Light circuit wired as a ring

[mamba]

Have been asked to replace an old re wirable CU with a RCD 17th in a small domestic property. Prior to removing old CU did a full check on all final ciricuits. On the light circuit discovered x3 - 1.5 mm wired into a 6amp fuse. On further investigation discovered x1 was for door bell tranny no issue there. The other 2 appear to be a ring for the lights as - Put one leg into fuse and power on all the lights work and leg 2 which is not terminated into fuse is LIVE. Remove leg one and put leg two in same senerio all lights work and and leg one is Live. On futher enquiry from Client he advises that he had extension built about 8 years ago and they extended lights. He also advised me that as he had recently had the whole house redecorated and painted and he did not want me to start removing light fittings - switches etc for fear of decrotive damage which makes fault finding impossible. I cannot see any reason why a light circuit cannot be wired as a ring not your every day design but if protected by a 6 or 10 amp mcb should not be an issue. then to also to put a warning label on circuit chart and within the CU warning of this situation. Or possibly remove and islolate one leg completley. Any other suggestions welcome

 

[Rockingit]

Its unusual though not unheard of, there's no telling if it got done by design or as a workaround. The only real regs issue is about avoiding nuisance/tripping but personally I wouldn't worry too much. If you do an R1RN test as though for a ring and use a lamp adaptor you MIGHT be able to work out where the middle is and split it easily enough.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Have been asked to replace an old re wirable CU with a RCD 17th in a small domestic property. Prior to removing old CU did a full check on all final ciricuits. On the light circuit discovered x3 - 1.5 mm wired into a 6amp fuse. On further investigation discovered x1 was for door bell tranny no issue there. The other 2 appear to be a ring for the lights as - Put one leg into fuse and power on all the lights work and leg 2 which is not terminated into fuse is LIVE. Remove leg one and put leg two in same senerio all lights work and and leg one is Live. On futher enquiry from Client he advises that he had extension built about 8 years ago and they extended lights. He also advised me that as he had recently had the whole house redecorated and painted and he did not want me to start removing light fittings - switches etc for fear of decrotive damage which makes fault finding impossible. I cannot see any reason why a light circuit cannot be wired as a ring not your every day design but if protected by a 6 or 10 amp mcb should not be an issue. then to also to put a warning label on circuit chart and within the CU warning of this situation. Or possibly remove and islolate one leg completley. Any other suggestions welcome

so what if its a ring...
theres nothing to say it cant be...is there...

 

[Brightspark2]

Keep it, remove one leg or split the circuit up so you have 2 lighting circuits...

 

[Jdsparky]

I had this a while back but was easy to split as it was a flat with loft access, it was a polish spark who had wired it in a ring previously and put it on a 16amp breaker aswell. Might be how they do it over in their country but not sure, I didn't feel comfortable with it myself so altered to the 'conventional way' as I had to put some emergencies in on circuit.
i did a periodic on the flat next door that had been completed by him aswell and he had done the same again, I didn't alter this one as I didn't have to do any work in that one, just made a note of it on cert.

 

[Octopus]

Nothing wrong with a lighting circuit ring. Did you check the end to end readings for the 3 cores? And if they are all continuous, complete the cert showing a ring.

 

[Knobhead]

I've put lighting on a ring a few times. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[kingeri]

Be aware that just because the end is live when the other is removed doesn't automatically make it a ring - you need to test further to establish this.

 

[TaffyDuck]

Seen this on a number of occasions over the years. Unorthodox but electrically sound.

 

[Geordie Spark]

On a new build a builder wanted me to wire the lights in a ring. When I asked why, he said "I thought that was the proper way to do it".

It took a while before I was able to convince him there was no need, but the discussion involved me saying something about me asking him to lay his bricks on edge ............

 

[Heisenberg]

Given what you've said here...

He also advised me that as he had recently had the whole house redecorated and painted and he did not want me to start removing light fittings - switches etc for fear of decrotive damage which makes fault finding impossible.

I think the 'Is it a ring or isn't it' conundrum is the least of your problems.

:wink5:

 

[GT1]

Should be easy enough to identify the last "leg" of the ring at the light fittings.

 

[Knobhead]

Should be easy enough to identify the last "leg" of the ring at the light fittings.

Why? So you can break a perfectly sound circuit that is outside the Electrical Trainee comfort zone?

 

[sajeel]

there is no need for a lighting ring but can be used if you wish to do so some electricians make rings out of lighting as well, in my opinion only needed if a very large circuit. Personally i would calculate volage and load and use thicker wire if necessary as opposed to ring.

 

[R G]

Done this a few times , on larger circuits , it does help the Zs value