# Electric query?



## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

I'm no electrition and I'm quite happy to plug one extention lead into another to give me enough plug sockets for all my viv's and fish tanks around the house.
But I'm now in the process of moving all my viv's into one room that only has one socket on the wall!! 
In total I'll have 8 vivs and my computer in total I'll be running about 15 plugs from extentions leading around the room all from one wall socket!!

Do you think this would be safe??

I'm considering running spurs originating from the single socket to give me enough and then some more to various points around the room.

Is this any different from just using extention leads??
:bash::bash::bash::bash:

Advice / opinions Please??

Thanks
Nick


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## Meko (Apr 29, 2007)

you might end up blowing a fuse. 15 plugs going back to a maximum of a 13amp fuse... you'd need each device to have approximately 1amp.


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

:whistling2:No-one got any opinions/advice on this??:whistling2:


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

mrfluff said:


> :whistling2:No-one got any opinions/advice on this??:whistling2:


How many watts in total are you going to be pulling through the socket?


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

Meko said:


> you might end up blowing a fuse. 15 plugs going back to a maximum of a 13amp fuse... you'd need each device to have approximately 1amp.


OOOPs posted at the same time as you!!

Sorry if i sound a bit dim but what does that mean??!!:whistling2:


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

Fixx said:


> How many watts in total are you going to be pulling through the socket?


As in the watts of the CHE's etc?


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

By the time I'm finished I'll have about 2x500w, 1x250w, 3x 150w, 2x 100w all CHE's then I'd have my computer, monitor, amp, 2 printers then a couple oe sockets spare for shredder/charging stuff etc!!:whistling2:


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## Fixx (May 6, 2006)

mrfluff said:


> By the time I'm finished I'll have about 2x500w, 1x250w, 3x 150w, 2x 100w all CHE's then I'd have my computer, monitor, amp, 2 printers then a couple oe sockets spare for shredder/charging stuff etc!!:whistling2:


So about 2.5kW then, which at 240v works out at around 10amps so you should be OK running it through a 13 amp fuse.

*I THINK
*
May pay you to have a chat with a sparky to check this :whistling2:


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

Fixx said:


> So about 2.5kW then, which at 240v works out at around 10amps so you should be OK running it through a 13 amp fuse.
> 
> *I THINK*
> 
> May pay you to have a chat with a sparky to check this :whistling2:


Thanks for the replys!!
I will chat to a sparky about it the last thing I'd wanna happen is all my stats click on at the same time and blow something and leave all the snakes with no heat!!

I'd normally just keep plugging things in but I thought I'd better check as I'd now be plugging in a lot of stuff:crazy:

Nick


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## darkdan99 (Dec 28, 2006)

You really shoulnt use that many plugs on a single standard outlet, it is really dangerous! 

OR buy a surge protected RCCB extention that will make sure everything is ok. 

Like this! Maplin > 10-Way Surge Protected Extension with Telecoms

Then run a 4 way or somthing off of it. 
Otherwise get another ring main in the room. 
Dan


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

darkdan99 said:


> You really shoulnt use that many plugs on a single standard outlet, it is really dangerous!
> 
> OR buy a surge protected RCCB extention that will make sure everything is ok.
> 
> ...


What about running spurs from behind the original socket??


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

darkdan99 said:


> You really shoulnt use that many plugs on a single standard outlet, it is really dangerous!
> 
> OR buy a surge protected RCCB extention that will make sure everything is ok.
> 
> ...


Read it again...................
From the single socket I got one of them stand up 10 plug surge protectors then from that I got another normal 8 plug extention.


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## karma (Jul 12, 2007)

i am no electricain but i wouldnt recommend running that many sockets from 1 original,

i am sure that the number of spurs is not to exceed the number of sockets in the first place.

best bet i would suggest would be to extend the ring mains that way you would have sockets where you need them and it would be far safer than running ????loads of things of 1 socket,
saying that if theres only 1 socket in the first place that seems strange as even box rooms have more than that nowadays.


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## llonen (Nov 29, 2007)

From an electrician then, assuming a very conservative 500 watts for you computer / printer, around 2500 watts sounds about right, current budget around 10 amps. Each socket on your ring will be safe for 15 amps, however your ring has a diversity / load that is protected by a 30amp device. So the answer to whether you can pull 10 amps from a single outlet depends largely upon what other diversity / loading you are pulling from the rest of the ring. 

On the subject of multiway extensions, a lot do not offer the full 15amp loading, please check this , and on that subject I have seen some real rubish marketed as multiway extensions, some in my profesisonal opionion to be dangerous. 

on the subject of non fused spurs then,

if your intending to use non-fused spurs

The floor area served by each ring must not exceed 100 m² for domestic situations, the diversity must be assessed to ensure that maximum demand will not exceed the rating of the protective device. typically 30amp.

The number of unfused spurs fed from the ring circuit must not exceed the number of sockets or fixed appliances connected directly in the ring.

When adding unfused spurs these need to be added into the ring, not taken from one of the sockets.

Each non-fused spur may feed no more than one single or one twin socket, or no more than one fixed appliance.

Please be very aware of the requirements pertaining to the new legislation regarding what electrical work you can carry out yourself. 

And on that, please get a qualified electrician to assist you, as you may not get a second chance

richard


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## Mujician (Mar 7, 2007)

Surely it wouldn't cost a lot to get an electrician to come and put more sockets for you


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## gary22 (Jan 21, 2007)

you can add as many extra sockets as you like as long as you make it part of the ring main. you have a wire coming from your main fuse at the board going to the first socket then on to the next etc.. then back to the main fuse creating a ring, if you add extra sockets by tapping in to the ring it would be fine. but if your not sure, then get a sparky to do it. probly charge about 50 per socket tho


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## gary22 (Jan 21, 2007)

pm me if you need any more info.


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## karma (Jul 12, 2007)

llonen said:


> The floor area served by each ring must not exceed 100 m² for domestic situations, the diversity must be assessed to ensure that maximum demand will not exceed the rating of the protective device. typically 30amp.


The law states a 32amp breaker be fitted to a ring mains and 16amp for a radial,
i just wondered if this was a mistake or your just posted the wrong ampages to test us ????????????????????.


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

from a sparks -
if you have a single skt in a room & are running everything from it theres a big chance that the fuse in the main 13a plug top will blow resulting in total power loss to your herps.
for less than a fiver you can get a single to double skt converter from any wholesaler (&prob b&q etc)
then at least you will be splitting the load between 2x 13a plug tops.
therefore reducing the risk by half.
its not as good a solution as getting more sockets put in , but its much cheaper & as its a replacement of an existing component you dont need a "part p " registered electrician to fit it .
just make sure you turn off the supply to the circuit before you install the converter.: victory:


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## llonen (Nov 29, 2007)

On the subject of protective devices back at the board for the final ring circuit, these can either be 30 amp or 32 amp, for a corrisponding cable size of p.v.c. insulated cable are 2.5 mm² for live (phase and neutral) conductors and 1.5mm² for the CPC, and for mineral insulated: 1.5mm²for all conductors.

Radial circuits are as follows, 

20 A fuse or miniature circuit breaker protection with 2.5 mm² live and 1.5mm² protective conductors (or 1.5 mm² if m.i. cable) feeding a floor area of not more than 50 m².

32 A cartridge fuse to B888 or miniature circuit breaker feeding through 4 mm² live and 2.5 mm² protective conductors (or 2.5 mm² and 1.5 mm² if m.i. Cable) to supply a floor area no greater than 75m².

richard


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## karma (Jul 12, 2007)

arh i see,i dont doubt you,its just when i had the rep room done i had to have a consumer unit fitted and the ring had to be on a 32amp mcb for sockets and 6amp mcb for lighting circuits and that was what the law stated it had to be,and as for part p well yeh it applied.

glad the price of copper was cheaper than it is at the moment though,or else boy that woulda cost a bomb.


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## mrsfluff (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks guy for all the replys
I think I'm going to get a sparky in to take a look :whistling2:
I've not got all the viv's set up yet anyway I've just got 3 running from 1 10 way surge plug:whistling2:

So that'll give me some time to save up after xmas!!

Nick


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## milly (Dec 25, 2007)

my best mates bloke is a sparky he said dont do the extention thing to much power of one plug but to do the spers of the actual plug but to make sure it goes round other wise you will blow the place up get a sparky in it all has to have certificates now any way otherwise you cant sell your house.


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