DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I would appreciate some advice. I am quite handy and a qualified mechanical engineer but want to make sure I am on the right track. My pal is a sparky but is away on his retirement trip to USA and not back for a few weeks to check my work which he will do on his return.

So, large stud wall which has a twin socket half way up and in the middle of the wall, now stripped out and ends capped safely pending any wiring up. It is on a ring with x 2 live x 2 neutral and x 2 earth, the cables run down from the ceiling area. I want to get rid of the socket but use the feed to fit x 2 single sockets one left and one right of the wall at bedside cabinet height. basically it was used as on office but I am turning into a bedroom. I have prepped the wall with single dry lining boxes and channeled routes through the studs to accept 2.5 mm twin and earth cable, so can go any route as detailed below.

Can I install a junction box with old cables acting as feeds to new cables one running left and one running right to new sockets?

Or can I feed from the junction box to one socket and then feed from this socket across to the other one as a spur.

I would be obliged for any advice.

Regards
Martin Sylvo

Junction boxes need to be accessible, so unless you also surface mount them, you can not use them.

I would also suggest that you don't put in single sockets, but install double sockets, as in today's modern age you can never have enough sockets, one will be taken up by a bedside light, and the other by a phone / tablet charger.

While you are carrying out alterations you should also keep the integrity of the ring by joining the "six wires" to their respective "partners" (Live- Live, N-N, E-E)

If I were doing the job, I would split the ring cables and take one down to each new double socket.
From the first double socket I would then take a 2.5 T&E vertically back the way the cable comes in (Be that up or down)
Then horizontally to (above or below) the other socket, then vertically to said socket (Up or down)

The reasoning is:

No junction box(es) required,
Both sockets are on the ring.
Ring integrity is not compromised
There is no horizontal cable running in a wall where a shelf / fixing may be put at a later date.

You must keep a ring final as a ring or it could be overloaded, just because a socket works does not mean it is safe, 2.5 mm cable rated approx 20 amps and ring final protected with 32 amp overload device so if not as a ring cable can be overloaded.

The idea of two 20 amp radials does not work either, because of volt drop on cables, you can have 106 meters of cable on a ring, but just 32 meters on a 20 amp radial this is why we use ring finals.

I today tend only to fit double sockets often with USB charging outlets as well.