Extra sockets from FCU

N

NewHomeDIYer

New Member
Afternoon all. I’m hoping someone nice will tell me if I’m too far wrong with the below plan please?

A friend already has a double socket, though it is only one 2.5mm T&E to it and it’s an old house and they’re red and black wires. He requires more sockets for his TV station and is having a new stud wall built. If I change that socket for a FCU (13A) and then take the load side down to a Wago and then out of the Wago, have four new runs of 2.5mm T&E to new double sockets, is that all safe? The Wago’s will be in a Wago junction box under the floor boards. The wires will then be chased up into the plaster in prescribed zones and secured using all-round band. Thanks in advance for any helpful responses.
 
1st question is are the sockets rcd protected. If not the answers no. If yes why the wago box, just run from the fused connection unit,and daisy chain between each socket.
 
nigel willson said:
1st question is are the sockets rcd protected. If not the answers no. If yes why the wago box, just run from the fused connection unit,and daisy chain between each socket.
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Thanks Nigel. Yes, the sockets are connected to the MCB marked as ‘Downstairs Sockets’ and are on the RCD protected side of the MCB’s. I will daisy chain if that’s the normal way. Thanks.
 
You can't make assumptions with the existing socket. Is it a ring final and is this socket a single point spur. It needs testing prior to alterations and is the RCD type A or AC, current Regulations require it to be type A.
 
Refuse to Bend said:
You can't make assumptions with the existing socket. Is it a ring final and is this socket a single point spur. It needs testing prior to alterations and is the RCD type A or AC, current Regulations require it to be type A.
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Wouldn’t a ring final socket have two sets of wires to it? Not sure if it’s A or AC but it’s an old MCB and RCD and doesn’t need replacing I don’t think (I may be wrong)?
 
arrow said:
You will need to check that this is the only spur and not a spur off a spur.
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Is there a way to test if it’s a spur off a spur without pulling up the floor boards upstairs (where the wire runs to in the wall)? I didn’t think you were allowed to spur off a spur unless it was FCU protected? It may have been done in the past (it’s an old house) but the FCU will protect the cable to the same degree as when it had a double socket on the end won’t it?
 
Refuse to Bend said:
You carry out continuity tests to initially verify it is a ring final then establish how this socket is connected.
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That sounds like it’s outside the scope of a DIYer which is a shame. I can test continuity on smaller things, but not a mains circuit. It must be a spur though? It goes up into the wall (solid) and presumably either comes out upstairs to another socket or tracks all the way to the fuse box in the middle of the house. There is another socket the other side of the chimney breast that also only has one wire to it but that one goes down, under the floorboards and off somewhere.
 
Refuse to Bend said:
You can't make assumptions with the existing socket. Is it a ring final and is this socket a single point spur. It needs testing prior to alterations and is the RCD type A or AC, current Regulations require it to be type A.
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Does it have to be done to current regulations if it’s a DIY job and just additional sockets? It’s not a ring socket as it’s only got one wire to it.
 
techie said:
You can do what you like, it doesn’t mean that it’s safe or compliant…
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Yeah I get that. As I said in my original post, I’m looking more for safe than anything else. I thought an FCU from the existing and then additional sockets would be safe?
 
An appropriately fused fcu allows the connection od as many down stream sockets as you wish. The discussion is where the fcu is fed from. Is it already a spur, a ring final or a radial.
 
techie said:
An appropriately fused fcu allows the connection od as many down stream sockets as you wish. The discussion is where the fcu is fed from. Is it already a spur, a ring final or a radial.
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That I’m afraid I don’t know. It’s only fed by one wire, so must either be a spur or a radial. If it’s already a spur, is it acceptable to use the FCU and then add sockets, rather than tracing it all the way back and adding the FCU there?
 
Refuse to Bend said:
This is probably beyond your level of competence there is more to a safe installation than just connecting some wires.
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I doubt most DIYers have the tools necessary to perform the tests you’re talking about though? So I figured this might be the place to check my plan and get some constructive and useful help and advice. I think many would just add a couple of sockets on, I thought I’d been vaguely sensible researching the FCU and reading a little around 7671. Sorry to have bothered you all though. Take care.
 
NewHomeDIYer said:
That I’m afraid I don’t know. It’s only fed by one wire, so must either be a spur or a radial. If it’s already a spur, is it acceptable to use the FCU and then add sockets, rather than tracing it all the way back and adding the FCU there?
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Its not acceptable to run a spur from another spur.

We aren’t trying to be obstructive but it’s difficult to advise from the information provided.
A level of competence is needed to do this work and no-one on this forum knows where that level lies in relation to you.?
All the best anyway.
 
NewHomeDIYer said:
That I’m afraid I don’t know. It’s only fed by one wire, so must either be a spur or a radial. If it’s already a spur, is it acceptable to use the FCU and then add sockets, rather than tracing it all the way back and adding the FCU there?
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May already be 2 spurs, how are you to know? Then you add another making 3. People get up to all sorts doing diy work without realising what they’re doing, as in whoever did the wiring before you came along.

you may invalidate the house insurance as well if done incorrectly (for your info).
 
Lots of scaremongering going on here. The OP has a socket on the end of a cable which he wants to change for a FCU. Nothing wrong with that. If the socket is already wrong, spur off a spur etc, changing it for a FCU will not make it worse. If it is wrong the insurance could already be invalid, changing it won't invalidate it twice.
 
Wellwisher said:
Lots of scaremongering going on here. The OP has a socket on the end of a cable which he wants to change for a FCU. Nothing wrong with that. If the socket is already wrong, spur off a spur etc, changing it for a FCU will not make it worse. If it is wrong the insurance could already be invalid, changing it won't invalidate it twice.
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George the OP would appear to be tasking this over so let's not stress over it.
 
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