connecting floodlight to a socket

[amfisted]

Afternoon all

Looking for a bit of reassurance, mainly.

On Monday I installed a 30w Lap floodlight on the rear wall of our property. Initially I was going to power it by breaking into the lighting circuit in the loft, but it would have meant taking up loft boards to access the cables, so a bit fiddly and time consuming. Last year whilst refurbing the bathroom I terminated the cable from the now-removed electric shower in a double socket in the loft, so I decided to put a plug on the end of the floodlight cable and use the socket instead. The socket is on a 32a MCB, and I'd already connected the supply and load sides of the floodlight in a 13 amp FCU before I decided to use a plug. I thought that maybe I needed a lower rated fuse somewhere in the circuit ( although its not a high powered floodlight), so I changed the 13 amp fuse in the plug to a 5 amp. Everything is working so far, and I just wondered whether there's anything I should have done differently ( other than not being lazy and using the lighting circuit instead).

Many thanks

 

[Murdochcat]

Your circuit needs RCD protection, if it doesn’t have any ATM

 

[amfisted]

Your circuit needs RCD protection, if it doesn’t have any ATM

Thanks for the reply. It’s on the 32 amp shower circuit MCB, and the consumer unit does have RCD protection.

 

[pete01]

Sounds fine to me

 

[ericmark]

I would say powering the outside light from a socket circuit is better than a lighting circuit, as should any water get in, tripping the RCBO will not plunge one into darkness, and it is easy to unplug it.

Also, I have simply plugged in a socket adaptor,

and you can switch it on/off with your phone. That's what I do with outside lights, makes it so easy to turn on lights before I even leave the car.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Also, I have simply plugged in a socket adaptor,

and you can switch it on/off with your phone. That's what I do with outside lights, makes it so easy to turn on lights before I even leave the car.

I, too, have my outside lights exactly like that, but via Alexa. One lantern style, illuminating the drive, dusk until 11pm, and a couple of larger lights. Which means I can turn them on via voice command, the PC, or using the phone app.

 

[ericmark]

but via Alexa

I use Google Nest Mini's, but same idea. Better security having no lights, as I have some 5 foot sheer drops. Can't see the point in making it easy for them.

 

[amfisted]

Back in the mid 80s we bought a special noise-operated bulb for the dining room of our first house. You screwed it into the bayonet fitting like a normal bulb, but turned on the light by clapping your hands then turned it off the same way. Trouble was that the dog decided we were playing a game for his benefit, and he would bark furiously when we clapped our hands, so the light fitting had to go.