Loft aerial booster off of lighting circut

dj060004 · 26 Sep 2005

Hi all,

I want to know if it's safe to install a TV aerial boaster in the loft powered off of the upstairs lighting circut? There will never be anything other than the booster connected.

My old house seemed to be setup in a way which used the lighting circut to power a TV boaster (well, when the upstairs lights were switched off at the box, all the TVs went off) but unfortunatly it was a rented house and they sealed the loft shut so I couldn't get up to have a look.

Or was the setup in my old house unsafe, and do I need to spur of a mains ring?

Thanks

who took my fluke? · 26 Sep 2005

since the booster will only draw a small amount of current, it could be done although it is best not to use a lighting circuit for anything other than lighting. Are you planning on spurring off the light circuit to a normal 13amp socket? If this is the case then someone that moves into the house could plug a heater into it etc See where the problem could start?

dj060004 · 26 Sep 2005

I do see where there could be a problem yes, and have seen sevral posts from people saying never put a normal 13A socket onto a lighting circut which is rated for 6A.

As I said, I was curious because it was done at my hold house. I was thinking of doing it with a junction box - i.e. no socket.

I think I will probably just go for a normal mains spur though, as by the sounds of it thats the safer bet - then I could put a light into it when up up there if I fit a double socket.

2scoops0406 · 26 Sep 2005

Ok, first of all I am not a spark, but this is what I did. I added a junction box to the lighting circuit. I then ran cables to a switched FCU in the airing cupboard, and equipped it with a 3 amp fuse. I then ran the cable from the FCU to the aerial booster using another JB, and discarded the fitted plug. That's what I did anyhow, it allows me to turn the booster off, and if the fuse blows, I can change it without going into the loft.

You will probably want to wait for a proper spark to give you professional advice though.

dj060004 · 26 Sep 2005

Thats almost exactly what I was planning to do, but with the FCU in the loft too.

2scoops0406 · 26 Sep 2005

Why put the FCU in the loft ? Not very convenient.

dj060004 · 26 Sep 2005

No, but a lot easier to fit for me due to the layout of the house. I'm not really worried about it being convenent to be honest, Its no less convenent than it being a convential plug, and the fuse in the plug blowing and having to get up there.

Adam_151 · 26 Sep 2005

Find last light on the circuit, take cable from rose on this to an fcu with flex outlet, wire in the booster, fit 3 amp or smaller fuse, job done

dj060004 · 26 Sep 2005

Thanks for all the replies,

Is there any reason it has to be the last light on the circut?

slippyr4 · 26 Sep 2005

Is there any reason it has to be the last light on the circut?

because your lighting circuit is probably "loop-in", where a live cable runs into, and out of every single rose, except the last one. hence you could easily extend the loop from the last one.

did you consider a battery powered tv amp? the batteries last quite a while and this is safe and easy to do.

Whichever way you do it, you should use a FCU with an isolation switch. These have flex outlets - you can cut the plug off the tv amp and stick in into the FCU. Then noone can plug a different device into a socket.

Adam_151 · 26 Sep 2005

dj060004 said:
Thanks for all the replies,

Is there any reason it has to be the last light on the circut?

if you tried to connect it to a different light fitting, you'd be trying to put more wires in the rose than it was designed for, and have to double up wires in holes, and end up with a cramped mess.

You could insert it into the radial rather than branching if you wanted it in a different place
[code:1]

cu ---light ----- light------fcu------- light-----light-----light

|
booster
[/code:1]

linear radial is probably easier for testing, etc purposes than a branched radial

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Loft aerial booster off of lighting circut

2scoops0406

2scoops0406

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