UK Legal Details - Sockets - Where is the requirement for separate socket earths to be linked?

[Pete999]

Must admit that I've quite often wondered why there are two earth terminals on double sockets which are quite clearly linked. Suppose its quite handy to have the extra one if you are earthing the back box but if you have a RFC with a large number of double sockets, if the CPC's are in the separate terminals you are going to get a slightly higher r2 value plus extra connections with more room for error.

See Post 8?

 

[i=p/u]

Trainee question, get to the right aisle.. pg 86 osg might explain something

 

[telectrix]

Must admit that I've quite often wondered why there are two earth terminals on double sockets which are quite clearly linked. Suppose its quite handy to have the extra one if you are earthing the back box but if you have a RFC with a large number of double sockets, if the CPC's are in the separate terminals you are going to get a slightly higher r2 value plus extra connections with more room for error.

the reason for 2 terminals is for hi integrity earthing, used a lot with IT equipment with high leakage currents. as he said above , osg pages 86 and 87 explain.

 

[snowhead]

Big Clive has a YouTube video where a cheapy double socket with USB outlets has no link inbetween the two earth terminals. Scary.

Jump to around 8 mins

 

[DPG]

Ah that's the one, ta.

 

[wilmer000]

There is no law in the UK that specifies what is described.

So it is legal to have two separate unlinked earth terminals in a socket? BS 1363-2 doesn't seem to specify there must be a single termination, but it doesn't seem right to me as you could end up wiring one side of the loop into each termination, and split the earth loop by accident. either that or you end up with an unearthed socket. (or have to fit a link between the two. ) but is it legal? that's the question!

 

[DPG]

So it is legal to have two separate unlinked earth terminals in a socket? BS 1363-2 doesn't seem to specify there must be a single termination, but it doesn't seem right to me as you could end up wiring one side of the loop into each termination, and split the earth loop by accident. either that or you end up with an unearthed socket. (or have to fit a link between the two. ) but is it legal? that's the question!

No, I think you have misunderstood.

Can you post a photo of the rear of your socket.

 

[Risteard]

Sometimes there can be separate clean Earth and protective Earth terminals.

 

[i=p/u]

They are linked together

 

[westward10]

Was doing a periodic last week in an office, area had been rewired five years ago to a good standard. Continuity of the cpcs was way too high on two of the ring finals and I knew exactly what was causing it has have had it before, cpcs split across two terminals. Reconnected into the same terminal and problem gone, can't remember the brand but wasn't MK or Hager.