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You could I suppose fit an RCD spur to all or part of a lighting circuit as an easy way to add RCD protection.
Yes. ... and probably cheaper.Isn't it usually easier just to put the whole circuit on an RCD whether lights or sockets?
One could - but, as has been said, it's probably usually simpler, and possibly cheaper, to RCD protect the whole circuit.You could I suppose fit an RCD spur to all or part of a lighting circuit as an easy way to add RCD protection.
No reason why not - for a lighting circuit.I have seen RCD spurs protecting the whole circuit.
If it is a new light (one which was not there previously) then the light itself does need RCD protection to be compliant with current regulations, regardless of issues related to the cable.I've been told it doesn't need rcd or any further protection and others indicate it does. ... In layman's terms does it require rcd and mechanical protection according to regs or is it acceptible to leave it as is.
Hmmm. 522.6.202 and 522.6.203 relate explicitly only to 'walls and partitions', and 552.6.204 is only relevant (to ceilings) if the cable passes through a joist, per 522.6.201(ii) - so none of those are relevant to the OP. For ceilings, that only leaves just the first sentence of 522.6.201, since the rest of that reg relates to cables passing through joists, which is not the OP's situation. That first sentence reads:Your new work requires RCD protection and mechanical protection, per the regs i quoted. JohnW2 please read 522.6.201-204 mechanical protection IS required for floors and ceilings.
So, the only reg (that one sentence of 522.6.201) relevant to cables in ceilings (which do not pass through joists) contains no explicit requirements (for mechanical protection, or anything else), only requiring that the cable is "not liable to be damaged by contact with the floor or ceiling or their fixings". I'm not really sure what that is meant to mean, but I certainly don't read it go mean that there is a definite requirement for 'mechanical protection', do you?522.6.201 of BS7671:2018 said:A cable installed under a floor or above a ceiling shall be run in such a position that it is not liable to be damaged by contact with the floor or ceiling or their fixings.
Could you explain what you mean by that? The regs require sockets, luminaires and some cables to be RCD protected, but I can't think of any restrictions as to how that RCD protection is achieved.Unfortunately RCD spurs and sockets are not curretly recognised by the regs
I think that is a different matter to what is being discussed.So passing under (or over) a joist doesn't count as passing through? Don't know why I bother with safeplates,
No. Notching the underside is not allowed.simply notch the underside of the floorboard and it's good to go eh?
Presumably not, at least in terms of my understanding of the words "through", "under" and "over". Don't forget that we are talking about 'the word of the regulations' (with which one is meant to comply), not common sense.So passing under (or over) a joist doesn't count as passing through?
Fair enough - I'd forgotten that. We've discussed that before and suspect that it was just an oversight, rather than a deliberate intention to omit them from the list. After all, there would be little point in having BSs for devices which were not permitted under UK Wiring Regs.Re RCD's - 531.3.4, 531.3.6 - the BS no for RCD spurs (can't recall the BS no off the top of my head) is not listed.
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