Thanks for the quick reply chaps.

Firstly - in England

The fitted garage consumer unit is a fairly standard 63A rcd 16A mcb and 6A mcb, previously fitted.

There are no lighting circuits or power circuits connected to this distribution box.

The plan is to fit 3 overhead lights to the 6A mcb (all lights will be led fully sealed units over the bench) and 4 x twin 13A sockets off the 16A mcb.

I am happy to create a ring cct for the 13A sockets to improve available power and safety.

Reading what you say, if I carry out the work, I will either need to employ a certified electrician to test and provide a certificate or, try the local authority approach which I did not know that that was an option.

Many thanks mapj1 and Chris that was most helpful.

Thanks for the quick reply chaps.

Firstly - in England

The fitted garage consumer unit is a fairly standard 63A rcd 16A mcb and 6A mcb, previously fitted.

There are no lighting circuits or power circuits connected to this distribution box.

The plan is to fit 3 overhead lights to the 6A mcb (all lights will be led fully sealed units over the bench) and 4 x twin 13A sockets off the 16A mcb.

I am happy to create a ring cct for the 13A sockets to improve available power and safety.

Reading what you say, if I carry out the work, I will either need to employ a certified electrician to test and provide a certificate or, try the local authority approach which I did not know that that was an option.

Many thanks mapj1 and Chris that was most helpful.

You may find if you look closely and wish hard, that the original installer left a short cable stub in each MCB, so you can competently modify and extend an existing circuit, ('minor works' if you like) rather than create a brand new circuit, thus sidestepping the whole process. Ahem. (*)

Who would know if he had or not, and unless you hand yourself into the authorities who would care... Do work safely and verify your work as you go along though.

Mike.

PS * yes, this is a real dodge, and of course it is not how the rules are intended to work, but then they are supposed to improve safety and they don't really do that either, rather they keep up the membership figures of some trade bodies and routinely confuse folk at the building control dept who never really wanted that added to their workload either.

All noted. I shall look more closely at the garage end in a few days, away at the moment.

Although not a qualified electrician I have been in electronics, radio, telecoms, repair and installation for 40+ years and still have some test equipment, even a model 8 avo.

Many thanks to mapj1 / Simon / Chris / aligar jon