Topic: Quick question for any Electricians..

[Lee1-6Liv]

Is there any give in the wire, give the brown a pull with a pliers.

[Mark Walters]

Is there any give in the wire, give the brown a pull with a pliers.

No give at all unfortunately

[CHOPPER]

Serious now - the problem you have here is, is that you want to keep up the integrity of you ring main and not lose it's properties. For me I would join the the ring cables and joint both with a crimp on one side of the crimp and then take a single, rated to carry 32 amp, but air on the side of caution and use a 4mm piece of colour coded wire and then take that from the crimp, to your terminal on the back plate of your socket.

2 in 1 side, 1 out of the other, in essence.



Or move your wall back 5 inches as mentioned.

[Mark Walters]

Serious now - the problem you have here is, is that you want to keep up the integrity of you ring main and not lose it's properties. For me I would join the the ring cables and joint both with a crimp on one side of the crimp and then take a single, rated to carry 32 amp, but air on the side of caution and use a 4mm piece of colour coded wire and then take that from the crimp, to your terminal on the back plate of your socket.

2 in 1 side, 1 out of the other, in essence.



Or move your wall back 5 inches as mentioned.

Thanks Chopper

Which one of these (if any) would you recommend?

[CHOPPER]

The ones on the left, but get the yellow 4-6mm size. Crimpers can be bought quite cheep as well.

[Mark Walters]

The ones on the left, but get the yellow 4-6mm size. Crimpers can be bought quite cheep as well.

Awesome. Thanks again Chopper.  Got a pair or crimpers already.

[Pheeny]

Bonjela?

[gamble]

Just seen this thread, probably too late and you have burned your house down if you use those crimp connectors.

We use wago connectors and buy the minimal length wire you need to extend the connections. Go to ANY electrical wholesaler and show them what you are trying to do and a kid on the counter will show you what you need. Probably won't even cost you a couple of quid. You're always better off getting an electrician, you pay for their experience not their time.

[Mark Walters]

Just seen this thread, probably too late and you have burned your house down if you use those crimp connectors.

We use wago connectors and buy the minimal length wire you need to extend the connections. Go to ANY electrical wholesaler and show them what you are trying to do and a kid on the counter will show you what you need. Probably won't even cost you a couple of quid. You're always better off getting an electrician, you pay for their experience not their time.

Thanks for the tip.  I haven't had a chance to do it yet but I need a single 2-way connector.  They sell them in boxes of 50!  Unless I find someone who can donate one to me I'm going to risk burning down my house!

[Tesco tearaway]

Thanks for the tip.  I haven't had a chance to do it yet but I need a single 2-way connector.  They sell them in boxes of 50!  Unless I find someone who can donate one to me I'm going to risk burning down my house!

There's always loose ones knocking about in the electrical section in B&Q 

[rob1966]

There's always loose ones knocking about in the electrical section in B&Q 

Yes, B&Q use really cheap packaging, falls apart as soon as you pick it up.

[Tesco tearaway]

Yes, B&Q use really cheap packaging, falls apart as soon as you pick it up.

[Riquende]

I want to put a small powered speaker into my bathroom, which has no sockets (not even a shaver one), and is pretty small. I've read that regulations mean you can't put a socket unless it's a certain number of m from baths/sinks/showers, and there's no way that could be done in mine.

So what I want to do is drill a small hole in the ceiling, around 10mm or so, to run the power lead for the speaker down from the loft space. It would drop down 45cm into the room, with the device sitting on top of a cabinet on the opposite corner of the room from where the bath taps/shower head is located (about 1.8m from the shower head). It's much closer to the sink, but at a much higher level.

Is this just a really bad idea? I'm not that worried about splashes onto the speaker as I don't treat my bathroom like a water park. I've read you can have major problems when coming to sell a house if there are concerns over power and bathrooms, but obviously in my case I can pull the power lead back up and fill in the hole when needed.

[CraigDS]

Why not run the cable from the speaker into the loft and plug it in there? Or is that what you meant? If so I don’t see the issue.

No electrician like 

[Riquende]

Why not run the cable from the speaker into the loft and plug it in there? Or is that what you meant? If so I don’t see the issue.

No electrician like 

Yeah, the plug itself will be in an extension lead running across the loft space to above the bathroom. The only thing physically in the bathroom will be a 45cm length of thin rubbery flex connected to the speaker's power input.

[CraigDS]

Can’t see why it would be an issue personally. Shove a little sealant in the hole to make sure no moisture escapes to be on safe side and jobs a goodun.

[CHOPPER]

You'll need to define what circuit you think your speaker circuit would fall under, within ELV guidelines, and then design/protect accordingly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra-low_voltage

[Filler.]

I want to put a small powered speaker into my bathroom, which has no sockets (not even a shaver one), and is pretty small. I've read that regulations mean you can't put a socket unless it's a certain number of m from baths/sinks/showers, and there's no way that could be done in mine.

So what I want to do is drill a small hole in the ceiling, around 10mm or so, to run the power lead for the speaker down from the loft space. It would drop down 45cm into the room, with the device sitting on top of a cabinet on the opposite corner of the room from where the bath taps/shower head is located (about 1.8m from the shower head). It's much closer to the sink, but at a much higher level.

Is this just a really bad idea? I'm not that worried about splashes onto the speaker as I don't treat my bathroom like a water park. I've read you can have major problems when coming to sell a house if there are concerns over power and bathrooms, but obviously in my case I can pull the power lead back up and fill in the hole when needed.

Drill some brackets into the joist. Could hang it from that. There's also the chance you might die but you've weighed this up.

[Motty]

I want to put a small powered speaker into my bathroom, which has no sockets (not even a shaver one), and is pretty small. I've read that regulations mean you can't put a socket unless it's a certain number of m from baths/sinks/showers, and there's no way that could be done in mine.

So what I want to do is drill a small hole in the ceiling, around 10mm or so, to run the power lead for the speaker down from the loft space. It would drop down 45cm into the room, with the device sitting on top of a cabinet on the opposite corner of the room from where the bath taps/shower head is located (about 1.8m from the shower head). It's much closer to the sink, but at a much higher level.

Is this just a really bad idea? I'm not that worried about splashes onto the speaker as I don't treat my bathroom like a water park. I've read you can have major problems when coming to sell a house if there are concerns over power and bathrooms, but obviously in my case I can pull the power lead back up and fill in the hole when needed.

I often tile bathrooms with shaver sockets a foot or less away from the shower. Never heard of a distance limit on it to be honest, as long as it's outside the shower obviously (you'd be surprised) [emoji23]

[.adam]

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread.

Does anyone have any experience with getting an EV charger installed on a looped supply?

My house (1930s end terrace in Manchester) is on a looped supply. The electricity board (Electricity North West) have refused the application to have an EV charger installed because of this. They're eventually going to come out to me to talk about unlooping the supply. From what I've read, this could take a number of months.

Problem is, my car is coming on Thursday and charging via a three-pin plug will be painfully slow.

I've written to them outlining how I only have one "high current" appliance - my oven - in the house. This draws a maximum of 30A if both ovens, the grill and the light are on. Also explained how I plan to charge the car between 00:30 and 04:30 when both my neighbour and I shouldn't really be using any current. I'm waiting on a response.

Does anyone (spark or otherwise) have any experience in this?

[gazzam1963]

Why did you contact them ? Was it for the installation of an off peak meter ( economy seven ) , I haven’t been involved in the supply of Ev chargers but they do generally give you a supply protected by a 100 amp fuse and as you say it will generally be used on the overnight rate similar to off peak storage heating which I’ve never known a supply authority to knock a heating installation back on a looped supply , and they can supply an equivalent load over a seven hour period

[.adam]

Why did you contact them ? Was it for the installation of an off peak meter ( economy seven ) , I haven’t been involved in the supply of Ev chargers but they do generally give you a supply protected by a 100 amp fuse and as you say it will generally be used on the overnight rate similar to off peak storage heating which I’ve never known a supply authority to knock a heating installation back on a looped supply , and they can supply an equivalent load over a seven hour period

When I paid the electrician to install the EV charger, I had to provide a bunch of information including shots of my main supply cable, tails to my consumer unit, consumer unit itself, earthed stopcock, earthed gas meter etc.

They identified what looked like a looped supply and the policy is to contact the DNO to request permission to install if it looks like you're on a looped supply.

The DNO confirmed I was and denied the application. They cc'd me in the response and that's why I've contacted them directly to ask them to reconsider. My main fuse does say 100A on the exterior but my brother (a relatively newly qualified spark) has suggested that it is probable that there's 60A cartridge in there.

[CHOPPER]

If the Full load current of your charger and your house circuits do not exceed the rated protection of you supply, which is 100amp, then you are not detrimental to the supply of the system, as you are working within its supply loading parameters.

[gazzam1963]

https://www.speakev.com/threads/home-charger-installation-on-looped-supply.154853/

Looks like it’s a common problem , looks like a lot of 1960s built houses have looped supplies and I was on a job in Huyton in 1982 that fitted looped supplies replacing the old cleated over head supplies , was told a year or so ago that EVs need a good electrical infrastructure for the new demand and it’s not anywhere near it yet especially the way EVs are being pushed and advertised

[.adam]

https://www.speakev.com/threads/home-charger-installation-on-looped-supply.154853/

Looks like it’s a common problem , looks like a lot of 1960s built houses have looped supplies and I was on a job in Huyton in 1982 that fitted looped supplies replacing the old cleated over head supplies , was told a year or so ago that EVs need a good electrical infrastructure for the new demand and it’s not anywhere near it yet especially the way EVs are being pushed and advertised

Cheers. Had previously had a browse on that forum (I'm the last reply in that thread!).

Just popped out the main supply fuse bullet and it is a 100A fuse in there. Means they're denying me access to an EV charger when I'm drawing no more than about 40A in the house at the moment.

[gazzam1963]

Cheers. Had previously had a browse on that forum (I'm the last reply in that thread!).

Just popped out the main supply fuse bullet and it is a 100A fuse in there. Means they're denying me access to an EV charger when I'm drawing no more than about 40A in the house at the moment.

Did you have to inform them because of the EV grant ?

[.adam]

Did you have to inform them because of the EV grant ?

I didn't inform them, the EV charger installation company did. I presume it's because they could see from the photo that I was on a looped supply.

[.adam]

Spoke to the DNO last night. They are refusing to authorise the installation until they come out to assess on the 20th December.

It will take "a good few weeks" after that to start the work to unloop me. It will be free of charge though.

In the meantime, I am getting my brother (a spark) to install a 32A commando socket in my porch which will literally do exactly the same thing as the EV charger would yet doesn't have to be authorised by the DNO.

I've also spoken again to the EV charger guys to let me know if they are now prohibited from installing the EV charger or if this is just guidance as the DNO told me that some sparks contact them to check for a looped supply after they've installed it.

It's all a bit of a joke really. I was speaking the spark on the phone last night who said he's fitting a 10KW shower on a job at the moment and I need to beg permission to install a 7.2KW charger.

[Wullie160975]

I have a question for any electricians/DIY experts.

I have swapped over all of the sockets and switches in my house with no issues, but I have 1 fused spur switch next to a single socket that I have a query about.

All the sockets have 2 cables running into them except the one next to the fused switch, which has a connection to the back of the fused switch.

The fused switch originally belonged to a an external fan that is no longer there, so I don't need a fused switch there anymore and was hoping to swap it to a second single socket (I could have switched it to a double socket, but would leave a gap around the edge of the socket given the difference in sizes).

Searching around, it looks like I can swap the fused switch for a socket, but if I do that, I'm curious how I connect the cables/wires. Do I just used 1 cable into the existing socket and leave the joining wires out? Do I connect it the same was as it is at the moment and use the joining wires to complete the circuit?

Or am I better playing it safe and leaving it as it is at the moment and getting an electrician (who'll no doubt think I'm stupid for asking)?

Any help/suggestions, would be greatly appreciated.

[gazzam1963]

So has the single socket got three cables to it one of which loops to the fused spur , or has the single socket got two at it one of which loops to the fused spur . If it’s got three then the single socket is more than likely wired off the ring main with the cable to the single socket being a spur to the fused spur .

[Wullie160975]

It has 2, 1 from the main loop and the other from the spur. The spur has 3 - 1 to the socket and the other 2 to the main loop.

[gazzam1963]

As long as the cable that fed the original fan still isn’t connected into the back of the fused spur then It looks like you have the following

Two cables at the single socket one coming in  ( from the ring man ) then one feeding the fused spur , at the fused spur you have one coming from the single socket then going back out feeding the ring , the third cable going out if it isn’t feeding the old fan then it’s probably a spur feeding something else in that case you can change the fused spur for a single socket

[Wullie160975]

Created the below of the setup. Just wanted to know how I changed the fused switch to another single socket and if I need to keep the wiring between the 2 sockets or if one cable to the single socket will be enough.

[gazzam1963]

Yeah keep it between the spur and the socket , connect the three reds / browns to live , earths together at the earth terminal and the black / blue to the neutral terminal

[Andy @ Allerton!]

I want to build a three tier rocket that I can fly to Mars in.

I have a bit of space in the shed but am not sure where to store the shiny suits.

[kavah]

Any tips to make the connection better on these crappy 2 pin halogen bulbs? They are very erratic.
- Ta

[Nobby Reserve]

Can anyone recommend an electrician who would cover the Merseyside area (St Helens), that's qualified to fit a home EV charger.

I've spoken to a handful of specialist firms, but they want what to me seems a lot of money (upwards of £400) for what is half a day's work. That might end up the going rate I need to pay, but I suspect their 'specialists' tag is allowing them to bump their margins a fair bit in a niche sector that's still developing.

[Nobby Reserve]

Can anyone recommend an electrician who would cover the Merseyside area (St Helens), that's qualified to fit a home EV charger.

I've spoken to a handful of specialist firms, but they want what to me seems a lot of money (upwards of £400) for what is half a day's work. That might end up the going rate I need to pay, but I suspect their 'specialists' tag is allowing them to bump their margins a fair bit in a niche sector that's still developing.

Nobody?

 

[stewil007]

Nobody?

 

Although i cant suggest an electrician, when i got my EV charger installed the going rate was about £8/900 which was then subsidized to about £400, so it would appear that might be the going rate.

[gazzam1963]

Nobody?

 

What does the £400 include and is there an ozev grant on top of that ?