by ericmark »
Tue Sep 20, 2011 12:45 am
The ring is primary designed to work equipment which is portable. We do use it for static equipment but our rule book says anything fixed over 2kW should have it's own dedicated supply.
Since you don't give the power requirements I don't know if you could use the final ring. If the load is within the limits then the normal would be to use a fused connection unit (FCU) to reduce the maximum power down to what a single 2.5mm cable can handle and then feed the items.
Where it exceeds the 2kW limit one has to consider the route and in some cases using steel wired armoured (SWA) cable outside is the easy answer to get power across the house.
The new rules on RCD protection are also a problem with wires buried in the wall or floor. And most FCU with RCD are of the active type so need to be easy assess to reset as any brown out will cause them to trip. And with Part P some one will be checking so it has to be right if you want the completion certificate.
In real terms although you can work through the local authority building control (LABC) the costs of hiring test equipment and paying the LABC which will likely be over £200 means likely it will be better to get an electrician who is a member of a scheme to do the work.
So I would say first get an electrician who is a scheme member to give a quote and see what he suggests. Then price up parts required. Then decide if it's really worth the effort to DIY for the money saved if any.
