You must have a lot of barrels to scrape.Labels fade, drop off, are ignored. People don't understand how much load an appliance takes.
You must have a lot of barrels to scrape.Labels fade, drop off, are ignored. People don't understand how much load an appliance takes.
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 realise that, but it was in such a different ballpark from what we are discussing as to not be very relevant.
One would hope that if a group of ~80 people were discussing their need to plug in 80 x 2kW loads into an electrical installation that they would have the sense to 'investigate' (seek advice) as regards what was possible.
However, even a person with a lot of sense and intelligence would probably not have any reason to think that there was any need to 'investigate' or 'seek advice' about plugging a vacuum cleaner into a 13A socket in a loft, any more than they would if they were going to plug it into 13A socket anywhere else in the house.
There is a big, big difference between those scenarios!
Kind Regards, John
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.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
Yes, you or I (or many others here) would probably think of the potential issue, and therefore would probably do that.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.
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'.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.
labelled or even engraved
Perfect solution to the problem. Looks good, clear for all to see.
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'?<a photo>
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,!Perfect solution to the problem. Looks good, clear for all to see. ... Engraving is the best way.
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!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?
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)?Perhaps it was a 2 or 5 amp socket controlled by a light switch originally.
No.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
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).You could argue that when plugging in a 2 or 5 amp plug that the light switch has to be on.
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.We have to stop catering for prats. Nothing is prat-proof.
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