On Saturday 12 January 2013 21:01 wrote in
alt.home.repair:


A typical circuit would run cable from breaker to an outlet, on to
another outlet, then on to a couple of lights, with drop switches - or
on to a couple of light switches, feeding one or two lights per
switch.

Me: I'm running with 2 circuits (pretty normal for a UK house), both 10A
(regs permit 6A, 10A and 16A - 6A is most common, and 16A is usually for
commercial premises).


2 10 amp circuits in UK provide the same power as 1 20 amp circuit in
America.. No way you would ever get away with that little power in an
American or Canadian home.

Ah - so your lighting and socket circuits are combined. Think I've seen
something similar in Switzerland.

In which case it makes sense. Our word for that type of socket circuit is
"radial" (to differenciate it from "ring"). It is a permitted circuit,
usually 16A or 20A but can be done at 32A, but the required cable size
becomes prohibitive at 32A. However, we would never combine lighting at
sockets on the same circuit - although by the regs, it could be done with a
16A breaker - but never is.

A typical old style house would have 2 lighting circuits (lighting only plus
odd things like bathroom extractor fans) - one upstairs, one downstairs.

Then typically 2 32A ring circuits - upstairs and downstairs.

Then a cooker circuit, another for shower etc.


My house, done to my own design and wired by me (I hold some qualifications
and the correct test instrument, so my building inspector is happy for me to
sign my own work off) has:

2 indoor lighting circuits at 10A each, north end and south end

4 32A rings for sockets

1 45A circuit for backup heating (if gas boiler fails)

1 10A outdoor lighting (RCD/GFCI more likely to trip due to bugs and damp)

1 16A "radial" for a couple of outdoor sockets (own circuit fo rsam ereason
as above).

1 32A workshop (well, big shed) supply, if I ever get around to it.

That's fed off a 100A 230V incomer.

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://www.dionic.net/tim/

"She got her looks from her father. He's a plastic surgeon."