Wiring a Garage / Shed

sky6

Hi all, I'm looking for a little advice in rewiring my Garage/Shed.

It's 18 ft wide X 12 feet deep. With the new Consumer unit in one Corner.
I'm putting two ring mains as I want plenty of Sockets about 6 down each ring.

One to the right and finishing in the diagonal or opposite corner to the Consumer unit. The other ring to the left and also finishing in the Diagonal corner to the consumer unit.
My question is : As all sockets are fed before I reach the diagonal corner can I just return both cables straight back to the Consumer unit. Or should I use the tails to wire some of the sockets on the way back. In other words 3 going down and 3 coming back. Any help is much appreciated.

Bruthal

sky6 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm looking for a little advice in rewiring my Garage/Shed.

It's 18 ft wide X 12 feet deep. With the new Consumer unit in one Corner.
I'm putting two ring mains as I want plenty of Sockets about 6 down each ring.

One to the right and finishing in the diagonal or opposite corner to the Consumer unit. The other ring to the left and also finishing in the Diagonal corner to the consumer unit.
My question is : As all sockets are fed before I reach the diagonal corner can I just return both cables straight back to the Consumer unit. Or should I use the tails to wire some of the sockets on the way back. In other words 3 going down and 3 coming back. Any help is much appreciated.

What will you be plugging into the sockets. Two radial circuits would do usually with 20 amp mcb`s. But if you do want rings then you just wire the 6 in a row and bring the last one back to the board to keep it simple.
You could wire all 12 from one ring also. The ring would have a 32amp mcb. If it was me id just wire 2 radials anyway.

Randyleprechaun

"3 on the way down and 3 on the way back" as you put it is the same as 6 and then returning to the consumer unit.

Don't bother with ring circuits, run radials instead. The quantities that you have mentioned will be fine on radials and you could still add some!!!

sky6

Hi Lads thanks for the reply.

There wont be much running on either circuit ,mostly just Hi fi and a projector
and a few computers as the son is a Techi.
All I will be using is a drill and a small grinder from time to time.
On reflection I think I will run in one more circuit near the consumer unit for a Fan heater if he needs a little heat.

Can I ask you is the load on the cable across the 6 sockets the same across the long tail form the last socket back to the board.

And it a 20 amp breaker on each circuit.

Randyleprechaun

32A MCB for ring.
20A MCB for radial.

Go for radials, much less cable required and less work for your installation.

The loads you are talking about are quite small.

beanie10

Randyleprechaun wrote: »

32A MCB for ring.
20A MCB for radial.

Go for radials, much less cable required and less work for your installation.

The loads you are talking about are quite small.

AFAIK 32 amp mcb not allowed on ring circuits anymore.

M cebee

beanie10 wrote: »

AFAIK 32 amp mcb not allowed on ring circuits anymore.

don't think so-they have clamped down but not that much:)

sky6

Thanks lads for all the helpful advice.
I'll take your advice and go with 2 radial circuits with 20 amp breakers on each.
But as a matter of interest if you cannot use 32 amp on a ring main what size do you use.

beanie10

sky6 wrote: »

Thanks lads for all the helpful advice.
I'll take your advice and go with 2 radial circuits with 20 amp breakers on each.
But as a matter of interest if you cannot use 32 amp on a ring main what size do you use.

20 amp mcb

M cebee

some guys shove a 20 on a ring -but there is no rule change


capacity of conductor has to be 0.67 times mcb rating (32/35)

-rings not allowed in kitchens

-non-fused spurs no longer allowed

sky6

Thanks Lads for all the very helpful advice.

But to satisfy my curiosity can you answer this question.

I understand the issues around loadings on circuits. But I always understood that Ring Mains were safer than Radials especially were the loading are high. If that is the case why then are Rings mains not allowed in Kitchens now.

Randyleprechaun

I can't see any reason why a ring would be safer than a radial.

They might have some advantagees over radials all right but cannot see any safety issues.

Radials are more commonly used IMO

Bruthal

I cant see any reason a ring is safer either. A ring circuit has some disadvantages as well as the higher capacity advantage.

In kitchens an isolator is needed for sockets in non easy accessible places such as behind washing machines, dish washers etc. An isolator on a ring circuit would be a bit more impractical anyway. I prefer to wire more radial circuits myself than ring mains in domestic installations. In a standard size house i cant see a big need for ring`s.

Randyleprechaun

I've never used ring circuits in domestic installation. I think they used to use them back in time but it was more of a British thing I think. Radials have always been more common here I would say. They are definitely no safer anyway, as said above, they do allow for increased load and increased amount of outlets within a given area.

Radials are fine for your garage anyway. The amount of sockets you are outting on them will still allow you to expand them in the future if needs be.

Bruthal

Randyleprechaun wrote: »

I've never used ring circuits in domestic installation. I think they used to use them back in time but it was more of a British thing I think. Radials have always been more common here I would say. They are definitely no safer anyway, as said above, they do allow for increased load and increased amount of outlets within a given area.

Radials are fine for your garage anyway. The amount of sockets you are outting on them will still allow you to expand them in the future if needs be.

No neither have i, more radial circuits better alright. Id wire 3 radial circuits in the op`s setup before i`d wire 1 ring, but 2 radials is fine there. More radial circuits gives a more diverse setup and narrows down any faults etc.