Replacing Outdoor Wall Lights

I have three outdoor wall lights which were installed by a certified electrician when the house was built 20 years ago. I am replacing these lantern type lights to modern up/down decorative lights.

I read the new light manufacturers instructions which stated that these new lights should NOT be wired into a lighting circuit. They must me wired in to a circuit which has a fused spur.

Have the IEE regulations therefore changed since my original outdoor lights were installed in 2000.

To achieve the installation of a fused spur would be a major undertaking, as the present installation of the lighting circuit is from the Distribution unit lighting MCB, I would have to locate and isolate that part of the circuit somewhere in the Walls/Ceilings that power the wall lights and then install a fused spur. This sounds to me to be totally unnecessary as the lighting circuit is already protected by the Distribution Unit MCB.

Any comments from anyone about simply replacing the existing Lights with these new Lights without a Fused Spur. Both the old and the New Lights are and will be Earthed.

They are Fused Connection Units - a spur is a branch of cable.

A switch for the outside lights would be a good idea but there is no reason the lights cannot be on the lighting circuit (there's a surprise) nor why you can't have an FCU on the lighting circuit.

Ignore them.

You should consider fitting a double pole isolator ( breaking both Live and Neutral ) in the feed to the out door lights.

The reason is that if a lamp is damaged and/or water gets to the electrics in the lamp then the RCD for that circuit would ( should ) trip and cut off power. The double pole isolater will enable the power to be restored even though the lamp is defective.

Hysteresis said:

these new lights should NOT be wired into a lighting circuit.

Click to expand...

The manufacturers say this in the sensible belief that losing power to lighting circuits creates the hazard of the house being plunged into sudden darkness until such time as the defective / damaged lamp is repaired or replaced.. An isolator removes the need to urgently repair the lamp.

Thanks for everyones comments. The presently installed lighting has not been any problem over the last 20 years so I am quite happy with it not being on a fused Spur. Because the light manufacturers instruction where very specific regarding using a Fused Spur made me question as to whether the IEE regs (18th edition now I think) may have been re-issued with some ridiculous requirement to have outside lights on a separate Fused circuit. This does not seem to be the case though. I can certainly see the advantage of the fused spur arrangement so as to allow easy isolation, but to install a Spur arrangement now would be a a bit messy and to be honest I think unnecessary. My concerns where that I may have been contravening the IEE Regs but clearly that is not the case.
Thanks for all of your replies.

I agree, the Manufacturers suggestion for Spur installation is reasonable for isolating a fault, but not mandatory. My concern was IEE regs violation.
Down/Up lighters are more decorative than functional, they do provide a reasonable illumination of the drive but the light is Very Very much decorative.
As these lights have 3.5 watt LED lights, then the power consumption is minimal.

bernardgreen said:

How about a 1 amp fuse and a slow acting type C MCB ? Such as for installations where discrimination is essential to ensure that one lamp going bang does not mean all the other lamps lose power.

Click to expand...

1 amp fuses are not standard and difficult to get. The fuse is to protect the cable, not what is on the end of it. The 6 amp MCB in the CU does this admirably. If double pole isolation is required fit a double pole switch. It may cost a fraction more but cost should not be the major consideration.

Anyway a properly installed outside light should never fill with water (mine don't) and therefore don't require double pole isolation any more than an inside light does.

winston1 said:

1 amp fuses are not standard and difficult to get.

Click to expand...

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cartridge-fuses/0412986/

bernardgreen said:

https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/cartridge-fuses/0412986/

View attachment 170306

Click to expand...

I am aware they are available. I said they were different to get and non standard. The only standard values are 3 and 13 amp. 3 amp for small cables and 13 amp for larger cables. Remember the fuses are only to protect the cables not whatever is on the end of it.

winston1 said:

The only standard values are 3 and 13 amp. 3 amp for small cables and 13 amp for larger cables.

Click to expand...

Then go and tell Busmann and other companies that they are wasting their time and effort producing 1 amp, 2 amp, 5 amp, 7 amp, and 10 amp fuses.

winston1 said:

Remember the fuses are only to protect the cables not whatever is on the end of it.

Click to expand...

That is the regulatory requirement to prevent heat / fire damage from overloaded cables.

Fuses can also be used to disconnect defective appliances from a distribution cable ( such as a ring final ) leaving the distribution cable still able to supply power to other appliances. This a very very common use of fuses in every building in the UK. ( exept those buildings that do not have an electrical supply ).

Cabers get tossed in the Highland Games

bernardgreen said:

That is the regulatory requirement to prevent heat / fire damage from overloaded cables.

Fuses can also be used to disconnect defective appliances from a distribution cable ( such as a ring final ) leaving the distribution cable still able to supply power to other appliances. This a very very common use of fuses in every building in the UK. ( exept those buildings that do not have an electrical supply ).

Click to expand...

Defective appliances should have internal protection/fuses to do this. Fuses are not used in plugs in other countries and there doesn't seem to be any problems due to this.