house alarm

[bigfoot2]

hello
my sis wants me to fit a house alarm to her property.
can i use a feed from the lighting circuit with a fcuto power it up?.
also if i decide to go from the ring main and run off a spur instead, where could i tap into the ring main as all cables buried, only cables in the consumer unit and i believe you cant wire 2 live cables into 1 fuse, ie the live from alarm unit into a fuse already in use.
any help
regards

 

[Inspector]

Don't take it off the lighting circuit.

You could take a radial circuit off the sockets ring to a fused spur unit. Consider fitting a spur (with a flex hole) beside a socket close to where the main alarm panel will be sited, then you can clip a short length of flex from the spur to the panel OR track the wall from a normal fused spur to the panel.

It would be better if you had (or could create) a spare way on the consumer unit and supply the main alarm panel. Usually you'll want the panel out of sight so if your consumer unit is out of sight too then you're laughing.

Others will add their feedback too so don't rush into this job without considering what they say.

 

[Deryck Tintagel]

I did a post on this a little while ago...

The order of preference is a supply direct from the consumer unit, then a spur from the ring main. Taking a supply from the lighting circuit is generally not acceptable although it is done. In fact I have just done it as a temporary supply to a panel which will be used until the room nearest is redecorated and I can take a supply from a socket. The disadvantage of the lighting circuit is that MCBs can trip when a bulb blows and the panel may be without power for a considerable length of time.

Use an FCU as close to the panel as possible - I fit them just underneath -and use the red and black cores from the twin and earth to connect from the load side of the FCU to the panel mains input.

 

[bigfoot2]

thanks for reply fellas

 

[securespark]

AND follow the panel manufacturers recommendations as to what size of fuse to fit in the FCU..some say 2A.