Small surprises in house wiring.... are they acceptable?

[RigidRaider]

The bloke who installed an extra socket in one of our upstairs rooms put it on the ring for the downstairs, not sure if this was deliberate or a mistake. Is this acceptable?

The bloke who built the house put a 13A socket in the attic, running off the lighting, presumably for inspection lamps etc. I discovered this when I tried to use my vacuum cleaner in the attic and it tripped the breaker for the lights. Is this acceptable?

 

[MalcofArabia]

First the socket upstairs on the downstairs ring final circuit, did he not discus this with you when you asked him to add the extra socket.

You will often see a BS 1363 socket outlet in the loft and often as not it will be off the lighting circuit, this is commonly done with arial amplifiers in mind. The worse this would be, could come under bad practice, or poor design but IMO the system as designed by the bloke who built the house worked, as not many people actually vacuum a loft.

 

[RigidRaider]

Thanks. No, he didn't discuss it. I reckon that he simply chose the wrong cable from several that run under the floor there. I guess it's not actually wrong but could give somebody a nasty surprise? I was planning to stick a little warning on the socket.

The wiring in the attic is a rat's nest of round junction boxes with wires going off to all the first floor lights, I hate it. One of them goes to the socket, which was indeed for the amp and which I have used for the 12v transformer that powers my solar panel differential controller. It wasn't until Henry blew the breaker that I twigged that it was on the lighting circuit. Again, probably not actually wrong and as long as it's protected, unlikely to do any harm?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I guess it's not actually wrong but could give somebody a nasty surprise?

It won't give anybody who works safely a nasty surprise.

 

[Taylortwocities]

The socket upstairs should be detailed in the schedule of circuits that is affixed, or adjacent to the consumer unit....

The socket in the loft should (ideally) be a 5amp round pin socket.

Less ideally - have a note on it to say something like "maximum load 5amps", or "TV Amplifier only"

 

[RigidRaider]

Thanks for the advice, I'll make up some notices.

 

[AndyPRK]

The socket in the loft should (ideally) be a 5amp round pin socket.

It's not very practical though. Assuming you want to plug things into it!!!

A more practical solution would be to label it 5A MAX.

A FCU fitted with a 5A fuse for the socket is also worth considering, (to keep the loft lights on? if socket overloaded) but I assume the MCB would trip before the fuse?

 

[RF Lighting]

Especially if your tv amp comes with a wall wart like mine did!

 

[Taylortwocities]

I did say "ideally"...