Garden Lighting help.

[thomasjeans]

Is it possiable/safe to connect two of these lights to one plug plugged in inside a summerhouse. The lights would be located under a verandah outside of the summerhouse. If so what fuse would be needed and how many Watts could each bulb be?

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/produ...38&entryFlag=false&PRODID=7780143&paintCatId=

 

[mapj1]

Yes, safe providing suitable cable was used, routed carefully and protected against ingress of moisture. Loop supply from one lamp to the next, and use 3A fuse at the plug. I suggest the fittings will say in the instructions what lamp wattage, but looks like probably 60 or 100 watts.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Surely it's somebody else's turn to mention part P?

 

[Adam_151]

Pray tell ban, since when has part P applied to anything connected via a plug?

 

[Steve]

oooooh you have been caught out ban!

 

[Spark123]

Thats it, I'm gonna go out and buy a load of 100A plugs and sockets and start putting them in between the meter and CU

 

[plugwash]

Pray tell ban, since when has part P applied to anything connected via a plug?

and what exactly in part P makes you think that fixed wiring connected via a plug is any less fixed wiring?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Pray tell ban, since when has part P applied to anything connected via a plug?

(b) after the definition of "dwelling-house" insert -

" "electrical installation" means fixed electrical cables or fixed electrical equipment located on the consumer's side of the electricity supply meter;";

 

[mapj1]

OK, i'll mention it.
As this work involves new fixed lighting outdoors, you may wish to notify your local council, who will charge to inspect it under part P of the building regs. Or you may decide you don't give a rats fuzzy behind about subsidising the local council building control office, and do it without remembering to notify anyone, which would be an offence, though I suspect a popular one since the rules came in, in January.

 

[Steve]

"electrical installation" means fixed electrical cables or fixed electrical equipment located on the consumer's side of the electricity supply meter;";

fixed in what way? to the electrical supply (permenant wiring?) or to a solid object (permenant fixing)?

I would have thought it meant the former, since i thought anything wired via a plug top was exempt from part p, regardless of what you do with the wire from the plug top.

 

[pdcelec]

The Electricity At Work Regulations 1989 states that an electrical system includes all conductors and all electrical equipment in it. Maybe someone could tell me if this excludes stuff on plugs?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

fixed in what way? to the electrical supply (permenant wiring?) or to a solid object (permenant fixing)?

I would have thought it meant the former, since i thought anything wired via a plug top was exempt from part p, regardless of what you do with the wire from the plug top.

I doubt it. The SI does not define the term "fixed" so it would be reasonable to assume that it means the obvious, everyday meaning - it the item fixed to something, or not?

FWIW, the wiring regs define fixed equipment as that designed to be fastened to a support or otherwise secured in a specific location.

I know that the regs are not statutory, nor are they referenced in this context by the SI, but given what they say, and given what the ordinary definition of the word means, I can't see that if push came to shove, LABC or a court would not decide that those lights were fixed electrical equipment.

So plugging them in does not "get round" Part P.

 

[andy]

Thats it, I'm gonna go out and buy a load of 100A plugs and sockets and start putting them in between the meter and CU

oi! that was my idea!

 

[towman]

fixed in what way? to the electrical supply (permenant wiring?) or to a solid object (permenant fixing)?

I would have thought it meant the former, since i thought anything wired via a plug top was exempt from part p, regardless of what you do with the wire from the plug top.

I doubt it. The SI does not define the term "fixed" so it would be reasonable to assume that it means the obvious, everyday meaning - it the item fixed to something, or not?

FWIW, the wiring regs define fixed equipment as that designed to be fastened to a support or otherwise secured in a specific location.

quote]

By extension of this logic everybody with a massive wall mounted flat panel TV should apply for part P approval?!After all, they're designed to be fixed to the wall? Same for wall lights fitted with a flex and 3 pin plug?! Proof once again that Part P is ill thought out, poorly explained and impossible to police. Reading between the lines it looks like it SUPPOSED to keep check on fixed wiring alterations, overloaded circuits and lack of protection on circuits. However, it's so full of loopholes, lack of definitions etc that it's probably unworkable.

 

[securespark]

Only if the TV was in a special loc, surely?