Well, that Table is part of 'the regulations' - but I agree that is one way of looking at it.
As well as adequate mechanical strength, and being large enough to fit the terminals of devices.
Agreed. However, mechanical strength does not really depend upon the 'type' of circuit. In context, if they felt that 1mm² cable was inadequately 'strong' for non-lighting circuits, then it would make little or no sense for them to allow it for lighting circuits. As for the conductors being 'large enough to fit the terminals', and again in context, I don't think it likely that there would be a significant problem 'fitting' a 1mm² conductor into a terminal which was OK with a 1.5mm² conductor, do you?
Well, it was not really intended as a 'general statement'. As was surely apparent from context, I was talking about BS7671's requirement that the minimum CSA for a non-lighting circuit (whatever that is) is 1.5mm² (unless it's a flexible cable!). However, you were obviously free to extend the discussion more generally.
But there might be a problem fitting a 1.5mm² conductor of a "power circuit" into a (perfectly valid for a "power circuit") terminal large enough to take 16mm² ones. And that would not be prevented by Table 52.3, so the idea that the table is there to guard against small conductors in large terminals falls at the first hurdle..
Why, thank you!
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