Radial and Ring final circuits

Industrial and Commercial Installation Systems

E40T001M18
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Ring Circuit
Forms as a ring of supply cables, starts form origin (CU) and returns.
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Radial Circuit
It only has a one conductor , starts form origin (CU) and never returns, ends from
points of use (Socket outlets or Lighting circuit).

Origin Load
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Example for a Radial Circuit
In here circuit is protected by 20A breaker and cable size is 2.5 sq. mm.
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Example for a Radial Circuit
Two types of radial circuit are permitted for socket outlets. In neither case is the number of
sockets to be supplied specified, so the number will be subject to the constraints of load and
diversity. The two standard circuits are:

1. - 20 A fuse or miniature circuit breaker protection with 2.5 mm² live and 1.5mm² protective
conductors (or 1.5 mm² if m.i. cable) feeding a floor area of not more than 50 m². If the circuit
feeds a kitchen or utility room, it must be remembered that a 3 kW device such as a washing
machine or a tumble dryer takes 12.5 A at 240 V and that this leaves little capacity for the rest of
the sockets.

2. - 32 A cartridge fuse to BS88 or miniature circuit breaker feeding through 4 mm² live and 2.5
mm² protective conductors (or 2.5 mm² and 1.5 mm² if m.i. Cable) to supply a floor area no
greater than 75m².
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Radial Circuit
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Example for a Radial Circuit
In here the end of radial circuit is very close to the CU. This is Okay, But?

CU
 Radial and Ring final circuits

History of Ring Circuits

Ring circuits were developed during
second world war as part of the
national rebuilding plans, Key concerns
on:
How to feed maximum current to load
in an economical way…

In other words, They found a way to

feed more socket oultlets with same
amount of copper….
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Ring circuit
As we know a radial circuit can support 20A of current with 2.5mm of cable.
But the ring circuit can handle 32A with same 2.5 sq. mm cable.

For radial circuit we have to feed power through 4sq. Mm cable

 Radial and Ring final circuits
Radial circuit
For radial circuit we have to feed power through 4sq. mm cable. See the end of radial
circuit is close to the CU.
 Radial and Ring final circuits
Radial to Ring circuit
But doing small change into the radial circuit we can convert to a ring circuit and use
2.5sq. mm cable and save money.

Ring circuits are used only for socket outlets

 Radial and Ring final circuits
One major drawback in the ring circuits when compered with radial circuit.
 Radial and Ring final circuits
One major drawback in the ring circuits when compered with radial circuit.
Cable may disconnect due to loosen contact of terminal of a socket outlet or cable
break. The fault in radial circuit is detected when using broken part, because Electrical
appliances are not working. But there are no way to identify the fault in the ring
circuit, without special test. Therefore ring circuits are tested Periodically.
 Radial and Ring final circuits
One major drawback in the ring circuits when compered with radial circuit.

Now, There are no any ring circuit,

but two radial circuits (A and B).
The currents are not flowing as
designed. A
If we used all socket outlets in “A”
circuit it may overload, due to
cable size.

2.5 sq. mm
B
 Ring final circuits
BS 7671 Standards for on ring final circuits
Appendix 15 of BS 7671: 2008
Over current Protection device: 30 A or 32 A protective device complying with
BS 88–2.2, BS 88–6, BS 1361, BS 3036, BS EN 60898, BS EN 60947–2 or BS EN 61009–1
(RCBO).
Cable Specifications: The circuit shall be wired with copper conductors having line and
neutral conductors with a minimum cross-sectional area of 2.5 sq. mm
For commercial and industrial installations radials are preferred.
Large fixed loads (2 kW and above) should not be connected near the ‘ends’ of
a 32 A ring.
 Ring final circuits
BS 7671 Standards for on ring final circuits
Appendix 15 of BS 7671: 2008

Consideration should be given to the provision of a separate ring (or radial) circuit in a kitchen.

Where there is more than one ring circuit in the same building, the installed sockets should be
shared approximately evenly between them.

Standard cable sizes assume that sheathed cables are clipped direct, are embedded in plaster, or
have one side in contact with thermally insulating material. Single core cables are assumed to be
enclosed in conduit or trunking. No allowance has been made for circuits which are bunched, and
the ambient temperature is assumed not to exceed 30°C.
 Ring final circuits
BS 7671 Standards for on ring final circuits
Appendix 15 of BS 7671: 2008

The number of unfused spurs fed from the ring circuit must not exceed the number of sockets or
fixed appliances connected directly in the ring.

Each non-fused spur may feed no more than one single or one twin socket, or no more than one
fixed appliance.

Fixed loads fed by the ring must be locally protected by a fuse of rating no greater than 13 A or by
a circuit breaker of maximum rating 16 A.

Fixed equipment such as space heaters, water heaters of capacity greater than 15 litres, and
immersion heaters, should not be fed by a ring, but provided with their own circuits.
Ring final circuits
Area
Taking account of the total floor
area being served.
(Historically, a limit of 100 sq. m]
has been adopted.)
Ring final circuits - Testing
The test is undertaken in Three Steps and you must follow all the steps in the
correct sequence.

Step 1 – Disconnect conductors of

starting and ending points. (Six
wires)

CPC – Circuit Protective Conductor (Earth cable) Consumer Unit

Ring final circuits - Testing
Step 2 – Test end to end resistance of the ring at the
distribution board between the disconnected
conductors and note down the reading as:

Line to line: r1 = 0.57Ჲ

Neutral to neutral: rn = 0.57Ჲ
CPC to CPC: r2 = 0.57Ჲ

The readings taken should be the same (below 1Ω) if all conductors have the same CSA and are correctly
wired. If the R2 has a reduced CSA, the reading r2 will be proportionally higher.
Ring final circuits - Testing

Step 3 – Join the opposite legs of the line and neutral

conductors together (Join L start with N end and, L end
with neutral start)

and take a reading between the line and neutral at every

socket outlet on the ring circuit.

The measured readings should be same at all L-N points on the ring (except on a spur) and should have a
value of approximately half the line (r1) or neutral (rn) readings measured in step 1, or approximately
(r1+rn)/4.
Ring final circuits - Testing

Step 4 – Disconnect the connection made in step 3

and join the opposite legs of the line and earth conductors
together (Join L start with earth end and, L end with earth
start)

and take a reading between the line and earth at every

socket outlet on the ring circuit.

The measured readings should be same at all L-E points on the ring (except on a spur) and should have a
value of approximately half the line (r1) or earth (r2) readings measured in step 2, or approximately
(r1+r2)/4.
Ring final circuits - Testing
Summary
Step 2
Line to line: r1 = 0.57Ჲ
Neutral to neutral: rn = 0.57Ჲ
CPC to CPC: r2 = 0.57Ჲ Calculated values from
step 2 results
Step 3
Reading between the line and neutral at every socket outlet = (r1+rn)/4
Step 4
Reading between the line and earth at every socket outlet = (r1+r2)/4

If your measured values (in step 3 and 4) are not equal to above calculated values, it is likely to be
caused by a cross connection, i.e with the conductors being in the wrong terminal at back of the
socket outlet.
Ring final circuits - Testing
Remedies

1. Remove the socket outlet which shows wrong multimeter reading and Check for

Cable disconnections
Cable connections with wrong order (ex: Live conductor connected to neutral terminal of socket
outlet…)

2. Check for cable disconnections