Are ring mains still used?

Yes, ring mains (more correctly called ring final circuits these days) were and still are the norm for most UK dwellings. A very common arrangement was two ring final circuits, one for upstairs and one for downstairs.

Does the UK still use ring circuits?

Ring circuits are commonly used in British wiring with socket-outlets taking fused plugs to BS 1363. Because the breaker rating is much higher than that of any one socket outlet, the system can only be used with fused plugs or fused appliance outlets.

Which is better ring or radial circuit?

Ring circuit wiring offered a more efficient and lower cost system which would safely support a greater number of sockets. The lower costs aspect was related to fact that wires with a smaller diameter could be used, compared to radial wiring.

What is the advantage of a ring main circuit?

What are the advantages of using a looped parallel circuit? There are two paths for the current which means the cables can be thinner. Less current is carried in each part of the cable. Convenience – sockets can be placed anywhere on the ring, and therefore can be operated separately at a voltage of 230 V.

Why does UK have ring mains?

The ring circuit came about because Britain had to embark on a massive rebuilding programme following World War II. (ref 2). There was an acute shortage of copper, and it was necessary to come up with a scheme that used less copper than would normally be the case.

UK Ring Circuits (previously Ring Mains) for Socket Outlets

What's wrong with ring circuits?

Unless a ring circuit is wired correctly with spurs restricted to 1 double point per spur, there is an increased fire risk due to overheating of cables and connections. If there are breaks in the conductors or loose connections in terminals there are both fire and shock risks.

Do you need a ring main?

Electricity loses power over long lengths of cable and trying to put too much power through a cable which is not designed for it is dangerous, so a ring main delivers power from both ends to keep the load as light as possible. The other type of circuit used to power your home is a radial circuit.

What is the main disadvantage of a ring system?

Disadvantages:The only disadvantage of ring system of wiring over the tree system is that while installing a new appliance care has to be taken that the total load on the ring circuit does not exceed the main fuse rating i.e. generally 30 amp..

How many Spurs are allowed on a ring main?

A spur can be connected to an existing socket, on either a ring main or a radial circuit, providing that socket does not already have a spur. That is only one spur per socket is allowed and the number of spurs must not exceed the number of sockets.

What is the maximum load on a ring main?

In very simple terms, the ring main can deliver 32A - it does this by using cable rated at 16A wired in a ring, so that each socket or outlet has 2 paths back to the consumer unit.

Are radial circuits legal in UK?

Answer: It is acceptable to install a number of sockets on a radial circuit using 2.5 mm cables protected by a 16A circuit breaker - provided that the expected connected load does not exceed 16A. To see many more Q & A in Voltimum UK's Experts Area, please click on the link.

Can you put a fused spur on a ring main?

The rules for spurring off ring circuits are you are allowed ONE unfused spur to a socket (single or double) or ONE fused spur to as many sockets as you wish. You can't have both on the same point.

Can you put a junction box on a ring main?

A ring main (more about ring mains can be found in our project here) and also a radial circuit (more about radial circuits in our project here) will need a 30 amp junction box, whereas a lighting circuit (although you can buy 5amp junction boxes) will need a 20amp junction box.

How many sockets can you put on a ring main?

There is no limit on how many sockets you can install on a 32-amp ring main. However, the maximum load for a circuit at any given time should be 7,500 watts. Thus, while the number of sockets is not limited, the number of appliances and electronic devices you use at the same time could be limited.

Why can you not spur off a spur?

The reason for not running two spurs from the same spur "point" is that it can lead to possible overloads in that one leg of the final can become unbalanced and exceed the max.

Can you spur off a ring main in 1.5 mm?

no because you will have a 32 amp mcb protecting a 1.5mm2 cable.

When would you use a ring circuit?

The main advantage of ring main circuit is if any single connector is broken or disconnected at any point in the circuit all the other sockets will still work because they will be being act as radial circuit and fed from the other end of the circuit.

Is ring topology slow?

It is slower in performance as compared to the bus topology. It is Expensive. Addition and removal of any node during a network is difficult and may cause issue in network activity. Difficult to troubleshoot the ring.

What are pros and cons of ring topology?

Most ring topologies allow packets to travel only in one direction, called a unidirectional ring network. Others permit data to move in either direction, called bidirectional. The major disadvantage of a ring topology is that if any individual connection in the ring is broken, the entire network is affected.

Is it OK to spur off a socket?

The easiest way of connecting into a ring circuit is to run a spur cable from the terminals of an existing socket – but you can't connect it to any socket. The IEE Wiring Regulations are very specific about this. You mustn't run a spur from a socket that's already on a spur, or that already supplies a spur.

Can you spur off a socket for a light?

You need the neutral to make the light work but you can take a spur from the socket underneath the desk for a light, you could place a FCU next to socket underneath desk then run cable to light switch and then on to light fitting .. you cannot run spur to spur with sockets incase of over load of cable but a light is ...

Can I use a plug instead of a fused spur?

So as long as the plug sockets are accessible without touching the appliance to turn it off then this is fine, but also a fused spur is fine too."

How do you tell if a socket is on a ring main?

The first image is how the back of your double socket should look and the second is the wiring for a spur. A general rule for a ring main is that if you only have two cables in the back of an existing socket then it is ok to spur.