outside light

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I was about to change an outside wall light on my daughers house, when I notice at the top of the fitting instructions, a box which says "Do not wire these lanterns into the lighting circuit. Use a switched fused spur." The existing light is connected to the lighting cct.

There is nothing special about this wall lantern, other than that it is metal and requires an earth. What can it mean. :confused:

Is it really required or is it the m/f covering its ass.
 
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It's good practice to put an outside light on a switched, fused spur. Outside lights are prone to water ingress and mechanical damage in a way that inside lights are not. If you put one on your lighting circuit you will be plunged into darkness when it fails. The switched spur also gives you double pole isolation for your outside light. You won't get that from a standard light switch.

This leaves you with the tricky question of what to do with the existing wire. If it comes straight through the wall and into the back of the light I'd be tempted to leave it (but double check the integrity of that earth). If it has to go across a wall in conduit I'd rewire it into an SFCU.
 
ok. Thanks Felix.

So in the worst scenario, the light could develop a fault which is not isolated by an ordinary light switch and has to be disconnected to restore house lighting.

The current light is the old fashioned sturdy kind designed to be practically impervious to weather (not attractive but very practical) that has probably been there for 30 years or more without giving any problem. I only hope the more decorative modern lamp is as durable - but I doubt it.
 
what kind of light is this?

if we are talking a 500W halogen floodlight then putting it on the lighting cuircuit is probablly not very sensible.
 
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