Loft light and sockets - spur?

[MatthewM]

I have a led loft light and twin socket for use with low voltage transformers to install in my loft. I can only find a 6 amp lighting circuit I can spur into. That circuit has an extractor fan on it and also a shaver socket where they have actually installed two feeds. I am hesitant about spurring into this for the sockets. They will not be over current but I am confident it should really be a 13 amp supply. The issue is getting a 13 amp supply to the loft. Please may I kindly have advice?
Thank you

 

[terryplumb]

What do you mean by the shaver socket has been installed with two feeds ??
Are you certain it is part of the lighting circuit ?

 

[ericmark]

It is clearly not the right thing to do supplying from lights, but I would do it in my own house with no real worries. Worst case is the supply trips.

 

[MatthewM]

Yes it’s on the lighting circuit. There are two 5 amp cables running into it. I was surprised as I thought that it must be 13amp but it isn’t.

What do you mean by the shaver socket has been installed with two feeds ??
Are you certain it is part of the lighting circuit ?

 

[terryplumb]

What load will you be connecting to sockets ?
Why can't you spur off a power circuit for socket ?

 

[MatthewM]

There isn’t a 13 amp circuit in the loft. I would have to spur off a socket and bring it up to the loft. It will be two transformers so under 6 amp

 

[terryplumb]

It is permissible to fit a socket on a lighting circuit. The drawback is the limitation of current draw ,and the possible overload ,tripping the breaker and leaving you in darkness.
Is the circuit RCD protected ?

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Popcorn got, just waiting for Winston to join in.............

 

[SUNRAY]

Popcorn got, just waiting for Winston to join in.............

I got a big bag of pick ' mix too.

 

[winston1]

It is clearly not the right thing to do supplying from lights, but I would do it in my own house with no real worries.

Exactly, very bad practice.

Worst case is the supply trips.

While you are in the loft and plunges you into darkness. Fumbling around in the dark your foot goes through the ceiling.

It is usually possible to extend a spur off the ring into the loft behind or inside a bedroom wardrobe.

 

[bernardgreen]

Yummy pop corn here.

 

[SUNRAY]

Exactly, very bad practice.

While you are in the loft and plunges you into darkness. Fumbling around in the dark your foot goes through the ceiling.

It is usually possible to extend a spur off the ring into the loft behind or inside a bedroom wardrobe.

Similar comments by winston1 have been deleted by the moderators on a regular basis.
I'll let anyone draw their own conclusions but I personally consider the information given is flawed.

There are many such installations is use in the UK, counted in hundreds of thousands if not millions and it appears only one person holds such views.

The fitting of 13A sockets on 5/6A lighting circuits is included within the wiring regulations.

 

[bernardgreen]

It is usually possible to extend a spur off the ring into the loft behind or inside a bedroom wardrobe.

Which requires mechanical protection of the spur cable in the wardrobe and maybe requires removal of some floor boards under the wardrobe to get access to the ring cables.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

To be fair to Winston, he has a wife who makes a habit of going into the attic and pursuing her arc welding hobby while picking random sockets to do this.

 

[Louis.]

Exactly, very bad practice.

While you are in the loft and plunges you into darkness. Fumbling around in the dark your foot goes through the ceiling.

It is usually possible to extend a spur off the ring into the loft behind or inside a bedroom wardrobe.

To be fair the lights could go off on your landing and you fall down the stairs