Morning! I'm refurbishing my kitchen, which includes swapping the sockets for nice brushed stainless ones. One of the sockets above the worktop has 3 cables in it but I can't see evidence of a spur coming off it anywhere. The previous kitchen was in place for around 35 years since the house was built and even had the original tiles etc., on the wall when I moved in, so I'm sure a previous resident hasn't done anything dodgy - the wiring is as it was originally in 1985. I've wired up the new socket exactly as the old, but am just wondering why it's got 3 cables in it and where the 3rd one is going! I'm intending to take a fused spur off a different socket on the same ring for two additional double sockets - presumably this won't impact - but I don't like that there seems to be something 'non standard' on a socket on the same ring that I don't understand. Does anyone know why there might be 3 cables in a socket with no evidence of a spur anywhere? Cheers
Yep, all the units are out so I've just a bare wall - the cooker hood was on a surface mounted single socket (with 2 cables so presumably part of the ring) and there's nothing below or anywhere else I can see that's spurred off it. Bit baffled really!
Throw another one in "Lollipop" One is the feed from the CU then the other two form the kitchen ring!
No really a problem functionally if on a 20A breaker, but of no benefit and will just cause confusion if someone thinks there is a ring where there isn't, you wouldn't install that way. 4mm for radials is fine, some would argue a better job.
I don't have any external power and I've no idea how to go about testing it's a ring circuit, I just assumed it was. I don't normally fiddle with electrics - leave it to the professionals - but thought changing some sockets was as straightforward as it gets. I mean, I've wired it up the same as it was so I can't have 'worsened' anything, but seeing an additional cable in there just made me worry that there's a live cable dangling behind the plasterboard and not properly terminated or something dodgy.
No, the only things I have are a non contact voltage tester pen and a socket checker with the lights on that tell you if it's wired in correctly. I'll have a look at the direction of the cables in the box after work - can't remember to be honest.
If I only had a non contact voltage tester I would turn the power off and separate all 3 cables in the socket and then turn the power on. If it's a ring then 2 out of 3 will be live so I would turn the power back off and connect the 2 live cables into the socket and leave the other cable disconnected.