Socket outlets on lighting circuit

[Crosswire]

Aesthetics and amusing photos of cowboys aside - is it against the regs?

No, it is not. It is very common to see aerial boosters plugged into a socket on the lighting circuit. There is no specific regulation against this.

 

[Adam W]

No, it is not. It is very common to see aerial boosters plugged into a socket on the lighting circuit. There is no specific regulation against this.

Not exactly, in fact you've demonstrated the reason why I'm against that practice - sometimes a socket (should really be a 2A or 5A if anything) is run off the lighting circuit in the loft as a 'way out' when a socket in the loft wasn't allowed for and the upstairs rooms have been decorated so running a socket in properly would be disruptive. The danger is this becomes the norm and people start designing in a socket off the lighting circuit because that's what they're used to.
There is no specific regulation against it, but then the regs don't read like that - there are very few specific regulations against many things.
What the regs do imply is that nothing should interfere with the lighting circuit unnecessarily, which is exactly what a socket is asking for - if there is no socket in the loft apart from the one on the lighting circuit, then that's the one the vacuum cleaner is getting plugged into when it comes for a clearout, which overloads the breaker, which knocks out the lights in the loft and upstairs, leaving the customer to climb over all the junk in the loft and negotiate their way down the ladder in the dark, which is dangerous.

This Ikea light clearly hasn't been designed for an electrician to install, which is why it comes with a 'wall wart' on the cable meaning you can't fish it behind plasterboard, and why they recommend mini trunking to compliment it. You wouldn't design one of these into a new build so why try to accommodate it retrospectively? It is what it is - a DIY add-on.

 

[telectrix]

then that's the one the vacuum cleaner is getting plugged into when it comes for a clearout, which overloads the breaker, which knocks out the lights in the loft and upstairs, leaving the customer to climb over all the junk in the loft and negotiate their way down the ladder in the dark, which is dangerous.


anyone who decides to vacuum the loft either suffers from OCD or is barking mad.

 

[stuartcourt]

then that's the one the vacuum cleaner is getting plugged into when it comes for a clearout, which overloads the breaker, which knocks out the lights in the loft and upstairs, leaving the customer to climb over all the junk in the loft and negotiate their way down the ladder in the dark, which is dangerous.


anyone who decides to vacuum the loft either suffers from OCD or is barking mad.

a clean loft is a happy loft

 

[Adam W]

then that's the one the vacuum cleaner is getting plugged into when it comes for a clearout, which overloads the breaker, which knocks out the lights in the loft and upstairs, leaving the customer to climb over all the junk in the loft and negotiate their way down the ladder in the dark, which is dangerous.


anyone who decides to vacuum the loft either suffers from OCD or is barking mad.

Sometimes it gets beyond the joke though - it's surprising how many cobwebs and dead bluebottles can build up over 80 years or so.

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Sometimes it gets beyond the joke though - it's surprising how many cobwebs and dead bluebottles can build up over 80 years or so.

Joking aside I have hoovered a loft for that very reason. And as Stuart said it looked happier as a result!

 

[Silly Sausage]

anyone who decides to vacuum the loft either suffers from OCD or is barking mad.

Hahaha...that's me then!
Had to empty mine out to get free insulation. Decided to vac it out, about 10 big rubble bags of vile black shyte later, one beautiful clean attic. Tidiest place in the house now!

 

[driverman]

Re 13 amp sockets wired off light circuits.......How many 13amp sockets do you see that are wired off light circuits for TV amps in loft spaces? Yes it's wrong..but 1000s's done I bet.



OPPs Just read No.31 Note to oneself!. read all post first lol

 

[Hants-Spark]

Re 13 amp sockets wired off light circuits.......How many 13amp sockets do you see that are wired off light circuits for TV amps in loft spaces? Yes it's wrong..but 1000s's done I bet.



OPPs Just read No.31 Note to oneself!. read all post first lol

If I have to put a socket in the loft then it goes on the ring, new builds or existing. Drop down the aering cupboard if need be but that's what we do.

 

[7029 dave]

that's what I would do!!

 

[driverman]

Agrees with 7029 Dave and Hants Spark.... but the point I was making, it was common practice in the not too distant past for TV amps skts to be tapped off the lights. I bet the TV aerial guys installed most of them. The BGB advises that a 13 amp socket should be installed in the loft place as standard. Just common sense really.





the BGB

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Agrees with 7029 Dave and Hants Spark.... but the point I was making, it was common practice in the not too distant past for TV amps skts to be tapped off the lights. I bet the TV aerial guys installed most of them. The BGB advises that a 13 amp socket should be installed in the loft place as standard. Just common sense really.





the BGB

for the bats? So they have a socket outlet for bat TV? )

 

[Adam W]

There have been many threads on this issue here, most are along the lines of "I need to install a socket for the aerial booster but the customer has decorated so I can't do it any other way than running it off the lighting" to which the response is usually that it's fine to use a 5A socket.
I agree that there should be sockets in the loft for this purpose, and they should be on a power circuit and not run off the lighting circuit, but as demonstrated it seems to be creeping into common practice rather than a way to get out of a situation.

 

[Robotstar5]

A house we moved into in the 70's had a 13A socket fed of the lights mounted next to the mirror over the bathroom sink!! all I could think of was for a shaver to plug into?

 

[SPARTYKUS]

A house we moved into in the 70's had a 13A socket fed of the lights mounted next to the mirror over the bathroom sink!! all I could think of was for a shaver to plug into?

T
here was probably a transformed shaver socket there originally. Some numb nut will have replaced it with a more useful socket. Until the hairdryers plugged in