15A lighting circuit?

[Click-Sure]

Domestic properties, 50 or so flats, all circa 1960's steel conduit throughout.

Rarther suprised to find old MEM CU's with 15A cartridge fuse's protecting the lights! I'm guessing this is bacause the circuit is wired in the old equivalent of 1.5mm2 and was designed in the days when people plugged all kinds of crazy junk into their pendants?

Anyone seen it before and is my guess as to why correct?

 

[RF Lighting]

Maybe they had run out of 5A?

 

[JohnD]

before my time, but domestic lighting fittings are usually rated at 10A max (some are 6A max) so I don't see it could ever have been correct.

 

[pdcelec]

the old 3/029 cable was rated for this in the 13th and 14th regs

 

[JohnD]

what about the old light switches

 

[pdcelec]

what about the old light switches

the original switches would have been

 

[JohnD]

the original switches would have been

would have been what?

 

[pdcelec]

rated at 15A but i will check this out before i put my head in the lions mouth

 

[pdcelec]

isnt there something about the switch drops not needing to be rated as high as the circuit as all of the current doesnt flow down them. Just thinking aloud

 

[GaryMo]

In the same way that BS1363 sockets aren't rated at 32A?

 

[Click-Sure]

I've been stripping out all the old switches, anchient MK grid switches. 5 AMP X is written on the back of them.

Not seen a 15A light switch before, no more than 10A in a domestic environment.

Seen 20A DP isolation switches lashed in from time to time.

 

[plugwash]

MK grid plus modules are availible in 10A and 20A (and IIRC DP and intermediate modules are only availible in 20A)

 

[RF Lighting]

All my switches at home are 20AX rated

 

[securespark]

Nobody likes a show-off.

As for the switches, surely they just need to be rated to switch the load they handle?

 

[GaryMo]

As for the switches, surely they just need to be rated to switch the load they handle?

That's the way I see it.