You must have a lot of barrels to scrape.
13amp sockets on lighting circuits.
- Thread starter winston1
- Start date
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Fair comment. I suppose That as I automatically make such investigations for my day to day activities I expect others to do the same. If I was using powertools/Henry etc in a customers house I'll automatically ask and if I were to use a socket in a loft for such I'd automatically investigate where the cable runs to and if to a lighting circuit I'd not make such use of it. But if I'm unusual to do that then so be it... but it also means I've never tripped a lighting circuit by trying to use it beyond it's design.
I concur with Sunray.
and this is not just about 6A MCB ratings, it's also to establish what else is running on the circuit. If the customer already had washing machine, dishwasher, tumble drier running I'd not try a power tool on the circuit.
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Yes, you or I (or many others here) would probably think of the potential issue, and therefore would probably do that.
However, we are not 'Joe Public'. As I said, I really don't think that even a highly intelligent and very sensible/cautious member of the general public would see any reason to even 'think twice' before plugging something which had a 13A plug into any "13A socket" they came across anywhere in a house (including loft), would they?
Again, I very much doubt whether many members of the general public would think of that possible issue, either - if they found a 13A socket, they would probably assume that they could plug in 'anything with a 13A plug on it'.
Kind Regards, John
Engraving doesn't drop off.
Perfect solution to the problem. Looks good, clear for all to see.
Of course, some prat will ignore it and plug god knows what into it - but you get prats doing other kinds of stupid things, so why go any further catering for these prats?
Engraving is the best way.
That's certainly the clearest way to label it. However, I have to wonder why there is such a (switched) socket adjacent to an 'ordinary' one (presumably on a standard 'power' circuit) - is it perhaps because (despite having a switch itself) it is 'remotely switched'?
Kind Regards, John
Perhaps it was a 2 or 5 amp socket controlled by a light switch originally.
Indeed so. However, unless such an animal is available 'off the shelf' (I can't say that I have seen one), I doubt that many people would go to the trouble and/or cost to get engraved labelling on a socket which was going to be in a loft,!
Quite so. It's fair enough taking steps (such as the labelling) to minimise the risk of 'understandable' (and not necessarily 'unreasonable') errors being made, but I don't believe in (inevitably unsuccessful!) attempts to make things proof against any sort of idiot!
Kind Regards, John
Indeed - in fact, as I implied, maybe it's not only 'originally' - maybe it (perhaps together with other things) is still controlled by a light switch (or whatever)?
Mind you, if that were the case, one would ideally need more explicit/detailed labelling - otherwise people might get confused by the fact that, having plugged in a light and switched the socket on, the light still did not work!
Kind Regards, John
No.
You could argue that when plugging in a 2 or 5 amp plug that the light switch has to be on.
We have to stop catering for prats.
Nothing is prat-proof.
I think I have to disagree with you here.....
Agreed - when it was a 2a or 5A socket (particularly if it was amongst 13A ones).
However, once that 2A or 5A socket was (as has been postulated) changed to a switched 13A one, I think it becomes far less obvious (indeed, 'far less likely') that, as well as having a switch of its own, it was also controlled by some remote switch, both of which had to be 'on' for electricity to appear. The labelling shown ["Lighting only (150W max)"] gives no reason to think that there is anything 'special' about the socket other than a maximum load.
As I've said, I agree with that - but, as above, I don't think one would have to be much of a prat to not realise that "Lighting only (150W max)" also meant that some other switch had to be operated for it to work.
Kind Regards, John
You've got a socket marked 'lighting only'. There's a light switch in the wall.
That's good enough.
There's enough kitchens with unmarked switches peppered over the wall over worktops, and unmarked sockets under counters or in fridge spaces that don't appear to work.
They soon get it, unless they are TOTAL prats.
That's good enough.
There's enough kitchens with unmarked switches peppered over the wall over worktops, and unmarked sockets under counters or in fridge spaces that don't appear to work.
They soon get it, unless they are TOTAL prats.
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