RE Breaking into Circuit

deco87

Hello
I put a tv in a spare room wired up to sky box in attic whilst there i found a 2.5mm Socket cable or two. I picked one and i cut it , put it back together with a connector. I wired in an extension lead,(surge protected/fused/independant switching) into one side of the connector and I plugged tv plug into this ext.lead in attic . No idea if its ring/radial.

I think that the TV should if it causes a fault firstly blow its own plug fuse that i plug into the extension lead , failing that the fuse/surge protector on the extension lead should'blow' failing that the RCB in the fuse box offers additional protection from the circuit i broke into.
I was thinking of putting something like a fused spur in between the cable i broke into and the extension lead for further protection..is this advisable..I am just thinking of max.safety....thks
DECO

DublinDilbert

Ummm do you know what cable you cut???

Assuming you did happen to cut into a socket circuit, Why did you not install a plug socket where you cut the cable? Not a good idea to wire a plug board right in (assuming you used block connectors or something)

evosteo

deco87 wrote: »

Hello
I put a tv in a spare room wired up to sky box in attic whilst there i found a 2.5mm Socket cable or two. I picked one and i cut it , put it back together with a connector. I wired in an extension lead,(surge protected/fused/independant switching) into one side of the connector and I plugged tv plug into this ext.lead in attic . No idea if its ring/radial.

I think that the TV should if it causes a fault firstly blow its own plug fuse that i plug into the extension lead , failing that the fuse/surge protector on the extension lead should'blow' failing that the RCB in the fuse box offers additional protection from the circuit i broke into.
I was thinking of putting something like a fused spur in between the cable i broke into and the extension lead for further protection..is this advisable..I am just thinking of max.safety....thks
DECO

replace the connectors where you broke into the cable with a fused spur unit. be no harm to put in a 5 amp fuse

Bruthal

Yea id agree with both posts. As dublindilbert says, it might not be 100% certainly a socket circuit. Immersion is a possibility for example. Are you certain its a 2.5 twin and earth? if it was a 1.5 twin and earth, it could be into the lights:eek:. Socket circuits often dont go into attics of 2 storey houses.

And as evosteo said, put a spur in with proper back box instead of the connectors to connect the cable cut ends. Or you could of just put a socket into the cut cable, and plugged extension into it

Confirm its a socket circuit by turning off the socket MCBs one at a time to see if/when your new extension goes off, and note which it is.

Dardania

TO follow up Robbie, sockets must be off an RCBO / RCD / ELCB protective device, which lights traditionally aren't as they aren't portable appliances.

deco87

Hi Guys

Many thanks for all your reply. Will get the fused spur with the 5 amp protection and rewire. I will test to see if its on a socket RCD.


Much obliged.

Deco:)

deco87

Hello
Again thanks for all your help. I just tested to see what circuit I broke into and the ELCB is covering it. I was aware what a 2.5 T&E cable looked like so thats what I thought I had done. When I removed the plug from the surge protected/individually switched extension lead and wired it in through connector block I was happy enough till i read the instructions after.. advising not to remove it! The 5 amp spur will replace this now so happy days! I had done it that way for extra safety and because I was going to put a PIR light off it and maybe a small CCTV wireless camera fitted to the front of the house I will fit fused plugs for them and plug into the extension lead now in attic (is that safe!?)grand to have them indivually switched should there be a reason to turn one or other off
Deco

Bruthal

deco87 wrote: »

Hello
Again thanks for all your help. I just tested to see what circuit I broke into and the ELCB is covering it. I was aware what a 2.5 T&E cable looked like so thats what I thought I had done. When I removed the plug from the surge protected/individually switched extension lead and wired it in through connector block I was happy enough till i read the instructions after.. advising not to remove it! The 5 amp spur will replace this now so happy days! I had done it that way for extra safety and because I was going to put a PIR light off it and maybe a small CCTV wireless camera fitted to the front of the house I will fit fused plugs for them and plug into the extension lead now in attic (is that safe!?)grand to have them indivually switched should there be a reason to turn one or other off
Deco

Confirming its on the RCD/elcb does not mean for certain its on a socket circuit. You should also go through each MCB and see which one it is. Its possible it could be the immersion one, but it would be good to know its definitely a socket circuit, and which one.

deco87

tried all rcd only one that stops power is elcb. any other advice thanks

maxamillius

tried all rcd only one that stops power is elcb. any other advice thanks

what does this mean?rcd and elcb are the same thing,forget about them for the moment,you need to go through each individual mcb and see which one turns off the power to the cable you cut! if its a socket circuit your goin to be turning off the 20amp mcbs!

2011

maxamillius wrote: »

if its a socket circuit your goin to be turning off the 20amp mcbs!

...or the MCB for the sockets may be 16A or 25A or 32A (some houses still gave ring circuits).

deco87

maxamillius wrote: »

what does this mean?rcd and elcb are the same thing,forget about them for the moment,you need to go through each individual mcb and see which one turns off the power to the cable you cut! if its a socket circuit your goin to be turning off the 20amp mcbs!

thks Maxamillius - To expand. I undertood that the ELCB was the protection device specific to sockets. Perhaps its not. RCD was what I though replaced the old fuses , but from your post they appear to be MCD's.
What I mean by post is I went through the 'mcb's! and none knocked off the power , however the ELCB did. As a result of this I came to the conclusion that I broke into a circuit that is protected by the ELCB -Is the 5 amp Fused spur the safest way to go for taking a link from an elcb circuit , couple of other sockets coming off it (in the form of an extension lead)Thks (Isee you mention 20amps-re sockets)