NEW LIGHTS ADDED

[amichaud55]

I have recently added some external lights on my terrace (400W floodlight) as well as some mains powered external uplighters.

My house circuit now trips if all the house lights are on and the external lights are on too (obviously the electrician should have put them on a new ring)...

It is too late now to put the lights on a new ring, but could i increase the allowable ampage before the circuit trips by buying a new breaker to slot in?

Please advise.

Thanks!!

 

[pjcomp]

It depends what is tripping. Is it the circuit breaker or the RCD? Different trip, different problem. On principle - no, don't just buy a bigger amperage circuit breaker. It might be possible but we'd need more info before giving sensible advice.

PJ

 

[londonboy]

You must have an awful lot of lighting on that circuit.

Do you only have one circuit covering your property?
Flat/semi/terraced?

What about changing some bulbs for low energy version? Including your 400w flood light.

 

[amichaud55]

hi, thanks for coming back to me...

It is a 2 bedroom flat, with 8 spots per room (2 beds, 1 reception, 1 kitchen and 4 spots in teh bathroom)...

In the garden, I have some more spots and of course the 400W floodlight.

I dont think that it trips by much, as literally it takes all of the lights in all of the rooms and all of the external lights for the fusebox breaker to trip.

Hope that helps... please let me know if you need more information.

Thanks!

 

[londonboy]

What is it that trips? What markings are on it?

 

[amichaud55]

the main fusebox has 4 breakers in it...

2 for lighting (correction from earlier as i thought all my lights were on one)
these are both with breakers with the below markings

B6 6A Wylex

the remaining 2 breakers are for the sockets, and the last one for the kitchen

does that help?

 

[flameport]

I have recently added some external lights on my terrace (400W floodlight) as well as some mains powered external uplighters

Not only overloading the circuit but breaking the law as well.

 

[Chri5]

6A circuit will handle 6 x 230v or about 1400w.

The circuit is over loading

Choice:-

If 1.5mm TEm get electrician to check and up MCB fuse to 10 amp

Reduce load on circuit- Change some GU10 50w for 3 or 5 w LED's or megaman energy savers.

Reduce load on circuit- Dump 400w foodlight and go with energy saving flood light.

Spread load over circuits, move some of the lights off over loaded circuit to other lighting circuit.

Remove 400w load (flood light) and wire that to the socket circuit (30 amp ?) via a 3 amp fuse and fuse spur unit.

 

[amichaud55]

great, thanks Chri5. very helpful! it sounds like the floodlight is the main problem... do you know if they have energy saver bulbs that I can use in the floodlight instead?

flameport, how is that even remotely helpful?

 

[Chri5]

great, thanks Chri5. very helpful! it sounds like the floodlight is the main problem... do you know if they have energy saver bulbs that I can use in the floodlight instead?

I doubt it, energy saving floods tend to be matched, bulb and case.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...light_Index/Floodlights_Smartflood/index.html

flameport, how is that even remotely helpful?

Part P forbids external electrical work, hence his post.


To be quite honest, I'd go with a floodlight at about 2.5m-3.0m off ground, fixed on flat wall, drill a upward incline 8mm hole in to the flat and trunking down. At 1200mm fit a switched fused spur. Then feed a 1.5mm TE cable from a socket in to the fused spur.

If you use black rubber 1.0mm 3 core flex, you can run a cable drop externally down and pop the hole at low level, which might be better for the internal wall aestics.

Thus the offending light would be working via a circuit (30amp) which would NOT over load 400w / 230v or 1.75 amps

 

[ricicle]

.... (obviously the electrician should have put them on a new ring)...

Here's a good idea - how about you get the electrician back and get him to put right his shoddy workmanship !

 

[comms]

Part P forbids external electrical work, hence his post.

No it doesnt.

 

[londonboy]

Then feed a 1.5mm TE cable from a socket in to the fused spur.

Are you sure?

 

[flameport]

External work is not prohibited, but the installation of these lights is notifiable.

Since the installation of a 400W floodlight does not comply with building regulations, either the installation was not notified via LABC, or if a scheme member notified it they were lying when they did so.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Please advise.

I advise you to get rid of those ridiculously inappropriate spotlights and light your rooms with lights designed to light rooms, not with ones specifically designed to not light rooms.