Using a mains powered lamp in a lighting circuit

Jan 08, 2004 8 Replies

Hi



There is a little nook (or maybe a cranny)in my house that needs lighting up. A little idea I have had is to wire a bog standard shop bought mains powered lamp into the right lighting circuit.



Is there any problem with taking off the plug, and fitting the lamp onto a lighting curcuit? I can't see one with a normal lamp, but possibly with a mains powered halogen desk light for example?



Thanks in advance



James


Don't see why not. I have rewired loads of standard lamps and table lamps with 5A plugs to fit my secondary lighting circuits...

Well, you'd need to use an FCU so that the connecting cable to the lamp (flex?) was still correctly protected. For convenience, make that feed a

5A round pin socket so that you can more easily and safely maintain the lamp.

Best way to do this is to fit a 2 amp 3 pin socket to the lighting circuit. I don't think the sheds stock them, but any wholesaler will. They are the same size as a one gang 13 amp socket.

You could do this with a halogen low voltage desk light too ok - but if you have a dimmer on the circuit it might have to be changed for a suitable one as the transformer will be an inductive load.

On 08/01/2004 James W opined:-

The usual way to do this would be to wire from the lighting circuit, to a socket close to where you want the light. A 5amp 3pin plug and socket is the one most often used for this purpose.

A new extension in the house I bought has a few sockets that are connected to the lighting circuit. They are round pin (presumably so that you cannot accidentally plug in a 3 bar heater). It works fine and was professionally installed so I assume it is legal.

P.S. I have found it very hard to find a source for round pin plugs

Hope this helps

Frank

Any electrical wholesaler should stock them - TLC do. Think you may find 5 amp types in the larger B&Qs etc. I prefer 2 amp as they are neater

"Frank Davis" wrote | P.S. I have found it very hard to find a source for round pin plugs

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2A
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5A

Or your local electrical factors. NB round pin plugs are now supposed to have sleeved pins as well.

Owain

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