RE: Lights on a 10A confusion in learning

[andemz]

Another poster recently posted a thread re: lights on a 10A. This as confused me somewhat in my learning.
Most of the consumer units that i've seen have a 6amp MCB for lighting. The other poster stated that they would need to protect it by a 10amp i take it this person means fuse. I am confused as to what MCB's are on the market i.e after 6amp MCB if one would need to go higher.

From my reading it appears that it is acceptable that a domestic lighting circuit if using 1.5mm2 6amp MCB excluding switch drops can go upto 110meters and around 1200 Watts on this circuit.

Would i be correct in stating the above?. If so given that a person doesn't have anymore 6amp MCB's in thier consumer unit and they need to extend of the already exsisting lighting circuit, say down stairs is it possible to go up to the next MCB (which i don't know what it is is it 10amp MCB, is it ever safe to go upto 16amp MCB?)

I take it if say one did need to expand downstairs or you have got to many watts for the fixed lighting circuit and you did have space in your consumer unit then you would use another 6amp MCB?

 

[plugwash]

using a 10A mcb is fine for lighting provided there are no ses or sbc lampholders on the cuircuit

16A is the max allowed for for ES and BC cap lights
6A is the max alllowed for SES and SBC cap lights

other less standard types of lights i think its up to the manufacturer to specify (ofc they rarely do)

most sparkys frown on the idea of a 16A lighting cuircuit and i wouldn't do it without very carefull consideration of cuircuit design and other options

another possiblity is to fit a 16A breaker in the CU and run it to fused connection units with 5A fuses for each of the lighting cuircuits

 

[andemz]

Thanks for the reply. Can you explain what ses, sbs es and bc are.

I've just tried a couple of searches on the wb but had no joy.

 

[plugwash]

they are the cap types of bulbs

BC=bayonet cap (most common on normal household bulbs in the uk)
ES=edison screw (roughly the same size as bc has a single connection in the centre for live and the screw thread carrys neutral common in desk lamps and in imported lights)

SBC=small bayonet cap (not that common i've never seen a lamp that takes it)
SES=small edison screw (common in stuff like laval lamps where smaller sizes of reflector bulb are used)

 

[breezer]

I've just tried a couple of searches on the wb but had no joy.

see here

 

[andemz]

thanks all for that great help yet again