Hi There

After ripping out all the hot water tanks in a bedroom, I was left with
a surface mouted socket which supplied the immersion heater.
This is fused seperatly on the CU to 15A.
Would it be OK to remount the socket in the wall (lower down) and use it
as a light use power socket eg a light or hairdryer?
I know the ring main runs on 30A, but would 15A be suitable for only light usage ?

Any help would be great

Simon

SimonST wrote:
Hi There

After ripping out all the hot water tanks in a bedroom, I was left
with
a surface mouted socket which supplied the immersion heater.
This is fused seperatly on the CU to 15A.
Would it be OK to remount the socket in the wall (lower down) and
use it
as a light use power socket eg a light or hairdryer?
I know the ring main runs on 30A, but would 15A be suitable for
only light usage ?

Yeah, it should be fine for any single 13amp plugged appliance

On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:50:30 +0100, Owain wrote:

SimonST wrote:
After ripping out all the hot water tanks in a bedroom, I was left
with
a surface mouted socket which supplied the immersion heater.
This is fused seperatly on the CU to 15A.
Would it be OK to remount the socket in the wall (lower down)

Subject to the requirements about running cables horizontally or
vertically from visible accessories, and any joints being suitable and
accessible as required, I would have thought so.

and use it as a light use power socket eg a light or hairdryer?
I know the ring main runs on 30A, but would 15A be suitable for only
light usage ?

A 13A socket is sufficiently supplied by a 15A circuit.

The only other issue is that a socket might require RCD protection
whereas the immersion heater did not, eg

1. The socket might be used to supply a portable appliance outdoors; or
2. You have TT (earth rod) earthing

and

1. the immersion heater was supplied by the non-RCD protected side of a
split load consumer unit; or
2. the immersion heater was supplied by the 100mA time-delay main RCD
protected side of a split load with dual 100mA/30mA RCDs on a TT
installation; or
3. you have no RCD protection

(In cases 1 and 2 you may be able to move the circuit to the 30mA side
of the CU if you have sufficient spare ways).

Although this might not have been required at the time of the original
installation, you are now required (Part P) to install the new socket in
compliance with the current IEE Regulations

Points about RCDs agreed.

A 15A radial socket circuit can have a double socket in fact if you wish
you can supply sockets serving a floor area of up to 20m^2 that has normal
expected loading (not obviously if the 20m^2 is the kitchen).

--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news

A 15A radial socket circuit can have a double socket in fact if you wish
you can supply sockets serving a floor area of up to 20m^2 that has normal
expected loading (not obviously if the 20m^2 is the kitchen).

I don't understand that, Ed.

Are you saying that there's a limit on the number of sockets according to
the area of the room but that it doesn't apply in the case of the kitchen?

For instance, in our kitchen, 8 -10 square metres at a guess (there's not
much floor area), I have five double sockets plus the cooker one which
includes a single 15A socket. They're all dedicated to individual appliances
so that I'm not unplugging all the time and they're _never_ all being used
at one time. Mostly it's just the fridge, freezer and cooker which are used
partly-continuously.

But is it a hanging offence?

Mary

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:47:40 +0100, Mary Fisher wrote:


"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news

A 15A radial socket circuit can have a double socket in fact if you wish
you can supply sockets serving a floor area of up to 20m^2 that has normal
expected loading (not obviously if the 20m^2 is the kitchen).

I don't understand that, Ed.

Are you saying that there's a limit on the number of sockets according to
the area of the room but that it doesn't apply in the case of the kitchen?

For instance, in our kitchen, 8 -10 square metres at a guess (there's not
much floor area), I have five double sockets plus the cooker one which
includes a single 15A socket. They're all dedicated to individual appliances
so that I'm not unplugging all the time and they're _never_ all being used
at one time. Mostly it's just the fridge, freezer and cooker which are used
partly-continuously.

But is it a hanging offence?


There are standard arrangement of circuits. They can all have unlimited
sockets but due regard must be made for the expected loading.
The place where the expected loading is likely to be outside these limits
is the kitchen.

The maximum floor area limits a
32A ring - 100m^2
32A radial - 75m^2
20A radial - 50m^2
15A radial - 20m^2

A kitchen is probably best served by it's own 32A ring due to the expected
maximum loading.


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html

The message .uk
from Ed Sirett contains these words:

A kitchen is probably best served by it's own 32A ring due to the expected
maximum loading.

Better not mention my garage then - with the welder, the lighting, the
steelsaw....

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Ed Sirett" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 16:47:40 +0100, Mary Fisher wrote:




There are standard arrangement of circuits. They can all have unlimited
sockets but due regard must be made for the expected loading.
The place where the expected loading is likely to be outside these limits
is the kitchen.

The maximum floor area limits a
32A ring - 100m^2
32A radial - 75m^2
20A radial - 50m^2
15A radial - 20m^2

A kitchen is probably best served by it's own 32A ring due to the expected
maximum loading.

Spouse ensured that, thank you for that clarification.

Mary

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message .uk
from Ed Sirett contains these words:

A kitchen is probably best served by it's own 32A ring due to the
expected
maximum loading.

Better not mention my garage then - with the welder, the lighting, the
steelsaw....

Is that all?

Mary

The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Better not mention my garage then - with the welder, the lighting, the
steelsaw....

Is that all?

Nope. They're just the items with the biggest drain. I rarely use both
welders together, but if I've got someone helping me I can have the
steelsaw and the welder running together which is pushing it a bit.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

"Guy King" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Mary Fisher" contains these words:

Better not mention my garage then - with the welder, the lighting, the
steelsaw....

Is that all?

Nope. They're just the items with the biggest drain. I rarely use both
welders together, but if I've got someone helping me I can have the
steelsaw and the welder running together which is pushing it a bit.

Mine uses gas mostly for welding but has very many electrical machines.
Another coming today. He's decided No 3 son isn't going to return the
borrowed planer/thicknesser which really belongs to No 2 daughter anyway so
he'll buy another.

Some people do Soduko (sp?). I just have a family to test my mind.

Mary

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

Mary Fisher wrote:
to test my mind.

What an extraordinary notion.