most 2 up 2 down houses and the like, for waste pipe related reasons the bathroom tends to be above the kitchen, therefore 2 rings front and back seems the most logical option as you end up with kitchen plus 1 bedroom on 1 ring and bedroom and lounge on the other. See no need for 3 rings personally on normal sized houses.
Houses with central stairs (like my own) tend to have the left/right arrangement.
I prefer either of these were possible and think they offer better distribution then up/down. Even on new builds I have never known the spec to include 3 rings.

 

[PEG]

Only a matter of time before 32 way Cu's and rcbo's for every socket outlet,with blinking colour matched LED;s to match one with the other.......hang on a minute,when is Dragons Den on? :joker: