Discuss Using an old 32A shower circuit for new sockets. in the DIY Electrical Advice area at ElectriciansForums.net

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XAPBob

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Nearly fifteen years ago I moved a bathroom in our house, and repurposed the 32A electrical shower circuit to power a pair of double sockets - which then had multiway adaptors powering all my office hardware (i.e. low overall power).
Not exactly complex or risky at the time, and the MCB has always been RCD protected.

However, I am now in the midst of a loft conversion, the ex bathroom, ex office is now just part of the landing with the bottom of the new flight of stairs.

But I need to provide sockets in the new bedroom upstairs (so a hairdryer is likely).
Taking another look at the wiring for these sockets it is a simple radial circuit from the consumer unit - 32A MCB, chunky red/black cable into the first double socket, and then spurred to the other (still in red/black). (I've not measured those cables yet, but they look rather chunkier than ring main cables).

To save chasing down to the consumer unit (which is in the entrance hall directly underneath the bathroom/office/landing) I have a few choices that would all work from a power delivery perspective:

- Run a ring from this point
i.e. leave the single cable to the first floor, but ring from there up and round.
- Run a ring from ceiling level
i.e. run a single cable up to the loft floor level and a ring from there.
- Run the whole circuit as a radial circuit
i.e. just don't bother going to a ring at all.

I'd also like to retain one socket on the landing for a night light and the hoover, but a spur at that point is pretty trivial.

Obviously this lot will need to get passed by building control, so I will be asking them, but I'd like to go into that conversation with a bit of other people's experience at hand as well.

Cheers.
 
Ah - So it's sufficiently common to have a name... Thank you! Makes it much easier to search for.

I'll get the cables checked out, and have at it.
Any reason to lollipop from the first available point, or can I just extend up with some 6mm and lollipop from the top?
 
If you say you are having the loft converted it would be advisable to put a new circuits to the loft E.G. lighting and of course smoke alarm ..
 
Welcome to the Forum.

As you are somewhat vague on what to do here and clearly approaching this as a DIYer I would recommend that you get an Electrician in for the fee of a callout and explain your intentions and whether the existing wiring is both suitable and tests out fine.
You are passing what I would regard to what the forum advises on in DIY as you will be installing new wiring and circuits and possible adaption to older circuits, anything new or altered would have to be 18th edition compliant.
The many variables your installation could have and your possible lack of knowledge to regulations etc means we could not advise you safely and something simple that you may forget to mention or not realise it is relevant could make our advise very different or risk the safety of your family or property, so as above we can only recommend you seek the advice of an Electrician who can come out and check the existing and advise appropriately.
 
If the original cable tests out ok, maybe you could use it to feed a small distribution board. Then run your lights and sockets in a conventional manner back to that board.
Discuss this as an option with your electrician.
There is more to it than you might expect.
 
And before it’s too late do ask BCO what they will need by way of certificates before you do anything ....
 
I think members have given enough ideas for you to contemplate as well as you hopefully taking into consideration the post I made, plus reflecting on (at a bare minimum) bringing someone in to check out and advise in person on the intended works.

On that note, the thread is closed.
 

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