Hi,

I'm no spark so if its anything more than changing a fitting I won't touch
it.

I recently had the kitchen retiled. The previous owner was a diy-bodger and
has made my life miserable with jobs taking 2-3 time longer as I put right
what he put wrong.
He had originally tiled the kitchen and tiled around the sockets and
switches and then grouted the whole lot including the switches.
So with the new tiles comes new fittings. The wife wanted the flat plate
chrome type. No problem I made sure that all the back boxes were earthed and
took a earth from the box to the fitting.

However there was one un-switched spur beside a double socket that caused me
a problem:

The spur was fitted with a 2 amp fuse and used to supply the extractor hood.
When the screws to the spur plate were removed there was no give in the
wiring so I could literally only pull it about 1" from the wall.
Once I disconnected it, I could see that on the feed side there were three
sets of mains cable (3 live, 3neutral) the third mains used to double socket
(must be a addition to the original installation) next to the spur. I knew
straight away that I was not going to be able to fit the new spur due to the
length of the cables not giving me any room to manoeuvre.

What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate thing to
do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables together
(3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then got some ring mains
cable from homebase and used a few inches of this to connect the chocolate
blocks to the feed of the fused spur.

Is this ok?

TIA

Patrick

Patrick wrote:
[...]
What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate
thing to do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains
cables together (3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then
got some ring mains cable from homebase and used a few inches of
this to connect the chocolate blocks to the feed of the fused spur.

Is this ok?

Don't see why not - so long as you tightened up the screws properly!

Dave

Patrick wrote:

What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate thing to
do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables together
(3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then got some ring mains
cable from homebase and used a few inches of this to connect the chocolate
blocks to the feed of the fused spur.

Is this ok?

Sounds fine in principle, although I would probably have used 30A chocky
blocks.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate thing
to do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables
together (3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then got some
ring mains cable from homebase and used a few inches of this to connect
the chocolate blocks to the feed of the fused spur.

Is this ok?

Sounds fine in principle, although I would probably have used 30A chocky
blocks.

Thanks Dave and John for the replies.

I do tend to be cautious when it comes to electrics - as an example because
of this deviation to the 'normal' wiring I've just ordered wylex plug-in
MCBs to replace the rewirable cartridges in my fuse box. I do want to
replace this with a modern split consumer unit with RCD but funds just won't
permit this just now.

I was wondering about the rating of the choc, as when I checked the quantity
and rating of the fuses (to order the MCB equivalents) I have three 5 amp,
one 20 amp and two 30 amp.

Do you think its worth while replacing the choc block with a 30 amp?

Patrick wrote:

I do tend to be cautious when it comes to electrics - as an example because
of this deviation to the 'normal' wiring I've just ordered wylex plug-in

It is not really much of a deviation from "normal"

MCBs to replace the rewirable cartridges in my fuse box. I do want to
replace this with a modern split consumer unit with RCD but funds just won't
permit this just now.

I was wondering about the rating of the choc, as when I checked the quantity
and rating of the fuses (to order the MCB equivalents) I have three 5 amp,
one 20 amp and two 30 amp.

Do you think its worth while replacing the choc block with a 30 amp?

Assuming that you have the two ring cables (or better still all three
wires) stuffed in one end of the chocky block then I doubt it makes any
difference in practice. A good proportion of the current carrying
contact area will be made up by direct contact between the wires.

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

"Patrick" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I'm no spark so if its anything more than changing a fitting I won't touch
it.

However there was one un-switched spur beside a double socket that caused
me
a problem:

The spur was fitted with a 2 amp fuse and used to supply the extractor
hood. When the screws to the spur plate were removed there was no give in
the wiring so I could literally only pull it about 1" from the wall.
Once I disconnected it, I could see that on the feed side there were three
sets of mains cable (3 live, 3neutral) the third mains used to double
socket (must be a addition to the original installation) next to the spur.
----Aren't there 3 earths now, too? You haven't clarified this.
If none were present originally, that was a bodge.

I knew straight away that I was not going to be able to fit the new spur
due to the length of the cables not giving me any room to manoeuvre.

What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate thing
to do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables
together (3 live into one and 3 neutral into another)
----And maybe 3 earths??

I then got some ring mains cable from homebase and used a few inches of
this to connect the chocolate blocks to the feed of the fused spur.

Is this ok?

TIA

Patrick

Use the size of choc-block barrel to accommodate comfortably four x 2.5mm2
conductors (at the most 30A), assuming there is enough space for 3 of these
inside the back box. Ways can be segregated to suit. Machine screws must be
tight.
Jim

Once I disconnected it, I could see that on the feed side there were
three sets of mains cable (3 live, 3neutral) the third mains used to
double socket (must be a addition to the original installation) next to
the spur.

----Aren't there 3 earths now, too? You haven't clarified this.
If none were present originally, that was a bodge.

Yep sorry - there are three earths also.

Use the size of choc-block barrel to accommodate comfortably four x 2.5mm2
conductors (at the most 30A), assuming there is enough space for 3 of
these inside the back box. Ways can be segregated to suit. Machine screws
must be tight.

I might raise the rating - just to make the fit a bit more comfortable the
15 amp was a tad tight, but I thought it to be the correct rating for a ring
main.

This is the second fitting I've found like this. The first I managed (just)
to fit directly, but it took about a half hour and a lot of swearing.
I've no idea how he (or whoever) managed to wire the spur. Its almost like
he fitted it, and then went to the other ends of the cables and pulled them
tight.

John Rumm has brought this to us :
Patrick wrote:

What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate thing
to do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables
together (3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then got some ring
mains cable from homebase and used a few inches of this to connect the
chocolate blocks to the feed of the fused spur.

Is this ok?

Sounds fine in principle, although I would probably have used 30A chocky
blocks.

I suspect the rating is only a guide to the size of cable it can be
used with, rather than an absolute rating for the connector. Many of
these appear to be brass plated steel anyway. If the hole is large
enough, most of the contact area will be due to contact between the
actual cables. I dislike the use of the cheaper chocolate blocks anyway
for higher currents as the slightest resistance can generate heat and
the plastic used has quite a low melting point.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

"Patrick" wrote in message news:dnrooi$4f$1

What I did and I'm just wanting to check that this was a legitimate thing
to do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables
together (3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then got some ring
mains cable from homebase and used a few inches of this to connect the
chocolate blocks to the feed of the fused spur.



Messy but not uncommon, adding in a short extension like this is OK as long
as all connections are enclosed (which they are) so it is OK ... but change
out the connector block to 30A (or higher)

Rick

Rick Hughes wrote:
"Patrick" wrote in message news:dnrooi$4f$1
Messy but not uncommon, adding in a short extension like this is OK as long
as all connections are enclosed (which they are) so it is OK ... but change
out the connector block to 30A (or higher)

Rick

The choc block needs to remain accessible though doesn't it? No
plastering it into the wall.

wrote in message
oups.com...

Rick Hughes wrote:
"Patrick" wrote in message news:dnrooi$4f$1
Messy but not uncommon, adding in a short extension like this is OK as
long
as all connections are enclosed (which they are) so it is OK ... but
change
out the connector block to 30A (or higher)

Rick

The choc block needs to remain accessible though doesn't it? No
plastering it into the wall.


Whta I meant was that the choccy block be enclosed within the wall box ..
that way it is both safe an accessible.

wrote:

Rick Hughes wrote:
"Patrick" wrote in message news:dnrooi$4f$1
Messy but not uncommon, adding in a short extension like this is OK as long
as all connections are enclosed (which they are) so it is OK ... but change
out the connector block to 30A (or higher)

The choc block needs to remain accessible though doesn't it? No
plastering it into the wall.

Another useful tip may be to intentionally turn the screw on a new
choccy block type until it breaks, to get an idea of maximum torque.
(this is not an indication of how hard to tighten, but with some, it's
possible to strip it, or break the casting (?) without noticing.)

to do was to use a 15amp chocolate block to combine the mains cables
together (3 live into one and 3 neutral into another) I then got some
ring mains cable from homebase and used a few inches of this to connect
the chocolate blocks to the feed of the fused spur.



Messy but not uncommon, adding in a short extension like this is OK as
long as all connections are enclosed (which they are) so it is OK ... but
change out the connector block to 30A (or higher)



Thanks to all who replied.

I took it apart at the weekend and swapped out the 15 amp for a 30 amp choc