Hi, I'm thinking of converting several single sockets to triples using
the surface-mounted conversion kits from Screwfix. The house was built
in the 1960s and there just aren't enough sockets for my 21st century
needs - I believe all the sockets I want to convert are on the ring
main rather than spurs. But I have a couple of questions...

- will the new sockets be rated 13A each or a total of 13A for the
three, as if I had just used a plug-in adapter?

- is this likely to overload the ring main or cause any other problems
of this nature?

thanks in advance for any advice,

d.

> - will the new sockets be rated 13A each or a total of 13A for the
> three, as if I had just used a plug-in adapter?


Triples will be rated at 13A total. This will be enforced by a fuse. Double
sockets are rated at 20A total, with a max 13A each, but the 20A cap is not
enforced.


> - is this likely to overload the ring main or cause any other problems
> of this nature?


It will reduce the potential point load of a socket point on the ring main.

Your 21st century needs, if they relate to audio visual equipment) are
likely to be lots of points taking very little current each.

If you are talking about kitchen appliances, things are very different and
you should not install a triple socket to run laundry or cooking appliances.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:

<Snip lots of good and accurate advice>

IMHO These converters are ugly and don't acheive anything that a 4 way
adapter and or extention lead couldn't acheive better.  In theory you
have to watch out for earth imedence getting too high with such
combinations, but I wouldn't worry too much.

We passed the early days of this millenium house sitting in a 60's
bungalow which generally (apart from the kitchen) has one single 13A
socket per room.  Ext leads and or 4 ways dealt with our (admittedly
small) collection of gadgets.

The only thing i'd do different with hindsight is to use a 2 way
adapter made from a double 13A socket, a piece of heavy duty flex and a
13A Plug, rather than a cheap 4 way in order to run the TV and the
Tumble Frier off the same socket.

Tumble Frier was a typo, but if you'd seen the way it welded it's plug
to the socket on the 4 way, perhaps it's an appropriate one!

Christian McArdle wrote:

> Triples will be rated at 13A total. This will be enforced by a fuse.


Bah! So my proposed solution doesn't really solve my problem, does it?


> Your 21st century needs, if they relate to audio visual equipment) are
> likely to be lots of points taking very little current each.


Yes, that's the gist of it, but even though the various bits of kit
take up very little current individually, they add up to more than can
be provided by the sockets I've got... (eg the room that is being used
as my office has precisely one socket, which is being supplemented at
the moment by an extension cable to a socket in the next room)

And there are one or two current-hungry items among them, eg a LCD
monitor.


> If you are talking about kitchen appliances, things are very different and
> you should not install a triple socket to run laundry or cooking appliances.


Wilco.

thanks for your help - even if it's not what I wanted to hear...

d.

In article <dgv53b$ubm$1@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk>, 
capitol@spamfree.freeserve.co.uk says...

> 
> 	As Christian said, the 3 way sockets are fused at 13A for the total 
> current of all 3. Personally, nowadays indoors, I use the rather nice 
> vertical 10 way socket extenders available from CPC (part no. PL02450, 
> as these are very desk/floor space efficient.


So is screwing regular 4-gang or 6-gang extensions to the wall, and you 
can spread them around where you need them.