2 Amp lighting circuit
- Thread starter CJohn
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Why??
What is it you are trying to achieve?
What is it you are trying to achieve?
..
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I have a number of rooms in which the lighting is provided by one or more lighting circuits each operated by a light switch. The lighting circuit has 2 amp 3 pin sockets in which are plugged table lamps or standard lamps. Where I need to have more that one lamp to a socket adapter are more flexible than wiring the lamps together.
Why do you want to know?
Why do you want to know?
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Just wanted to be clear about what you were trying to achieve....
Years ago, I rang the old British Rail Enquiries line and asked how much a ticket was from Manchester to Oxford and from Oxford to Winchester.
Never mind that, said the voice, where are you actually going?
Winchester, I replied.
Well, then, you need the train from Stockport to..............
Sometimes the best approach is to look at what you want the finished product to do before considering any possible solutions.
BTW, after all that guff, I know of no 2A multiway adapters at all.
Sorry!
Years ago, I rang the old British Rail Enquiries line and asked how much a ticket was from Manchester to Oxford and from Oxford to Winchester.
Never mind that, said the voice, where are you actually going?
Winchester, I replied.
Well, then, you need the train from Stockport to..............
Sometimes the best approach is to look at what you want the finished product to do before considering any possible solutions.
BTW, after all that guff, I know of no 2A multiway adapters at all.
Sorry!
You could make your own 2- or 3-gang socket strip with a bit of wood and 2 or 3 surface-mounted 2A sockets. For peace of mind you could put 3 of them + an FCU into 2 x double pattresses.
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But you would need a 2A fuse in the FCU....
Well 3A would be better than nothing. And as long as the flex feeding the distribution strip was as fat as could be fitted in the plug, and would take the rated current of the circuit, it's about as safe as any setup like that could be.
It is quite nice to have lighting sockets distributed around the room, controlled by wall switches, but there is always the problem of unfused plugs.
Although bigger than the 2A jobbies, I guess a safer solution would be to use non-standard 13A plugs, that way you could have plugtop fuses and not be able to plug a fan-heater into the lighting circuit.
It is quite nice to have lighting sockets distributed around the room, controlled by wall switches, but there is always the problem of unfused plugs.
Although bigger than the 2A jobbies, I guess a safer solution would be to use non-standard 13A plugs, that way you could have plugtop fuses and not be able to plug a fan-heater into the lighting circuit.
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must stick my neck out here ban!!
And also risk the wrath of Breezer what with all my technical stuff.......
A BS 1363 socket is rated at 13A. You wouldn't put a fuse higher than 13A in a 3 pin plugtop (I've seen it done with BS1361 fuses intended for CU's), so why potentially overload a 2A outlet.
As you say though, with unfused plugs it's easy to abuse the system.
Many years ago my mate lived in the YM in Manchester which ws built in the 30's, and each room had a 2A socket.
You can guess.....kettles, 6 way blocks etc......
A nightmare!
And also risk the wrath of Breezer what with all my technical stuff.......
A BS 1363 socket is rated at 13A. You wouldn't put a fuse higher than 13A in a 3 pin plugtop (I've seen it done with BS1361 fuses intended for CU's), so why potentially overload a 2A outlet.
As you say though, with unfused plugs it's easy to abuse the system.
Many years ago my mate lived in the YM in Manchester which ws built in the 30's, and each room had a 2A socket.
You can guess.....kettles, 6 way blocks etc......
A nightmare!
I must be missing something.........
Lighting points around the room controlled by light switch protected at DB with a 5/6 Amp breaker or fuse......
Whats going to be abused? And why do you need a 2A fuse?.......
its late....for me any-hoos, so I might be missing me marbles
Lighting points around the room controlled by light switch protected at DB with a 5/6 Amp breaker or fuse......
Whats going to be abused? And why do you need a 2A fuse?.......
its late....for me any-hoos, so I might be missing me marbles
But you can't put a fuse in a 2A plug, which was exacty why I made the suggestion of an FCU as the first item in the distribution strip.
That would prevent any abnormal load, or downstream fault, from overloading the socket in the wall or the flex to the strip. It would do nothing to protect against fault in that flex, though, so changing to non-standard sockets with fused plugs would be preferable.
That would prevent any abnormal load, or downstream fault, from overloading the socket in the wall or the flex to the strip. It would do nothing to protect against fault in that flex, though, so changing to non-standard sockets with fused plugs would be preferable.
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There 3 ways to wire a 2A plug circuit.
1. Loop from the existing lighting circuit. This method does not comply with the regs.
2. Wire a dedicated circuit for the 2A sockets. The circuit should be fused at 5A. It should be treated like a normal lighting circuit. Assume 100W per socket.
3. Wire the sockets from a switched FCU.
Either method is bad design. The 2A Socket is obsolete and should not be used in new installations. Every lamp comes supplied with a BS1363 plug. Some lamps might be 500W halogen uplighters . Two of these will blow the 3A fuse in your FCU. Method two could be overloaded if enough 300W or 500W uplighters are used at the same .
The best way to wire sockets for lighting is to use method 3., but use single unswitched BS1363 sockets. Put a a sign on the socket that says "Lighting".
Use an FCU in each room that requires lighting sockets. Fit it with a 13A fuse and use 2.5mm cable.
This way there will be no overloading. No need to rewire lamps with obsolete plugs.
This is my opinion on how switched lighting should be in a domestic situation. I think it meets the regs and is good design.
Should you sell your house with this setup, there will be no need for the new owner to rewire lamps, and you can use a standard two way or three way adapter.
1. Loop from the existing lighting circuit. This method does not comply with the regs.
2. Wire a dedicated circuit for the 2A sockets. The circuit should be fused at 5A. It should be treated like a normal lighting circuit. Assume 100W per socket.
3. Wire the sockets from a switched FCU.
Either method is bad design. The 2A Socket is obsolete and should not be used in new installations. Every lamp comes supplied with a BS1363 plug. Some lamps might be 500W halogen uplighters . Two of these will blow the 3A fuse in your FCU. Method two could be overloaded if enough 300W or 500W uplighters are used at the same .
The best way to wire sockets for lighting is to use method 3., but use single unswitched BS1363 sockets. Put a a sign on the socket that says "Lighting".
Use an FCU in each room that requires lighting sockets. Fit it with a 13A fuse and use 2.5mm cable.
This way there will be no overloading. No need to rewire lamps with obsolete plugs.
This is my opinion on how switched lighting should be in a domestic situation. I think it meets the regs and is good design.
Should you sell your house with this setup, there will be no need for the new owner to rewire lamps, and you can use a standard two way or three way adapter.
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Sorry Journeyman.
Disagree.
I don't see how method 1 does not comply.
2A sockets are NOT obsolete!
They are still manufactured and are fine for lighting circuits. If there were obsolete, why are they mentioned in the IEE on-site-guide? BTW the current demand to be assumed for a 2A outlet is 0.5A or 120W.
Standard 2 or 3 way adaptors stink! They are renowned for causing overheating, even on low powered appliances due to ****ty loose connections inside. The number of shot sockets I have come across which have been heat damaged due to these adaptors is immense.
Disagree.
I don't see how method 1 does not comply.
2A sockets are NOT obsolete!
They are still manufactured and are fine for lighting circuits. If there were obsolete, why are they mentioned in the IEE on-site-guide? BTW the current demand to be assumed for a 2A outlet is 0.5A or 120W.
Standard 2 or 3 way adaptors stink! They are renowned for causing overheating, even on low powered appliances due to ****ty loose connections inside. The number of shot sockets I have come across which have been heat damaged due to these adaptors is immense.
B
breezer
i have recently been in a few houses, look at ceiling / wall , no lights, look around various "table lights" all plugged in via 2 a sockets , so i agree they are NOT obsolete, but are used mostly in "reffined" houses (so no i havent got any before you ask)
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