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OT max continuous wattage rating
Mr Whippy - 14/10/08 at 10:39 AM

hey you lot

I want to fit some electric wall heaters and use some misplaced double wall sockets rather than fit new wiring. What’s the maximum continuous wattage rating for the socket, its all new wiring btw

Thanks

tegwin - 14/10/08 at 10:43 AM

That is going to depend on the size of the cabling to the sockets.....how the cabling is attached to the wall/trunking etc.... How many cables are bundled together....


Fun Fun

maximill666 - 14/10/08 at 10:58 AM

Assuming the circuit you are going to use is a ring final circuit protected by a 32A MCB, then in theory 7.36Kw is the maximum you can draw from the circuit.

Although 3Kw is the maximum loading a single 13A plugtop can supply, so if you have no other appliances plugged in to the circuit, you could have two 3Kw heaters each one supplied via a single plugtop & still have 1.36Kw to spare

Were you just going to plug some heaters into the existing sockets?

Regards,
Lee.

v8kid - 14/10/08 at 11:09 AM

And nothing else from the ring or you will blow fuses

Mr Whippy - 14/10/08 at 11:13 AM

hmm yip I was just going to put a plug on the end but reading that is giving me doubts, I was going to fit 2 1500watt heaters, one per room, but I have quite a few other thing plugged in as well!

maximill666 - 14/10/08 at 11:14 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
hmm yip I was just going to put a plug on the end but reading that is giving me doubts, I was going to fit 2 1500watt heaters, one per room, but I have quite a few other thing plugged in as well!


What other things do you currently have plugged into the circuit?

Regards,
Lee.

Mr Whippy - 14/10/08 at 11:18 AM

big telly, x box, washing machine, dish washer, kettle, toaster

not sure exactly what’s on each circuit

maximill666 - 14/10/08 at 11:23 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
big telly, x box, washing machine, dish washer, kettle, toaster

not sure exactly what’s on each circuit


Are your kitchen sockets on their own circuit or are all your downstairs sockets including kitchen on one circuit?

Regards,
Lee.

Mr Whippy - 14/10/08 at 11:36 AM

kitchen is on it own one

maximill666 - 14/10/08 at 11:57 AM

You will be fine then as the appliances that draw the most current are kettles/toasters/microwaves/washing machines/dryers/dishwashers etc etc and there all on there own circuit. TV's, pc's, xbox etc draw very little current, so two 1500 watt heaters will be fine on the other ring final circuit.

At the end of the day the circuit breaker is there to protect the circuit/cables against overload, assuming the installation is satisfactory/correctly wired and there are no faults, if you exceeded the maximum current for the circuit breaker by drawing too much current it would just trip & you would then know you have overloaded the circuit.

Two 1500W heaters will be fine.

Regards,
Lee.