Ring circuits are common place in the UK. In homes, offices and similar installations, socket outlet circuits are wired as rings from common breakers, but NEVER from seperate breakers.

In higher power supplies, some large installations, such as schools covering wide areas, they have high power rings from the substation, usually using 300mm csa plus SWA's and rated at 600A to 1200A (In the US similar supplies would be double due to you guys only using 120V).

However, which ever way you install a ring, the conductors should always be fed from common isolators / circuit breakers were all poles are interlinked and operate simultaneously.

[This message has been edited by FWL_Engineer (edited 03-19-2005).]