16 amp supply in the garage

[reb78]

I know it wont be possible to give a full answer to this without looking at it and that i will need to get a qualified electrician to take a look at my setup, but is the wiring on a ring main usually capable of carrying 16 amps?

I would like to alter the setup in my garage to allow me to plug the welders and plasma cutter into a 16 amp circuit. I think the garage has a dedicated supply (as opposed to being part of another ring). Running extra wires from my fusebox to the garage is going to be more hassle than its worth as the fusebox is in the middle of the house and there is no easy/obvious route to the garage without major work. So, is it possible/likely that the current wiring can be used and the other relevant bits altered?

 

[123hotchef]

what breaker is used on the supply to the garage? usually they install a rcd and breaker or 2 in a dedicated unit. and yes a normal radial circuit is capable of 16amps on 2.5mm2 cable

 

[BrokenBiker]

a ring main with 2.5mm csa twin and earth should have a 32A MCB on it anyway, the only reason you cant plug 16A into it is the fact it will have 13A sockets on it.

the usual set up is a consumer unit in the garage fed from either a spare slot in the CU in the house or fed directly from the meter and then 16A radials with 2.5mm cable, or if you think you may want to upgrade in the future run 4m cable and then if you want 32A later on you just change the MCB and the Sockets (depending on length or runs and voltage drop etc, just to be safe)

 

[Mr Fro]

Hold up a bit. I have a spur to my garage that used to be a ring (the return has been disconnected but not removed for some reason). In theory, could it just be reconnected and I'm good to go with 16A? That would save a huge amount of arseache.

Sorry for the hijack by the way. :-)

 

[123hotchef]

i reakon u could Mr fro

 

[brightspark]

if u have a separate ring main feeding garage sockets fit a new db in garage and connect both ends of the ring in parallel to the db feed mainswitch that will give u a 5mm supply cable. then take a 2.5mm cable out to a 16 amp socket on one fuse . take a 6amp out for lights and put a 20amp in for the ringmain or a radial for sockets make sure the ring IS ONLY feeding the garage though

 

[Mr Fro]

Brucey bonus!

The garage wires disappear in to the kitchen from the outside - given the "quality" of the extension I wouldn't be surprised if the wires were dangling loose behind the cupboards or bodged in some way or another. Better check to be sure but using the current wires would make my life soooo much easier.

Thanks chaps!

 

[AndersK]

Are we spoiled having 400V 3 phase incoming in every house here?

 

[evobilly666]

Brucey bonus!

The garage wires disappear in to the kitchen from the outside - given the "quality" of the extension I wouldn't be surprised if the wires were dangling loose behind the cupboards or bodged in some way or another. Better check to be sure but using the current wires would make my life soooo much easier.

Thanks chaps!

Be worth checking the second leg wasn't removed and the circuit downgraded due to a fault on one side of the ring. A cable fault is one idea, a screw through a cable is another possibility. This could cause a conductive element to become live. This may only become apparent at a later date when someone completes the circuit between this unknown item and something equipotentially bonded. I'm no electrician in any way but fear this may have been disconnected for a reaon and reconnecting it without prior research because it was suggested on a forum could prove fatal. I hope one of the resident sparks appears and tells me I'm talking sh1t

 

[normspanners]

Are we spoiled having 400V 3 phase incoming in every house here?

I think you are not spoiled, you are lucky bartenders, or stewards as we know them