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Seperate Ring Mains - What to buy?

C

cliffyboy

Exposure Fan
My leccy has kindly offered to install me a separate ring main for free of charge subject to me supplying the parts.

As I live in rented accommodation, I shall not be butchering the property, so am considering having two double sockets installed, one either side of my hifi rack, adjacent to the two double sockets currently in place.

I would use one double socket for my mono XVIs and the other double socket to feed two 6 way Olson distribution blocks.

So what would I need to buy? I am confident in my leccy doing the actual work, however am not so sure on his choice of quality components for the installation.

Installation should be fairly simple, in respect that I have a floating floor, so cable runs from the fuse box, can be run to the double socket locations with great ease.

What would be recommended/required to have this set up?
 
There is the insurance aspect. I trust your 'Leccy' is a fully qualified person, with the relevant certification. By the way. It's 'separate' , not 'seperate'.
 
Similar to what I have done, decent mains cable, I ran a separate earth cable, all back to the same point from the consumer unit into MK unswitched sockets, won't cost very much and keep the HiFi supply more clean.
 
Martyn Miles said:
There is the insurance aspect. I trust your 'Leccy' is a fully qualified person, with the relevant certification. By the way. It's 'separate' , not 'seperate'.
Click to expand...

Fully qualified. He does the majority of electrical work, for my rental department.

Spelling noted ;)
 
Gaius said:
Similar to what I have done, decent mains cable, I ran a separate earth cable, all back to the same point from the consumer unit into MK unswitched sockets, won't cost very much and keep the HiFi supply more clean.
Click to expand...

Thanks buddy.

I was under the impression that I would require a separate CU?
 
cliffyboy said:
Thanks buddy.

I was under the impression that I would require a separate CU?
Click to expand...

You can do that, not expensive, my spark put two new breakers and a new buss bar in the existing box, the only thing on these circuits is the HiFi, I use one for the record player and phono stage and the other for the amps and CD.
 
Cliff, how you doing mate?
Get your spark to take the tails after the meter, split them with a Henley block and have your own CU for your hifi (very different to having your hifi ring main plugged into a spare breaker.
From the dedicated CU run a radial to each piece of hifi kit (I know you have more kit than most hifi shops, so a separate radial to each amp and your main source at least.
So each pice of kit will have its own breaker and own radial line from dedicated CU to the kit.
If you want more info just give me a call, you only want to do this once so do it right.
Cheers
 
Sovereign said:
Cliff, how you doing mate?
Get your spark to take the tails after the meter, split them with a Henley block and have your own CU for your hifi (very different to having your hifi ring main plugged into a spare breaker.
From the dedicated CU run a radial to each piece of hifi kit (I know you have more kit than most hifi shops, so a separate radial to each amp and your main source at least.
So each pice of kit will have its own breaker and own radial line from dedicated CU to the kit.
If you want more info just give me a call, you only want to do this once so do it right.
Cheers
Click to expand...

Yes, this is excellent advice, though you could improve things by having a separate 32 amp.RCBO (MCB + RCD) for each (6 or 10mm2 ) radial.

However, (a) You're in rented accommodation,.....and
(b) this kind of installation (which I have) is not cheap or a half-hour job.

I hate to say this, because I'm a dedicated adherent of separate supply radials to each piece of kit,with all the trimmings, but I'd go for the low-cost option suggested, only.......
use unswitched MK sockets as previously advised and a 6mm2 or bigger cable for the ring (despite your sparks' protestations that this is o.t.t.), plus 32 amp RCBO or MCB with RCD coverage somewhere in the consumer unit.

If you had your own house/flat and were likely to enjoy many years' benefit, I'd advise otherwise.
 
Although I'm a home-owner, mine has been set up so I can take it with me (apart from the earth rods) should I move house.
 
So we must use a qualified electrician but then insist on bigger cable than he recommends. At what point are we supposed to ignore the 'protestations' of professionals and start making it up, just as a matter of interest?
 
Abbydog, in the land where people spend £100 on a metre of mains cable and then run it through the same wobbly sh1tbox IEC socket, overspeccing a radial main is hardly a big deal. After all, no harm can come from using too heavy a cable, any spark would just shrug his shoulders. If one of us wants to run 2 x 10mm T&E to a clock radio, then that's up to us. If we want to wire a shower with bellwire then he'd very reasonably say no, but the other way is fine.
 
If I were your landlord you'd be out on your ear if you did this without my permission.

Check your lease very carefully.
 
Part p approved electrician registered with somebody like Elecsa as a new circuit is 'notifiable work' under building regs which are statutory.
Crabtree sockets not MK - MK quality has plummeted in recent years.
Decent BASEC approved cables such made by Prysmian, etc.
Forget going above 4mm sq size as will not terminate properly in sockets if wiring as ring.
Must have 30mA Rcd protection on circuit
Make sure contractor issues you with bs7671 electrical installation certificate immediately on completion and 'notifies' via his self certification scheme within 20 days of job completion.

If this latter bit is not done there may be statutory ramifications on building owner if things go wrong during next six years.

.
 
abbydog said:
So we must use a qualified electrician but then insist on bigger cable than he recommends. At what point are we supposed to ignore the 'protestations' of professionals and start making it up, just as a matter of interest?
Click to expand...

Rather naive thinking; Steve 67 puts it rather well.
 
rhgbristol said:
Part p approved electrician registered with somebody like Elecsa as a new circuit is 'notifiable work' under building regs which are statutory.
Crabtree sockets not MK - MK quality has plummeted in recent years.
Decent BASEC approved cables such made by Prysmian, etc.
Forget going above 4mm sq size as will not terminate properly in sockets if wiring as ring.
Must have 30mA Rcd protection on circuit
Make sure contractor issues you with bs7671 electrical installation certificate immediately on completion and 'notifies' via his self certification scheme within 20 days of job completion.

If this latter bit is not done there may be statutory ramifications on building owner if things go wrong during next six years.

.
Click to expand...

Some good points, and I didn't know of the requirement for building reg's if you are simply adding another circuit to an existing installation; must be a fairly recent addition.

Re. cable size. My error in recommending 6mm2 or above, as I was thinking about separate radials, not a ring; thanks for that. Sockets can take 10mm2 but not piggybacked, of course !

Interesting point about the falling quality of MK; such is life !;)
 
Sovereign said:
Cliff, how you doing mate?
Get your spark to take the tails after the meter, split them with a Henley block and have your own CU for your hifi (very different to having your hifi ring main plugged into a spare breaker.
From the dedicated CU run a radial to each piece of hifi kit (I know you have more kit than most hifi shops, so a separate radial to each amp and your main source at least.
So each pice of kit will have its own breaker and own radial line from dedicated CU to the kit.
If you want more info just give me a call, you only want to do this once so do it right.
Cheers
Click to expand...

Thanks fella, will drop you an e-mail or call you after work tonight.
 
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