Is this a safe (if unorthodox) way of wiring in a socket?

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MickBee

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Son has a new-ish (12 years old) house; the previous owner wired a TV amplifier in the loft into the upstairs lighting circuit using a "chocolate block" wrapped in insulating tape (see photo.) Understandably the TV repair firm asked to update/repair the aerial and amplifier won’t touch it, and want a socket in which to plug the new amplifier. There is no ring main wiring in the loft, AFAIK.

What I am considering is putting in a connection box (3-terminal 30A) and connecting this to a Switched Fused Connection Unit (SFCU) - I happen to have an old one - with a 3-amp fuse in it, and connecting this to a (single) socket - (and labelling them both with "3-amp MAX" notices.) The connections will use 2.5 T&E cable.

Is this a safe (if unorthodox) way of working, please?
 

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If you want to use a socket then do so, but you won't need a SFCU as well and only need a junction box if distance means it is necessary.

1mm² flex and the smallest junction box will be more than adequate.
 
Thanks for your quick reply.
A junction box is needed as there is little cable above the floor; I have a 30A junction box and SFCU, and bought 1m of 2.5mm² cable as all of mine is of the old colour-coding and at the time I didn't know whether the supply circuit was lighting or ring main.
My thinking about using the SFCU is that, just in case someone did plug a high-current device into the socket, the 3A fuse in the SFCU would save the lighting wire from a heavy current overload.
 
IT's unlikely in a loft. And your 6A MCB would trip quicker than the 3A fuse.
But fit it if you wish...


Maybe use a 20A junction box lol
 
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EFLImpudence said:
Plus, if you use a socket, there will be a 3A fuse in the plug.
Click to expand...

May be not if it is a "plug top" power supply. Some plug top power supplies are designed fail safe but some, those with no fuse or fusible component can melt down and even catch fire before they disconnect from the mains,.

Hence feeding the socket from an FCU with a 3 amp ( or even 1 amp ) fuse is sensible given the hazards of un-fused plug top power supplies
 
If that were the case then he would have a socket already and the TV people would have been happy.
 
My TV aerial splitter is powered from the socket in the lounge, up through the aerial cable ... somehow. Why not just get one of those things?

Here it is, well, my photo up a bit, Lucid's explanation here: https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/television-aerials-boosters-etc.506293/#post-4189283

one of these:


linky

So, in the lounge (or whereever) this sits between the TV and the aerial socket, plugged in, it powers the aerial on the roof, which sends power to the splitter that can be attached to the aerial pole, or sit in the loft (like mine is).

No dodgy loft electrics needed.
 
Thanks to everyone who has replied.
As it is not my house but my son's, and the aerial needs fixing (which needs a long ladder and balance that we haven't got) I am limiting myself to providing a socket which the repairers say is needed for the replacement amplifier that they will fit.
In view of Bernard's comment, I think that I will include the SFCU; as the 30A junction box was gathering dust in my loft, I may as well use it.
 
As Bernard says, 1A in the FCU would be good policy.

Maybe it's the pedant in me, and I know it doesn't affect 'safety' in any way whatsoever, but for me, the idea of 2.5 coming off the lighting just doesn't feel right. Neither does a 30A JB.
 
I agree, using any old bits because that's what you have gathering dust is just a lash-up.


There is, of course, the fact that here, the amplifier would just be plugged into a socket on a 10A or 16A circuit and no one would give it a thought - so presumably it will be manufactured with this in mind but only burst into flames in the UK.
 
EFLImpudence said:
the fact that here, [ Portugal ] the amplifier would just be plugged into a socket on a 10A or 16A circuit and no one would give it a thought
Click to expand...

And in many other countries, and the cheaply made un-fused devices do create a fire hazard when they fail in those countries.
 
You say 'cheaply made'.

Unless a 'counterfeit' product then these things with wall-warts must be made to a European standard which allows for just being plugged in to 'normal' socket circuits, whether 10A, 16A or 32A.

So, were the aerial aplifier not in the loft requiring a special adaptation but, say, in the living room, would anyone take any notice or just plug it in to a socket?

What about all the other things with wall-warts? Does anyone install a FCU for the bedroom clock, radio or pnone charger?
 
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