I have 1.5mm cable for a downstairs lighting circuit. Can I add a 3 pin socket to it above the door for use by christmas lights etc?
[g]- posted
4 years ago
I have 1.5mm cable for a downstairs lighting circuit. Can I add a 3 pin socket to it above the door for use by christmas lights etc?
[g]
You could use one of those 3-round pin 5 amp sockets intended for table lamps etc. Less bulky than the 13A variety.
Yes, but preferably 2 amp or 5 amp.
Not considered good practice to fit a 13A socket to a lighting circuit.
Owain
All it needs is to be a labelled socket. However as the socket is above the door I doubt the cleaner will accidentally plug in the vacuum cleaner.
So do Ikea table lamps, but it is not illegal to chop the 3 square pin plug off, fit a 5amp round pin plug and use it quite safely.
You could use a fused spur and leave the Xmas lights up all year, some people do.
but electrically safe as long as it has the correct breaker in the cu.
it may not be safe if the lights go out in the dark.
Yup, but label the socket accordingly, or use a small lighting style socket if your lights don't have wall wart style supplies.
A pity really as the dark is when you want them to work.
Well, modern led ones seem to be powered by cheap and chearful wall warts, designed to be radio jammers. grin. Brian
It's common to use round pin sockets for things like table lamps plugged in to a lighting circuit. Normally round pin 2 or 5 amp. If you used a 13 amp socket, some idiot might plug in a heater etc.
But don't many on here plug in their vacuum cleaner to the central light via a BC adaptor anyway? ;-)
LED Xmas lights usually have the PS in the mains plug - a wall wart.
that only worked with sensibly power machines - not with EU reg breaking monsters.
You could always connect it via a 3A FCU. That might stop it tripping the lighting MCB if overloaded, most times anyway.
...fused at 1 to 3 amps
Odd my mother managed with one like that long before the EU was even thought of. ;-)
The reason I got banned from doing B&Q kitchen electrics was because I installed a 2g socket (on a 32A ring circuit) above the kitchen cupboards as the customer wanted a socket there for a remote controlled radio to save on worktop space.
The B&Q inspector "You cannot put a socket up there they could plug anything in" Me "I bet that they cannot wait to get out the step ladders and plug the toaster in" He then poked me in the chest with his finger with every word of "I am telling you that you are not putting a socket there"
I then punched him.
And the iron?
But a /triple/ adapter was the key thing to have for the ironing - so you could see to do the ironing of an evening while watching the tele.
Robin reply-to address is (intended to be) valid
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