Soldato
Is it legal/safe to wire up a socket onto a 5A light circuit? All it will be used for is to run a Blink cam off, nothing power hungry.
Socket on a light circuit
- Thread starter LeeUK
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 30 Aug 2014
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- 668
If you're really worried... lighting circuit > fused connection unit with 5a fuse installed > 3 pin plug socket.
The 5a FCU would prevent the whole light circuit from tripping if someone were to put a 13a appliance into the socket and turn it on.
EDIT: if the appliance is gonna be there permanently then you can wire it straight into the 5a FCU by cutting the plug off. No need for a 3 pin socket.
The 5a FCU would prevent the whole light circuit from tripping if someone were to put a 13a appliance into the socket and turn it on.
EDIT: if the appliance is gonna be there permanently then you can wire it straight into the 5a FCU by cutting the plug off. No need for a 3 pin socket.
Yep I'll make sure I put in a fused connection unit too. 
Man of Honour
In the future, someone could get one hell of a surprise if they turn off the downstairs socket circuit off and then get a shock from your socket when they unscrew it.
Worth bearing in mind.
Worth bearing in mind.
Soldato
As above I wouldn't bother with a socket and wire it into a fused spur instead
Yes, never assume a circuit is dead just because you flick a switch!
Soldato
If you want to keep it 100% above board use of of these. Putting a 13amp socket in wouldn't be compliant.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/schneide...sp-switched-round-pin-plug-socket-white/8806j
You will need to change the plug on the camera or make up an adaptor if it has a wall wart.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/schneide...sp-switched-round-pin-plug-socket-white/8806j
You will need to change the plug on the camera or make up an adaptor if it has a wall wart.
Associate
My main concern (and this will vary dependant on the date of installation/modification), is lighting circuits often aren't RCD protected.
Technically though, a lighting circuit is just a low current circuit, there's nothing special about it. If the wiring size & MCB rating are suitable then there's no real issue, however I'd be surprised if your lighting circuit is rated sufficiently to take a standard 13A socket (it doesn't matter that you only intend on plugging a low power device into it, the socket is still a 13 A socket), and therefore you'd want either a fused spur (at probably 3A), or a 5A socket (round pins).
Technically though, a lighting circuit is just a low current circuit, there's nothing special about it. If the wiring size & MCB rating are suitable then there's no real issue, however I'd be surprised if your lighting circuit is rated sufficiently to take a standard 13A socket (it doesn't matter that you only intend on plugging a low power device into it, the socket is still a 13 A socket), and therefore you'd want either a fused spur (at probably 3A), or a 5A socket (round pins).
This is the correct answer, dont put a 13a outlet onto a lighting circuit, this is what 5a round pin sockets are for (you'll see them a lot in hotels with the lamps on them, so that the wall switches control the plug in lamps around the room). Do this if you need to plug something into a lighting circuit.
I'll have to think about what I'm going to do, might just get a parky in to feed in a new socket properly.
That would be their own fault for not testing it first.
Soldato
I don't think that'd stand up in court or your conscience really. Safety isn't about blame it's about, er, safety.
And not testing a circuit before working on it is about number 1 in the handbook for safety. Never assume it's not live. My conscience would be fine if people can't follow basic checks.
It's not against the regs to have a socket on a light circuit, in fact with low power leds and cameras everywhere they are becoming quite common. You have to ensure a circuit is dead before starting work.
Soldato
And the fault of the installer for not labelling it which would be the sensible thing!
There is no requirement to label sockets with which circuit they are on. Yes it would be nice but it doesn't happen.
Soldato
I didn’t say it was a requirement but if I did it, I’d label it takes 30 seconds and could save someone’s life!
So could putting labels all over the walls to show where buried wiring is but that too isn't done because the rules are that you're to check before carrying out work.
Soldato
What a stupid comparison, labelling a random socket is 10 seconds work and a sensible, practical safety step. Labelling walls for buried cables is neither practical nor sensible…..