Using a ring circuit for switch sockets as compared to a normal circuit depends on how you plan and what are the purpose for the switch sockets. In a normal home, the need for a ring circuit to supply electricity to all the switch sockets do not arise as ring circuits are normally used for place where there is need to utilize a lot of switch sockets in one location or in one room. A good example is an office where there is need to use many switch sockets to run all the workstations. In scenarios like this, using a ring circuit for all the switch sockets is a sensible choice.
What Is A Ring Circuit
A ring circuit in it’s basic sense is just like a normal switch socket circuit with a “Live” wire supplying the power, a “Neutral” Wire for the returning electrical loop need to complete a full circuit and a “Ground” wire for safety purpose.
However, a ring circuit has an extra circuit connected to the last power source or in this case, the last switch socket in the circuit thus completing the “Ring”.
Installing the wiring this way, power is equally distributed, thus the circuit can take more load than an ordinary circuit. An ordinary circuit for switch sockets can take a maximum load or 15 amps while if you install a ring circuit, the load can be increased to 30 amps. Thus, you can have more equipments running in the ring circuit whereas if you use a normal circuit, you can probably use only 2 or the most 3 equipments.
Wiring Diagram On How To Install Wirings For A Ring Circuit
Sorry for the crude wiring diagram as all my wiring diagrams are for laymen who do not know how to read technical drawings and symbols. I feel drawing it crudely this way will give you a better idea on how the wires of a ring circuit are installed.
As you can see, S1, S2, S3 and finally SL or the last socket are all connected within the same circuit. You can “loop” your switch sockets this way up to more than 10 switch sockets depending on the size of the wire and the power load of the equipment you plan to use.
All the wires to the switch sockets are installed exactly the same way as you would do in a normal switch socket circuit except in this case, another circuit coming from the same source or circuit breaker is connected to the last switch socket in the circuit. This completes the “ring” thus giving this kind of wiring installation for switch sockets the name “Ring Circuit.
The video below describes the ring circuit and how it is installed very clearly.