Fuses below (almost) every light switch in the house
- Thread starter maximjc
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For what it's worth, I don't think that 13A is the right value for those fuses. Should really be 3A if standard light fittings.
Whatever you decide about what and how much you want done about the electrical installation, it goes without saying that you should get it done before using any of the 'decorating' parts of the decoration budget!
Kind Regards, John
And you would also have to do something compliant about the wiring from the socket circuits feeding the FCUs. That could be replacing the FCUs with sockets or it could be rerouting the wiring so it doesn't come up to the FCU location at all. Leaving the wiring in place with no accessory visible is not acceptable in most cases even if maintenance free connections are used because the wiring will no longer be in the safe zones.
You are likely going to be replacing a large proportion of the wiring to fit the new circuit layouts that eliminate the FCUs and give you sockets where you want them.
The question you have to ask yourself is whether you want to keep the bits of existing wiring that happen to be in the right place for the new layout or whether you want to replace the lot. The former will be slightly cheaper and slightly less disruptive but the latter means you will be able to sell the house as "fully rewired in 2013" (or whatever year you get arround to doing it) and means you will be sure there are no hidden electrical nasties left behind by the previous owner.
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Agreed. Even 2A will probably never go, unless you have 460W per room hooked up (that's 9 50W downlights).
The smaller the fuse, the more likely it will be that a blown bulb will not trip the entire socket&lighting circuit.
Agreed - as mfarrow has said, 3A would usually be more than enough, and is in some senses 'safer'. It is also possible that the manufacturers of some of the light fittings concerned might call for 6A (or lower) protection.
However, for those who take the view that fuses/MCBs are there only to protect cables (not accessories or loads), then I suppose 13A fuses in the FCUs would actually be compliant (with either 1mm² {common installation methods} or 1.5mm² cable used in the lighting circuit).
Kind Regards, John
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Well the last time I had to learn the regs book this was a regulation, maybe they've taken it out now.
What was a regulation? In the current regs, the nearest to a relevent reg I am aware of is 559.6.1.6, which requires that a lighting circuit incorporating B15, B22, E14, E27 or E40 lampholders be protected by an OPD with a rating no greater than 16A.
Kind Regards, John
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Ah, that's interesting. My recollection was of a lower value.
In the 16th (1992) it was 6A for B15 or E14, unless the lampholders met ignitability class P of BS476.
... and what OPD rating for other lampholders, or B15/E14 if they did meet the ignitability requirements?
Whatever, so much for those who assert that an OPD only ever exists to protect cable
Kind Regards, John
16A
Thanks. So, with the except of (some) B15/E14s, it sounds as if it's been 16A for quite a long time.
Kind Regards, John
And the logic there was.....?
One of life's mysteries? (we're talking about 'the regs', not necessary logic!)
Kind Regards, John
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