Domestic Ring Main

• What does the live wire do?

  Carries the electricity away from the consumer circuit
• What does the neutral wire do?

  Carries electricity to the consumer unit
• What does the earth wire do?

  Carries the current underground as a safety system if there's a fault
• What are the advantages of a ring main?

  Current can travel in two directions

  Lower current in each part

  Thinner cables

  Sockets can be added any where on the ring

  Each socket will have the same voltage
• What does the fuse do?

  Stops the current if it gets too big, preventing the device from overheating. It must be replaced
• What does a miniature circuit breaker do?

  Stops the current if it gets too big, preventing the device from overheating. It reacts quicker than a fuse and can be reset.
• What does a Residual Current Circuit Breaker do?

  Stops the current if the current in the neutral wire is different to the live wire, protecting the user from serious electric shocks.