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Electrical

Can you use 2x 1.5mm cable to make 3mm cable?

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 3.27 PM

I’m pretty sure it’s wrong or at least bad practice but there doesn’t seam to be any regulation that states that in a 4/5core cable that you can’t use say 1and2 in live then 3and4 in neutral to make your cable size bigger in a single phase installation? A bit of background on this I have come across a socket at work that is fed by 4core 1.5mm off a run approx 20m where live is connected (brown and gray) and neutral is connected (blue and black) each sleeved with brown or blue respectively on a 20amp MCB do I just condemn it or is this actually acceptable? Thanks for your replies to add some more info.. Cable used is steel wire armour and the cpc is the armouring of the 4core SWA cable. Cable is clipped direct, only supplies 1 double 13amp socket

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4 Answers

DEACON ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Rating: 5 out of 5

Grimsby

Yes it’s wrong. Doesn’t quite work like that. This socket at work.... it’s fed by a 4 core what? Armoured, Micc, twin and earths, what? Micc it would be acceptable as the current carrying capacity is better than the above mentioned. See tables in Regs book👍Is it a ring circuit? The way you would install all this is down to design. So I’m not going to tell you to condemn it as I can’t see it, lack of relevant information and also that would be down to you to make that decision.

Answered2 October 2019

Anonymous user

What cable is it ? What size is the cpc ?if it’s glanded correctly then it’s fine. Copper equivalence of 3 mm on the cpc. No departure from the regs. What did it test out at for R1 R2 and Zs etc. Parallel conductors are absolutely fine.

Answered2 October 2019

KDY Electrics

Rating: 5 out of 5

Swansea

it crops up in the wiring regulations. What you have is conductors in parallel, as long as the load is shared equally between the paired wires, and all the wires are within the same sheath (multicore) as it sounds you have, and same diameter wires it conforms to the wiring regs. BUT what is the earth conductor (cpc) size ? if too small in relation to the total conductor size it may not meet regs for protection.

Answered2 October 2019

HM PLUMBING & MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD

Rating: 5 out of 5

Wrexham

I would suggest you get a qualified spark in to view the circuit and make the appropriate decisions based on regulations and best practice. If this is a commercial premises then just like a domestic premises, surely everyone's safety is the most important thing, so a qualified tradesman will be able to make sure this is the case.

Answered6 October 2019