16 amp circuit.

[frugal]

Reading up on the Lyndhurst table saws in another thread I noticed that they require a 16amp supply and come with a 16 amp round plug rather than the 13amp three-pin household plug I am used to.

Having a look around I can find 16 amp plugs and sockets, but I can not see anything about how you are supposed to wire them up to the mains (to stop numpties like me trying it for themselves I guess :wink: )

Do these kind of 16amp sockets come from the same ring-main as the 13 amp sockets, or do I need a separate feed from the circuit breaker? (Which will mean a new circuit breaker in the workshop as the current one just has a 8amp lighting ring and a 32amp ring for the sockets from a 40amp breaker in the house).

 

[Malcolm R]

I recently got a 16A circuit installed. It was added as a new circuit from the consumer unit and a 20A type C MCB was used. The reason for the type C was the induction motor in the saw as I believe they create an initial surge in the load and type C can cope with this but a standard type B may not.

One nice feature of the wall socket my electrician found is that it is switched and the switch can only turned to 'on' when there is a plug in (and the plug only removed when the switch is off").

 

[head clansman]

hI

I used to get trip out when i used my chop saw or the triton saw centre with the makita saw in it on a 13 a MGB , all i did was upgrade my mgb to a 16 AMP MGB (cost about £6 ish ) one and now no problems , still have 13 amp plugs on both machine though suppose i should change them as well really . hc

 

[RogerS]

In another world far far away and beyond the ken of the Part P regulations, a man had a similar problem which he fixed by simply removing one of the 13amp sockets and connecting both ends of the ring circuit to a 16A socket outlet.

 

[Digit]

Yep!
Rules! For the guidance of wise men and the control of fools I'm told.

Roy.

 

[ike]

I have two 16A outlets each on their own circuit. For safety reasons (i.e. kids mainly) I have the means to remotely isolate the machines.

 

[Jake]

In another world far far away and beyond the ken of the Part P regulations, a man had a similar problem which he fixed by simply removing one of the 13amp sockets and connecting both ends of the ring circuit to a 16A socket outlet.

If you literally connected both ends of the ring to a 16A socket, wasn't the circuit a bit dead to be of real use?

As the wisdom/foolishness of having a 16A rated unfused socket protected only by a 32A breaker, well a fool might think it wise and a wise person might think it foolish.

 

[ike]

As the wisdom/foolishness of having a 16A rated unfused socket protected only by a 32A breaker, well a fool might think it wise and a wise person might think it foolish.

I don't understand that. Can you explain?

 

[OLD]

Jake i don't understand what you said.
Just to be different my garage ring cct has a 16a mcb and i have connected a 16a socket to it adjacent to a 13a outlet i do not need 32a fuseing.

 

[Jake]

Roy was suggesting that only a fool would regard the rule that a 32A ring circuit can only be used with 13A fused sockets as being a rule rather than guidance which can be ignored.

I was suggesting the opposite.

 

[Jake]

Jake i don't understand what you said.
Just to be different my garage ring cct has a 16a mcb and i have connected a 16a socket to it adjacent to a 13a outlet i do not need 32a fuseing.

But you are protecting the 16A unfused socket with a 16A breaker, so that is completely different.

The OP mentioned having a 32A ring, and Roger tacitly recommended inserting a 16A socket in place of a standard 13A socket on the ring, and didn't mention changing the breaker.

 

[ike]

I was suggesting the opposite.

Erm...being what? Sorry i'm thoroughly confused now.

The OP mentioned having a 32A ring, and Roger tacitly recommended inserting a 16A socket in place of a standard 13A socket on the ring, and didn't mention changing the breaker.

I

Why do you need to change the breaker?

 

[frugal]

I was suggesting the opposite.

Erm...being what? Sorry i'm thoroughly confused now.

The OP mentioned having a 32A ring, and Roger tacitly recommended inserting a 16A socket in place of a standard 13A socket on the ring, and didn't mention changing the breaker.

I

Why do you need to change the breaker?

I think that the implication is that if you have a unfused 16amp plug on a ring main with a 32 amp breaker then it becomes in effect a 32amp plug.

Looking at the 16 amp plugs they do not seem to be fused (although I am willing to be proved wrong).

 

[ike]

Ah, OK, now I understand! - I think...

 

[Jake]

That's right. 16A outlets are unfused, and are designed to sit on radial circuits where the protection is in the 16A circuit breaker. That is the only overload protection.

The 32A ring with 13A fused outlets is a subtle British invention.

 

[OLD]

frugal i agree 16 a plugs and sockets are unfused

 

[ike]

I have two 16A outlets each on their own circuit. For safety reasons (i.e. kids mainly) I have the means to remotely isolate the machines.

An accidental electrician.. :roll: It seemed the right thing to do.

 

[frugal]

So if I want to run any 16amp machinery I would first need to get the fuse box replaced as the one in the workshop currently just has 8amp for lighting and 32amp for the ringmain and there are no slots to put any more circuits in, and then change the 40amp that feeds the garage breaker in the house to a higher one.

Not that I think that the bonus will stretch as high as a DEFT table saw, but I can but hope

 

[Digit]

Was I? I didn't think so.

Roy.

 

[Jake]

Leave the 40A breaker in the house as it is (it is protecting the main cable to your workshop).

A 3-way CU to give you the extra way costs very little (a tenner or so).