socket on lighting circuit?

[neil_ev]

hi all,

have been asked to install a double socket in an attic space. was wondering if i installed it with a 5A fcu would this comply with the regs? seems a bit of a grey area.

thanks

 

[IQ Electrical]

A second spent putting a note in or near the CU can save the next guy hours.

Can't understand why some sparks don't bother

It's the bane of my life, literally, most of my time is spent on commercial PIR's and you just wouldn't believe the amount of boards with no marking-up whatsoever, never mind a list of items sensitive to IR tests!

 

[Judgeshred39]

Nothing worse IQ than looking at a three phase DB, 24 ways and oh whats that...not one frigging label! grr makes steam come out my ears just thinking about it!

 

[Adam W]

... there is nothing stopping the customer going to a shed and buying and changing the fcu to a socket...

You could go on forever like that; personally i would stop just after safeguarding against the customer plugging something in which they're not supposed to - to me a sticky label doesn't cut the mustard but a FCU or different shaped socket seems sufficient, bearing in mind there were customers kicking off about those 3 pin bayonet CFL lamps you can't seem to be able to get any more rather than changing the lampholder.

 

[Paul.M]

Agree novusSparkus, can't protect against stupidity. I should have mentioned in my post, why has the customer asked for a double socket? Is it simply because they don't know about other options or do the want to use it as a db socket? Same as you, don't think the sticker will last long when something goes wrong.

 

[nick611]

put a twin socket in a roof space,off a lighting circuit,it only gets used for a train set or a roof light.if it gets overloaded 6amp mcb trips/no harm done. label it if you like '5amp only'. make sure its on the rcd.everyones a winner

 

[IQ Electrical]

put a twin socket in a roof space,off a lighting circuit,it only gets used for a train set or a roof light.if it gets overloaded 6amp mcb trips/no harm done. label it if you like '5amp only'. make sure its on the rcd.everyones a winner

Ok, the circuit's protected but is it the best way of doing the job?
The guy with the train set will want some heat so give him a 20A supply or whatever.

I'll stick with what I said at the beginning, for a tv amp/booster, use a 5A BS546 socket.

 

[nick611]

thats fair enough.but dont say you cant do it,just say you wouldn,t.its a big differance

 

[Paul.M]

put a twin socket in a roof space,off a lighting circuit,it only gets used for a train set or a roof light.if it gets overloaded 6amp mcb trips/no harm done. label it if you like '5amp only'. make sure its on the rcd.everyones a winner

If you put a sticker on the socket saying 5 amp only and they use that amount in the loft for train sets, lights and a heater, that leaves the lighting circuit 1 amp? Trips mcb, customer has now got no lights to get out of a loft into the hallway and down the stairs to reset the mcb. No win no fee against the electrician springs to mind.....

 

[IQ Electrical]

thats fair enough.but dont say you cant do it,just say you wouldn,t.its a big differance

Where did I say 'you can't do it'?

I said "a double socket is stretching the issue"

 

[nick611]

sorry,confused you for the guy who said you cant do it.my apologies.

 

[Adam W]

You can't.
OK if you want to split hairs you can, but not if you want it to be safe and comply with the regs.

 

[mbga9pgf]

Its a no no surely as lighting circuits dont typically come with RCD protection. I am guessing you arent chasing out to 50mm depth, so surely this would prevent you from doing this?

 

[sbrown2]

How many boiler supplies do you see spured off the lights, maybe incorrect but extremely common.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

You can put a twin 13a socket on the lighting circuit provided adequate precautions are taken to limit load,such as fusing down locally,and other considerations are taken into account like existing load and circuit protection etc......but you wouldnt want to.

 

[mogga]

It's the bane of my life, literally, most of my time is spent on commercial PIR's and you just wouldn't believe the amount of boards with no marking-up whatsoever, never mind a list of items sensitive to IR tests!

Worse than that is a wrongly marked one 10A 2.5mm Turn it off n a shout comes from office Whos turned off the computers??