I want to remove a 3 pin round lamp socket - how??

[ban-all-sheds]

If a designer is to take account of that when choosing a cable size then he must not use any DSOs in his design, for exactly the same reason.

 

[PBC_1966]

If a designer is to take account of that when choosing a cable size then he must not use any DSOs in his design, for exactly the same reason.

Presumably you mean any doubles which are not expressly rated for 26A maximum by the manufacturer?

That's a very good point: Is it responsible to install a "twin 13A socket outlet" which the manufacturer states is only safe up to 20A total load if it could be called upon to carry a continuous 26A load? Should such doubles be installed only on 20A radials and not 30/32A radials or rings?

 

[stillp]

Do any manufacturers state that their twin 13A socket-outlets are only safe up to 20A total load?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Presumably you mean any doubles which are not expressly rated for 26A maximum by the manufacturer?

That raises issues of the extent to which the designer can impose an ongoing compulsion to use such sockets when any are added or replaced. The point I was making was if you say a designer must eschew the use of a cable with a CCC of 20A to supply a DSO in case someone uses it for 2x13A loads then he should likewise avoid DSOs in the first place.

That's a very good point: Is it responsible to install a "twin 13A socket outlet" which the manufacturer states is only safe up to 20A total load if it could be called upon to carry a continuous 26A load?

Mmm. To what extent should designers be held responsible for misuse of equipment operated outside its specification?

Should such doubles be installed only on 20A radials and not 30/32A radials or rings?

BS 1363 does not require socket outlets to withstand more than 20A in the supply cable.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do any manufacturers state that their twin 13A socket-outlets are only safe up to 20A total load?

Surely unless we are all labouring under a misapprehension, if BS 1363 does not require them to survive loads of more than 20A, then without any extra claim to the contrary isn't that what every manufacturer who states BS 1363 compliance is saying?

 

[JohnW2]

If a designer is to take account of that when choosing a cable size then he must not use any DSOs in his design, for exactly the same reason.

As I've said before, I think that, strictly speaking, that probably would be the correct course.

It continues to totally amaze me that it was ever 'allowed' for a Standard to come into existence which did not require a DSO to be able to safely carry 2 x 13A loads, given that it was always inevitable that almost all 'users' would believe that such a loading would be OK.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

Do any manufacturers state that their twin 13A socket-outlets are only safe up to 20A total load?

Surely unless we are all labouring under a misapprehension, if BS 1363 does not require them to survive loads of more than 20A, then without any extra claim to the contrary isn't that what every manufacturer who states BS 1363 compliance is saying?

One would certainly expect them to be shouting their 'better than required by BS1363' performance from hilltops but, if for some reason they chose not to, there is no reason why they can't claim 'compliance with BS1363' even if their product exceeds the requirements of that Standard.

Indeed, isn't that probably very common - maybe almost a norm? I would imagine that few reputable manufacturers sail so close to the wind that their product only just exactly meets the minimum requirement of a Standard - yet they usually claim no more than compliance with the Standard, even though/when their product actually exceeds the requirement of the Standard by a bit. In any event, as we know, in some cases (e.g. MK), the technical documentation is so unclear that we (and even their Technical Support staff) don't actually know what they are claiming!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Sleebagz]

Hi everyone, so I decided to keep the lamp sockets and bought a 2 gang dimmer switch. I've wired it up the same as the previous one, and the switch that turns on the two main ceiling lights works fine, but when I try to turn on the switch that turns on the lamp sockets it pops and the power trips.

Any ideas what I've done wrong? I'll post two images below of the old and new dimmer switches and how they are wired up:

 

[Sleebagz]

Old switch wiring:

 

[Sleebagz]

New switch wiring:

 

[Sleebagz]

New switch from another angle.

 

[Echo the husky]

The wiring looks fine. Except you must earth the metal plate!
What is tripping exactly?
Do you have a lamp plugged in?
Can we see in the back of the 2 sockets?
I think this could be a very easy fix but I need to know the answers to this first.

 

[Sleebagz]

The power to the entire house trips. I've ony changed one of the sockets so far, wired up exactly as the last one was.

Can I earth the metal plate using one of the earth wires at the back of the box?

 

[Sleebagz]

Socket from another angle:

 

[Echo the husky]

I've ony changed one of the sockets so far, wired up exactly as the last one was.

Is the plate screw on that socket screwing into the brown wire that is positioned behind the screw lug? There is also a lot of exposed copper on the line and neutral wires which isn't ideal.

Can I earth the metal plate using one of the earth wires at the back of the box?

You can either fit all the earth wires from the back box earth terminal to the switches earth terminal. Or run a 1.0mm² earth wire from the back box earth terminal to the earth terminal on the switch.