Can you run a socket for a low power device from lighting?

[ban-all-sheds]

I just wonder whether he drives cars, or crosses roads, goes up ladders or uses power tools (all of which come with very small risks), let alone smokes or drinks alcohol!

Who knows?

Who cares?

I just wonder why the Mods protect him against criticism and examination of the nonsense he writes.

MOD: Care to elaborate? Mostly both you and Winston have been both barred from threads when you have been "bickering" so i suggest you knock it on the head and quit feeling singled out.

 

[winston1]

We recently bought a Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute cordless stick vac. I mounted the charging dock under our stairs and took a feed from the understairs lighting circuit for the socket to plug into.

Why did you do such a stupid thing? Presumably all your circuits are available under the stairs.

 

[clifford1]

Why not change the plug on the appliance to a small 3-pin round one and mount an appropriate socket? I've seen these used specifically for low-power applications - extension lighting, etc.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/ROUND-WALL-SOCKET-OUTLET-LG9092/dp/B008644ZEO

 

[bernardgreen]

Why not change the plug on the appliance to a small 3-pin round one

That assumes the plug is just a plug and not a switched mode power supply with pins that plug into a 13 amp socket.

As has been siad many time there is no reason why a 13 amp socker cannot be be supplied from a lighting circuit protected by a 6 amp

 

[bernardgreen]

NO NO NO. 13 amp sockets should not be put on the lighting circuit. If you do someone some day will plug a large load into it and trip out the lighting circuit.

Winston, you need to contact several universities and explain you beliefs to the electrical services manager. You seem unware that some halls of residence supply each student's room from a 6 amp or 10 amp MCB. This is limited supply for lighting and for low power electrical devices for which the electrical services manager has provided some 13 amp sockets.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You could postulate that Winston has been brainwashed at some stage. As his belief has no basis in fact - quite the opposite as it is specifically stated in the regulations that it is acceptable - so it must have been drummed into him at some stage by someone equally {what's the word?}..

 

[Blueflash]

Transformed.........

Dave

 

[winston1]

Winston, you need to contact several universities and explain you beliefs to the electrical services manager. You seem unware that some halls of residence supply each student's room from a 6 amp or 10 amp MCB. This is limited supply for lighting and for low power electrical devices for which the electrical services manager has provided some 13 amp sockets.

I know about that, and I know of students who have used a kettle and tripped the MCB. But these sockets are not on the lighting circuit as the lights continue working.

 

[winston1]

As has been said many times there is no reason why a 13 amp socket cannot be be supplied from a lighting circuit protected by a 6 amp

But it is a stupid thing to do whether the regs allow it or not. Once a 13 amp socket is on a lighting circuit someone one day will overload that circuit.

I've seen it happen and got asked why the lights kept fusing when the kettle was used. It was a fuse, not MCB and guess what the owner decided to replace the fuse wire with 15 amp size. It was only later that I heard about it and rewired the socket for them as a spur off the ring, which is where it should have been all along.

 

[JohnW2]

But these sockets are not on the lighting circuit as the lights continue working.

Whilst I understand that you have a concern about the hazards of people being 'plunged into darkness', as I recently wrote, if that is the case you should be campaigning for everyone to have battery-backed-up emergency lighting - since whilst having 13A sockets run from a lighting circuit is something you can try to 'discourage', you can do nothing to 'discourage' power cuts or loss of lighting circuits due to faults on other circuits protected by the same RCD (other than to insist that all lighting circuits are on RCBOs) and, of course, nothing to 'discourage' faults ever arising on the lighting circuits themselves.

You may well try to argue that all the scenarios I have just mentioned are very rare. I would agree with that, but I personally think that, whilst not impossible, it would be at least as rare for someone to plug a large load into a 13A socket on a lighting circuit that was 'obviously' there for a specific low-power item of equipment, and labelled accordingly.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Mottie]

Why did you do such a stupid thing? Presumably all your circuits are available under the stairs.

Because it was very easy to just take the feed from the ceiling rose of the understairs light.

 

[bernardgreen]

Winston....

Do a google search for "BS52 plug" and then explain how you would prevent a 3kW fire being connected by the use of one of those plugs.

( credit to flameport )

 

[JohnW2]

The most common reason people wanting to connect 13A sockets to a lighting circuit is to provide a place to plug in a very-low power 'walwart'. If they share any of winston's concerns that the socket may (despite labelling) be 'misused' for a large load, one approach is to feed the socket via an FCU with a 1A fuse in it. A 1A fuse would probably give discrimination (on overload) against a B6 MCB and, and I don't think that there is any significant risk of a 1A fuse being blown by any 'inrush' current into a wallwart.

Another approach, particularly if more than one very small load is to be fed, is to install a triple 13A socket. Such sockets are fused - so, again, a 1A fuse could be installed.

... and, before anyone suggests it, if anyone is going to change the fuse in an FCU or triple socket so that they can plug in their vacuum cleaner, then they fully deserve any consequences which arise!!

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

Where can you get 1a fuses?

 

[JohnW2]

Where can you get 1a fuses?

Virtually anywhere - TLC for a start (click here) .

Kind Regards, John