Socket wired of a outdoor light!

[Dizzy_Maskell]

Guys please back me up on this, went to a mates house and he has "proudly" shown me his DIY electrical handy work,

Few years back I ran a swa cable to the bottom of his garden tapped off the outside light as he wanted a light at the far end of the garden to for his shed etc.

He has adapted it now and added sockets to the shed for bits a pieces. But he has to turn the outside light on for them to be energised.

As he only uses the sockets whilst he is down there and so needs the light on anyway "there is no problem" can someone back me up so I can show him please as my qualifications don't appear to count.

Main switch 61008 on Con Unit and outside light circuit fed from down stairs lights 60898 B6.

Cheers

 

[Pete999]

Has got kids? if so warn him of the possible, sorry probable, ramifications of this sort of botch job, because that's what it is, if that doesn't scare him, then he really is a muppet.

 

[Paul.M]

Oh yeah swa cable supplying JB at bottom of garden 3 core 1.5mm elip and IR fine before ppl ask.

No mention of RCD protection.

Just change the 13A socket to a round pin 5A and everything will be fine

 

[davesparks]

If that was not a sarcastic comment then I'll suggest the regulation requiring RCD for any socket of less than 20Amps

If it was sarcastic then crack on!

 

[Adam W]

You could point out that where he's wired the sockets in 2.5mm, it then reduces to 1.5mm towards the CU, making his 2.5mm a bit pointless.
You could do a quick add up of the current likely to be used on the circuit - sockets, existing lights etc, see if it exceeds the rating of the breaker and point out if he uses that lot all the lights will go out, which is potentially dangerous. I think there's some reg about designing circuits to avoid this.
As already mentioned there's the volt drop to consider as well, which may no longer comply.

Put simply, the cable you put in was only designed for a light, not whatever he's running off the sockets as well.

 

[Meggerman]

If that was not a sarcastic comment then I'll suggest the regulation requiring RCD for any socket of less than 20Amps

If it was sarcastic then crack on!

Its got 61008 main switch RCD, it also has 6A MCB, worst can happen is he plugs in something rated higher and operates circuit devices. If he has done it, so what, it ain't OP's lookout.

 

[Adam W]

If that was not a sarcastic comment then I'll suggest the regulation requiring RCD for any socket of less than 20Amps

If it was sarcastic then crack on!

Presumably they were unrelated points - nobody has mentioned RCD protection as yet, which would almost certainly be required.

In other threads people have suggested putting all sorts of things on 5A sockets on lighting circuits to 'validate' putting it on a lighting circuit where it's the easiest option due to things like decorations. I don't think changing the sockets for a load of 5A ones in this case was a serious suggestion.

 

[Meggerman]

Presumably they were unrelated points - nobody has mentioned RCD protection as yet, which would almost certainly be required.

In other threads people have suggested putting all sorts of things on 5A sockets on lighting circuits to 'validate' putting it on a lighting circuit where it's the easiest option due to things like decorations. I don't think changing the sockets for a load of 5A ones in this case was a serious suggestion.

BSEN61008 is an RCD

 

[Meggerman]

Guys please back me up on this, went to a mates house and he has "proudly" shown me his DIY electrical handy work,

Few years back I ran a swa cable to the bottom of his garden tapped off the outside light as he wanted a light at the far end of the garden to for his shed etc.

He has adapted it now and added sockets to the shed for bits a pieces. But he has to turn the outside light on for them to be energised.

As he only uses the sockets whilst he is down there and so needs the light on anyway "there is no problem" can someone back me up so I can show him please as my qualifications don't appear to count.

Main switch 61008 on Con Unit and outside light circuit fed from down stairs lights 60898 B6.

Cheers

As an electrician, you are required to be able to foresee and predict any possible additions that may be required in future and allow for it!! Well that's what some of my customers believe anyway

 

[Adam W]

BSEN61008 is an RCD

Oops, missed that.

 

[Richard Burns]

This is not sensible and does not comply with the regulatory requirements of the wiring regulations, puts people (family) at increased risk of electric shock, will likely cause nuisance tripping, but other than that it is fine!

 

[Guest111]

When he's using a band saw and the lights go out he'll lose a couple of fingers then learn,where's the problem?

 

[Geordie Spark]

Why not use some wet string and be done with it

Have you seen the price of that stuff lately????

 

[Lou7]

Don't really see a problem. It's on a 6 amp breaker if he overloads it'll trip. Sockets wired in 1.5 from 13amp spurs are allowed.

 

[Pete999]

Don't really see a problem. It's on a 6 amp breaker if he overloads it'll trip. Sockets wired in 1.5 from 13amp spurs are allowed.

But it isn't from a spur is it? it's tagged onto a lighting point, it only want's some divvy to up rate the breaker, then you are in deep dodos

 

[SPARK2B]

If he wont listen, then thats his lookout, as long as you are not involved

as above,....you can lead a horse to water, but you cant shoot it in the head, mince it up and put it in a frozen findus lasagne ............oh, wait a min....:tounge_smile:

..........

......the customer is ALWAYS right,......you can remind his kin of that @ the memorial service for Mr DIY.....