Isolate A Conservatory From The House

[flash302]

Please could a qualified person advise.

Our conservatory was wired by an electrician. He split the house ring main and extended it round the conservatory giving light and power. I would like to be able to completely isolate the conservatory from the house so that when we go away there is nothing live in the conservatory. Can I insert a dual pole 45amp switch?

 

[NozSpark]

TBH it's impossible to tell from the other side of a computer how it was wired in the first place....

IMHO you'll need to get someone around to have a look

 

[ProDave]

If it really was wired by extending the rig and keeping it as a ring, then the answer is no.

If it's been wired as a spur off the ring via an FCU then of course you an just turn that off.

Why are you worried about stuff being live in the conservatory but not in the rest of the house?

 

[Andy™]

as above, if ring is extended then no. if its wired as a spur then yes, but why would you want to anyway?

 

[flash302]

TBH it's impossible to tell from the other side of a computer how it was wired in the first place....

IMHO you'll need to get someone around to have a look

The electrician went through the wall behind a double socket. He split the ring and took it round the conservatory. I am proposing to reinstate the original ring by putting a double pole switch in place of the socket and reconnecting the conservatory on the switched side. I suppose this strictly speaking makes it a spur and there will be too many sockets on it. But they are only used for lighting.

 

[NozSpark]

If he's extended the ring with a radial portion supplying your conservatory then this should really be fused down.. this could easily be done by the insertion of a switched fused spur at the appropriate place in the circuit

 

[Andy™]

The electrician went through the wall behind a double socket. He split the ring and took it round the conservatory. I am proposing to reinstate the original ring by putting a double pole switch in place of the socket and reconnecting the conservatory on the switched side. I suppose this strictly speaking makes it a spur and there will be too many sockets on it. But they are only used for lighting.

that will not be compliant. you could use a fused spur instead of the DP switch

 

[ProDave]

that will not be compliant. you could use a fused spur instead of the DP switch

He could have split it at one socket with a junction in the back of the box and taken two legs out to keep it as a ring.

 

[Andy™]

He could have split it at one socket with a junction in the back of the box and taken two legs out to keep it as a ring.

i was on about fitting a DP switch

 

[ProDave]

i was on about fitting a DP switch

Sorry missunderstood that.

He could convert it to a radial circuit and feed it via an FCU.

 

[flash302]

The object is to be able to isolate the conservatory in a safe way .

What is an FCU?

I would like to reinstate the original ring and have the conservatory wiring on a switched connection that is compliant. Is this possible?

Is there such a thing as a switched fused spur which is double pole? Perhaps they all are DP, I don't know.

 

[Andy™]

fused connection unit

 

[flash302]

What is an FCU?

My objective is to be able to completely isolate the conservatory wiring. I would like to reinstate the original ring and connect the conservatory in a way that is fused, switched and compliant.

Sorry, had a bit of trouble posting!

So is a fcu double pole.

 

[Andy™]

answered in post 12... if you cant understand basic accessories needed to do the job, then i doubt you will be capable of doing the job safely. probably best to call someone who does know what they are doing. it would also take less than half an hour to do the job...

 

[flash302]

Thank you for your answer in post 12. My post 13 happened because I was having difficullty with the forum and had not seen your reply.

I would like to know if I can get a double pole switched fcu.

It is the terminology which I am having trouble with. If I can get the correct fitting I am perfectly capable of installing it.

 

[Andy™]

some are SP, some are DP. read the description of it to find out. but from youre questions, i still doubt you are capable of doing this safely. yes, it might work in the end, but that doesnt mean its safe

 

[ProDave]

It is the terminology which I am having trouble with. If I can get the correct fitting I am perfectly capable of installing it.

Sadly I doubt that.

If it's done as I suspect, then you might find one of the existing double sockets that has a total of 4 twin & earth cables connected in the back of it (and not all connected into the socket)  I doubt you have the skills to work out which is which and know how to connect the FCU.

It really is a simple job for an electrician so it shouldn't cost much, so please for the sake of safety don't begrudge paying a small amount of labour.

 

[flash302]

some are SP, some are DP. read the description of it to find out. but from youre questions, i still doubt you are capable of doing this safely. yes, it might work in the end, but that doesnt mean its safe

Well thank you for answering my question. I had understood that FCU's were single pole. I will make sure I get a DP.

 

[HandySparks]

Please could a qualified person advise.

Our conservatory was wired by an electrician. He split the house ring main and extended it round the conservatory giving light and power. I would like to be able to completely isolate the conservatory from the house so that when we go away there is nothing live in the conservatory. Can I insert a dual pole 45amp switch?

Must admit, I'm intrigued to know what danger might occur in a conservatory that wouldn't happen elsewhere in the house.

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Must admit, I'm intrigued to know what danger might occur in a conservatory that wouldn't happen elsewhere in the house.

Depends what is growing under the lights I suppose.