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Fridge/Freezer on 1.5mm cable


CeeJay
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I need to take a spur off an existing junction box which is cabled with 2.5mm cable to service a fridge/freezer. Would it be acceptable to cable this spur with 1.5mm cable, purely because I have lots of the stuff and no 2.5mm!!
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No.

I doubt your insurance company would approve either.

These are the current regulations for a new installation https://schema-electrique.net/schema-circuit-electrique-installation-alimentation-four-lave-vaisselle-lave-linge-plaque-cuisson-congelateur.html
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Isn't there a difference between new installations and merely adding a socket to an existing installation ?

Why would the insurance company need to approve? Only if there was an incident, surely ? Are you thinking the house might burn down ? 1.5mm cable can be use for individual sockets unless there has been a fundamental change to the regs. I've just looked in my "Installation Electrique" bible. I'm not saying that what the OP proposes is the best way to proceed but I don't think it's necessarily wrong. I would prefer to continue with 2.5mm. What may be frowned on is taking 1.5mm form a 2.5mm "boite de distribution". I can't find that in the book just now.

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The norm now allows up to eight ordinary room sockets wired with 1.5mm (or twelve with 2.5mm) but the sockets with 1.5mm must have a 16A circuit breaker rather than 20A.

As this is an existing circuit I assume it has a 20A breaker. Is CeeJay going to go to the expense of replacing that by a 16A breaker and the possible impact on other the use of other sockets on the circuit?

What happens at some time in the future when someone has forgotten this socket only has 1.5mm wire and is still on a 20A circuit breaker and decided to use it for a high power device? Is CeeJay going to stick a warning label on it?

The reason for linking to the current norm was to show what is now thought to be best practise. There have been many different norms in the past. Is it really a good idea to go back to an old one rather than try to get as near to the prevailing norm - which was presumable introduced for very good reasons?

Is it worth saving a few euro? You don't need to go to the expense of buying full reels of 2.5mm cable. It would be possible to get a short length of 2.5mm insulated cable wire it in a new duct.
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Thanks for the replies and have taken on board the comments.

Found that MrB. actually sell small reels of 5metre cable so have bought the 2.5mm and wired that in.

I was a bit dubious about the 1.5mm hence my posting but feel a lot easier now!
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Sensible solution.

Thanks for your explanation Pomme.

Most extension leads, for example, are only 1.5mm and carry a 3600W max label. Anything BIG should have it's own circuit. In the end CJ has done the best thing.
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  • 2 years later...

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