HELP - Replacing boiler fused spur with socket?!?!?! Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[robthebubble]

Hi all,

This is my first post so please be gentle with me! :wink:

I recently had a combi installed and the old hot water cylinder etc. removed. This has left a couple of fused spurs in the airing cupboard (one to imersion and other to pump?) which I would like to covert to single sockets. I also want to add another couple of sockets in the loft (leading from the old tank spurs) to power the TV arial booster.

Havin checked the MCB there is a seperate 16A fuse on the board, therefore do I need to replace the fuse with a 20A one or can I just go ahead and replace the spurs with sockets as well as adding a couple more sockets. I presume these new sockets will then be on their own Radial circuit?

I hope you can help! :D

Thanks

Rob

[ericmark]

I would leave as 16A although you may be able to change to 20A it will require some careful inspections as to cable runs so I would leave at 16A.

[robthebubble]

[quote="ericmark"]I would leave as 16A although you may be able to change to 20A it will require some careful inspections as to cable runs so I would leave at 16A.[/quote]

So I'm right in saying I can change the spur for a socket and just leave the 16A fuse.....can't believe the electrician wanted £350 for this (plus a couple of other jobs). :wink:

[ericmark]

From experience I have found rarely is a job as easy as it sounds. If on my house where already all electrics are protected by a 30ma RCD you wanted to change the switched fuse spur for the immersion heater for a socket it would also involve doing something to the remote switch in kitchen.

With central heating controls these are often wired with 1mm cable and this may only be rated at 8A at best only 16A and although may be good enough to power your loft supply for TV aerial booster the electrician has to consider if using a BS1362 fuse these can be easy changed to up to 13A a fuse to BS646 may fit the bill but then you are no longer looking at a standard fuse connection unit.

And of course there are many ways to get around a problem for example having no RCD protection.
1) May be a RCBO can be fitted but if not.
2) Preferred method would be change consumer unit so it would be easy in future to add more circuits and would also protect other circuits in the house.
3) Cheap option may be to fit a FCU RCD or all RDC sockets which would also may mean using Ali-tube cable and would only protect some circuits.
There are many other methods as well but it can be seen that to comment on the price quoted for a job without knowing exactly what is involved is not possible.

Eric