Electrics: splitting a 230v cable to 2 plugs

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  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 14,421
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    unforeseen said: I think the op switched off after alter-egos post. 
    They asked a simple question and  then got bombarded with a level of information that would only interest a professional electrician doing a rewire.
    Well, to answer the original question without being technical....

    Yes, you can replace a single socket with a double - You can even get front plates for just this job - https://www.screwfix.com/p/schneider-electric-lisse-13a-1g-to-2g-switched-converter-socket-white/108ft

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  • I think the op switched off after alter-egos post. 
    They asked a simple question and  then got bombarded with a level of information that would only interest a professional electrician doing a rewire. Most people don't give a toss and wouldn't know in the first place whether they had radial, spur or any other sort of layout of their power circuits or the cable size
    There are probably thousands reading this forum. I am interested, because I was thinking about making my own 8m extension lead, but thought I needed 2.5, but I think buying 1.5 might be ok and work out much cheaper than buying a reading made 10m one.

  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,276
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    There are probably thousands reading this forum. I am interested, because I was thinking about making my own 8m extension lead, but thought I needed 2.5, but I think buying 1.5 might be ok and work out much cheaper than buying a reading made 10m one.

    You won't even fit a 2.5mm² cable into most plugs. They should be good for a 1.5mm² cable, which is more than enough to carry 13A.



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  • Owain_Moneysaver
    Owain_Moneysaver Posts: 11,357
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    FreeBear said:
    Ring main should be 2.5mm², and radial circuits, 4mm². Do not ever use smaller cable for sockets. 1mm² and 1.5mm² should only be used for low current circuits such as lighting.

    A radial circuit is permitted in 2.5mm on a 20A MCB, and a 32A ring or radial is permitted on 1.5mm if wired in MICC.
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  • stragglebod
    stragglebod Posts: 1,324
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    OP didn't ask about replacing a single with a double, but about replacing a single with two doubles.
  • Risteard
    Risteard Posts: 1,868
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    FreeBear said:
    Ring main should be 2.5mm², and radial circuits, 4mm². Do not ever use smaller cable for sockets. 1mm² and 1.5mm² should only be used for low current circuits such as lighting.

    A radial circuit is permitted in 2.5mm on a 20A MCB, and a 32A ring or radial is permitted on 1.5mm if wired in MICC.

    I was going to make the point about MIMS (Pyro) but decided it might unnecessarily confuse things.
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  • getmore4less
    getmore4less Posts: 46,882
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    edited 13 July 2020 at 12:50PM
    OP didn't ask about replacing a single with a double, but about replacing a single with two doubles.
    thats what I was going to say, it seems very common on MSE for people to not read posts properly  then moan about the answers which were perfectly good.

    this is what they said later correcting plug to socket   (my bold)
    How do I know whether or not I can have 2 double plugs coming from the original cable that currently serves 1 plug?


  • coffeehound
    coffeehound Posts: 5,649
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    Ectophile said:
    There are probably thousands reading this forum. I am interested, because I was thinking about making my own 8m extension lead, but thought I needed 2.5, but I think buying 1.5 might be ok and work out much cheaper than buying a reading made 10m one.

    You won't even fit a 2.5mm² cable into most plugs. They should be good for a 1.5mm² cable, which is more than enough to carry 13A.
    You do get the odd situation where 2.5 sq mm is specified for extension leads.  One is high-end pressure washers that don't like being under-volted.
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