On Jun 24, 12:33*pm, wrote:
On Jun 23, 4:34*pm, harry wrote:





On Jun 22, 6:52*pm, wrote:

On Jun 22, 1:01*pm, harry wrote:

On Jun 22, 3:23*pm, Jules Richardson

wrote:
On Tue, 22 Jun 2010 06:18:54 -0700, Pavel314 wrote:
This is a theoretical electrical question, not something I actually plan
to do. Say somebody wants to run a new circuit from the breaker box to
one special outlet, like for a microwave oven or window air conditioner
or something like that. Being an ecconomical sort, this guy decides that
instead of buying the proper gauge wire for the job, he'll use up some
14 gauge wire which is lying around from a previous job, but run two hot
lines and two ground lines in parallel, as diagrammed below.

That's essentially the way it's done in the UK; wiring is run such that
outlets sit on a ring circuit rather than a radial from the service panel
(consumer unit in UK parlance). See:

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_circuit

I'm sure it violates all sorts of rules this side of the Pond :-)

cheers

Jules

Yes, we have a ring main system over here with 13Asockets. *It makes
more efficient use of the wire, is safer and easier to extend.

What exactly makes it safer and easier to extend? *With billions of
simple straight run circuits installed in the USA, I haven't seen any
reports of anything bad happening here, so I'd say safety is a moot
point.

There
is a fuse in each plug sized to the appliance it supplies. *There can
be an unlimited number of sockets on a ring *and it's connected to a
30A CB. *The area it serves is limited to 100m2. *It's ideally suited
to todays home with many small appliances.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_main
We had a radial system over here at one time , it was abandonded over
fifty years ago.- Hide quoted text -

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If you want an extra socket, you can break into the ring at any point
and reroute the wiring or use joint boxes. There is no need to run
wires back to the circuit breaker. One, two, three and four gang
sockest are available.

I can do exactly that under the US wiring methods as well, add an
outlet to an existing circuit without installing a new breaker and
wire run to the panel.

Next!

It's safer because each plug has a cartridge fuse in it, sized to the
appliance. *eg for a TV,1amp, for an electric heater, washing machine
etc 10 *or 13amps (2 or 3 Kw).- Hide quoted text -

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The fact that the plug has a fuse in it has nothing to do with wiring
it in a ring. *That could be done with either method.

Next!

Besides being a rabble rouser here with OT posts, you really don't
know much, do you?- Hide quoted text -

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But isn't. How many sockets an you wire n a radial?