I am actually an advocate of the ring circuit and prefer it to the radial type circuit, both systems have their pro's and cons, the one thing I do not like about radial circuits is that a lot of the radial circuits have gone on and on and on with more sockets being added as required, the main problem with a radial circuit in my opinion is that the cable from the distribution panel to the first outlet carries the whole current for the circuit which in a lot of cases can cause it to run a tad warm [Linked Image].

I realise that a ring circuits integrity can be breached if one of the ring conductors develops an open circuit but on the whole I have not found this to be a frequent occurence, another problem with people adding to a ring is they think that they can add as many additional sockets to the ring as they want especially on a spur.

The current rating for a BS6004 2.5 mm cable can be anything from 19.5 amps to 27 amps dependant upon the method of cable installation. I see a lot of houses with a lot of sockets on the ring although a lot of these sockets serve low current devices, eg can openers,blenders etc although there are quite a few high current devices eg, washer/dryers,toasters, kettles etc.

On the subject of 240 volt v 120 volt I prefer 240v for domestic use as it keeps the current lower and therefore cable size smaller than it would need for 120v.

Although voltage can kill you indirectly by burning you etc it is actually current that will kill you as a direct result of an electric shock, eg people have fallen on railway power lines (25kv) and died as a result of the burns they received from the high voltage.

Edited to correct a spelling mistake

[This message has been edited by Ever Ready (edited 05-25-2004).]