What cable do I need to make an extension lead?

NeilF

NeilF

NeilF

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So we're having a fitted wardrobe/unit built over a plug socket and all I'm planning on doing is getting a new two gang plug socket, a 25mm back box and putting a twin socket on that new fitted unit powered from the wall socket. All I want to do is get a cable, and wire it into that new plug socket and at the other end put a 13A plug and plug it into the hidden wall socket in effect simply building a two gang extension lead.

My confusion comes with the myriad of cables for example at screw fix. So would this one do the job? - 3183Y White 3-Core 1.5mm² - https://www.screwfix.com/p/time-3183y-white-3-core-1-5mm-flexible-cable-10m-coil/342jy


Note: This is for a bedroom so we're talking at the most a hair dryer or a vaccum cleaner for example. Not domestic appliances.
 
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Yes that cable will be fine. You could use thinner cable and de rate it with a smaller fuse also if preferred.
 
A friend of mine who's far more of an electrician than me has steered me away from in effect daisy chaining plug boards (albeit even if I'm making them myself). Given we're talking about my teenage daughters bedroom, no doubt with 2500W hair dryers and straighters and goodness know what else, we're pulling up the floor boards and putting in spurs off the ring main.
 
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That's a lot of extra work though.
What you first suggested is no different than buying a 4 gang extension lead and having that trailing out. You could plug a lot more into that. 13amp fuse covers you, albeit they don't always blow straight away when over used.
 
I'd agree, I hope he's not charging you for extra unnecessary work?

IIRC a double socket is good for 20 amps, so it's unlikely your daughter will be plugging in that much.
 
rodders said:
That's a lot of extra work though.
What you first suggested is no different than buying a 4 gang extension lead and having that trailing out. You could plug a lot more into that. 13amp fuse covers you, albeit they don't always blow straight away when over used.
Click to expand...
You're right...

After a chat with another friend last night and his electrician mate I've back tracked.

In my defense I think a recent 'scare' with the plug of a tumble dryer concerned me, so when friend #1 started talking about fire risks unless we went down ring main spurs, that's the route I went down.

Here's the plug that alarmed me :) :-
QqJkz82.jpg

BNz32Z4.jpg

So friend #2 has suggested it's OK to basically use a plug board from a socket, and then introduce another plug board (albeit a two gang socket on a plug) daisy chained onto it. Especially if those secondary sockets are not being used for heavy loads etc.

Meanwhile cutting into your ring main circuit to introduce a spur without an electricians certificate of course risks your house insurance technically. And given the floor in question is being built over (fitted warddrobes and LVT floor) on Monday, if anything goes wrong at all with the spurs... I'm stuffed!

ps: Those pictures above from a tumble dryer plug, the tumble dryer was still work! I noticed the smell! :eek:
 
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