RE: Ring main question

["James, Daniel" <daniel.james@xxxxxxx>]

>So it seems that the ring main is feed by two fuses, one in each
> direction.

I had this problem in a previous property.

You should have 4 live wires returned to the fuse box.... from the two
rings

It could be that the two rings have been crossed at the fuse box, it is a
easy thing to test and fix, but will involve taking the power down for an
hour or so.

1, Switch off the power to the house.
2, Note where the cables are wired to .
3, Disconnect the 4 live connectors from the fuses, and ENSURE THEY ARE NOT
LIVE. (Hence turning off the master fuse in the box, not just the two
rings..)
4, take a mulitmeter / continuity tester and attach it to one of the 4 red
cables, and touch the other end of the multimeter to one of the other 3
cables, use this to see if the rings are crossed, - you should be able to
find the other end of the ring, as it is the one that sounds the continuity
buzzer!) - test this for all 3 cables, if the buzzer sounds then you have a
problem further down the system
5, label these as a pair, and replace onto one of the fuses.
6, buy virtue the other 2 cables should be the other ring, but double check
this!!
7, wire the fuse box back up, and then test the two circuits independently,
with a light plugged in to the various sockets, (some houses have an
upstairs and downstairs ring, others have front back...)

8, label the fuses.

If this does not work, then you have a problem elsewhere in the house, put
the cabling back as you found it in 2, above, and rethink :-)

HTH

Daniel


-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Chasmer [mailto:robert.chasmer@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 11 March 2002 10:45
To: 'ukha_d@xxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Ring main question


> "Robert Chasmer" <robert.chasmer@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> > So it seems that the ring main is feed by two fuses, one in each
> > direction.

Paul Helliwell [mailto:g0kao@xxxxxxx]
wrote:
> Basically Twin+E usually 2.5mm squared (carnt do symbol for squared)
> starts at one fuse in fuse box and then goes to each socket in turn
> and then from the last socket back to the same fuse in the fusebox.
>
> For IEE wiring regulations try http://www.iee.org/Publish/WireRegs/
> lots of info can be obtained.

Thanks for the info, I was pretty sure it wasnt't wired correctly.
I'm not sure if its just the fuse box that is wired wrongly on some
dogey join between two rings.  I guess I can check if two wires are
terminating in each fuse.

I've had a look on that site, and it seems they want money for most of
the PDFs.  I'm going to see if I can find more info elsewhere.


David Buckley [mailto:db@xxxxxxx] wrote:
> Very bad
> Presumably 2 x 32A breakers feeding a common ring, massive overload
> potential, fires etc.
> Expert advice needed.

Worrying.  Are you saying that the ring is less likely to trip because
of the two fuses, So then the cables become overloaded and start to
burn? I'll let my mate know that he *SHOULD* invest in a good leccky
to get this sorted.

I saw a tv program a few weeks ago, about various dodgey so called
electrical engineers.  For the sting they'd setup loads of cameras
in the house and then just swapped two fuses over in the box.  One
of the engineers decided to put a lighter to the fuses, making them
look all burned to scare the owner that her house could catch fire
unless she paid him for lots of money to fix it.

Hopefully he'll be able to find someone he knows to do the work.

Thanks for your help


Rob
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