Plug socket in loft

[scottpetrie]

Hi
I was wondering if you could help me. I would like to put a plug socket in my loft but am unsure where I can take it from. I recently got a Hive outdoor camera. It is powered by a plug/USB and would like to route the cabling through my soffits and up to loft and just pkug it in. Its a bungalow if that helps.
Thanks

 

[JP_]

I was lucky and already had a circuit for a garage that was removed, so used that. If you can get a new circuit added to the consumer unit that might be best - I had one of my cameras crash the other week and it is handy being able to turn them all off and on again without clambering about the loft, or going up a ladder outside.

 

[bernardgreen]

I would like to put a plug socket in my loft but am unsure where I can take it from.

Provided that you ensure that no one can plug a vacuum cleaner or other powerful device ( > 1.5 kW ) into the socket then you can connect the socket to the lighting ciruit in the loft.

( There will probably be a reply soon from a person who considers that sockets on the light ciruit is bad practice )

 

[SUNRAY]

I was lucky and already had a circuit for a garage that was removed, so used that. If you can get a new circuit added to the consumer unit that might be best - I had one of my cameras crash the other week and it is handy being able to turn them all off and on again without clambering about the loft, or going up a ladder outside.

That's an excellent suggestion. However it's often easier to add the socket onto the lighting circuit if there are 3 cables to each ceiling rose.

Winston will jump on this and incorrectly say it's wrong, all the professionals will confirm it's OK.

EDIT: Bernards reply happened while I was replying and distracted by Mrs Sunray

 

[JP_]

I did think about lighting circuits, but said nothing as I am no electrician!

 

[sparkwright]

Of course, if there is already some cables for the house sockets running through the loft, you could of course add to this wiring.

You may well have a built in cupboard in the house where you can run wiring, if that makes it easier.

Ideally you need to send photographs of what you have in the loft, and the consumer unit, and anything else that may be of interest, as there are about hundred ways to do this, and probably only one or two easy/correct ways.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

I've always considered that when using a 13A socket on a lighting circuit, it is a good idea to mark the socket clearly with its purpose and limitations. And not all of us are like Winston and send our wives up into the attic to vacuum it.

 

[AndyPRK]

you may have 2.5mm cables in the loft to feed downward sockets. So have a look above sockets.

Or pull a socket off to see which way the cable goes.

 

[scottpetrie]

Cheers for all the advice. If I go down the route of teeing off a light, would this not then make the socket only work if the light was on?

 

[JohnW2]

I've always considered that when using a 13A socket on a lighting circuit, it is a good idea to mark the socket clearly with its purpose and limitations.

Same here ... and if, as is often the case, it is for some dedicated (and 'permanent') purpose (such as a wallwart or even just a plug connected to some 'permanently powered' item), I often 'retain' the wallwart or plug with a cable tie (usually attached to solder tags held by the faceplate screws), as a further deterrent to anyone who wanders into the loft with a vacuum cleaner!

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Cheers for all the advice. If I go down the route of teeing off a light, would this not then make the socket only work if the light was on?

No. You don't actually tee it off the light but the supply to the light.

 

[scottpetrie]

Yeh so just cut the cable going to a ceiling rose, and install a connector/joining block?

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

No, run the cable to the ceiling rose.