Outside Lighting Feed

[BettyBopp44]

Hi
I am wanting to put a couple of LED Floodlights along the front of my house and a couple more in a barn that is next to the gable end of my house (3 meters away) , the only feed I have outside is a small floodlight on the gable end , (next to the barn) this is run off the house lower light circuit .
It would be most probably be ok ( I think ) if it was only going to supply 4x 30W LED Floodlights , but someone could change that to a higher wattage later ! .

The problem I have is that the CU is in the middle of the house , so very difficult to take another feed from it .
So what I was thinking was taking a feed from the lower ring main ( a lower floor socket next to the gable end , and somehow fitting it into a 5A fused spur , using 1.5mm2 cable , then take my feed from that to the 2 light circuits outside ! .



Spike44

 

[bernardgreen]

somehow fitting it into a 5A fused spur

Also use a double pole switch so that the outside lights can be fully isolated ( Live and Neutral both disconnected ). This will prevent damaged and/or water logged outside lights from tripping MCB or RCD protecting the lower ring main.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I am wanting to put a couple of LED Floodlights along the front of my house and a couple more in a barn that is next to the gable end of my house (3 meters away) , the only feed I have outside is a small floodlight on the gable end , (next to the barn) this is run off the house lower light circuit .
It would be most probably be ok ( I think ) if it was only going to supply 4x 30W LED Floodlights ,

Yes, of course it will be ok. 6A @ 240V = 1,440W

but someone could change that to a higher wattage later ! .

So what?
Someone could do anything.

The problem I have is that the CU is in the middle of the house , so very difficult to take another feed from it .
So what I was thinking was taking a feed from the lower ring main ( a lower floor socket next to the gable end , and somehow fitting it into a 5A fused spur , using 1.5mm2 cable , then take my feed from that to the 2 light circuits outside ! .

No need but you can if you want.

Anyway, how will that be different? It's still 5A.

 

[RF Lighting]

You should be fine to come off the existing supply. Your proposed load is about the same as a single old fashioned light bulb.

If we worried about someone modifying a circuit incorrectly in the future then we’d have to wire everything up in 120mm² cable just in case someone buys an X-ray machine and tries to connect it to an existing circuit.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Aargh. I was about to make a disparaging comment about one of the ‘regular’ contributors about this issue. But the nice TTC held me back…

 

[RF Lighting]

Are you referring to our friend George perchance?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Might be…