Porch light wired direct to mains circuit!

[JustinM]

I needed to move the cable for the porch light as I was having a new door installed and found the light was cabled stright into the main socket in the hall. I'm no electrician but I'm sure this isn't right!!

The cable comes out of the back of the mains socket (through the wall to the porch) straight to the light switch and then onto the light. Before I reconnect it what options are open to me and what if anything is notifiable? There is just one spotlight in the porch so would it be better to have a fused spur as the light switch for example?

Many thanks guys/girls

 

[Doggit]

You could fit a fused spur as the light switch, but it wouldn't look neat, but you do need a fused spur to protect the porch light cable; and it'll be 2.5mm into the fused spur, and 1.00mm out of it. You'll either carry on with the existing light switch, and use a connecter to feed the neutral through, or you'll change over to a double poled switch.

 

[ericmark]

Yes you need a fuse, the regulations state 16A is limit for lighting not 32A so you need a fuse, likely 1A is big enough. Either a switched FCU as light switch or grid switch with fuse.

 

[JustinM]

Thanks for that. Currently the cable from the back of the mains socket comes through to the porch about a foot from the floor so could add the fused spur there and then continue back up to the light switch as it was before.

Another job to the list of many ... the joys of moving house!!

 

[EFLImpudence]

but you do need a fused spur to protect the porch light cable;

Mmmm.

and it'll be 2.5mm into the fused spur, and 1.00mm out of it.

Not necessary - 1mm² would do all the way.[/QUOTE]
There are various regulations for the positioning of the overcurrent device on the circuit of reduced cross-sectional area.

Plus of course a regulation for the omission of an overcurrent device altogether where the load is unlikely to cause an overload.

Always subject to the cable being satisfactory for the fault current protection.

 

[EFLImpudence]

P.S. Bear in mind the 2.5mm² spur is itself of reduced csa on a 32A ring.

 

[JustinM]

There are various regulations for the positioning of the overcurrent device on the circuit of reduced cross-sectional area.

Plus of course a regulation for the omission of an overcurrent device altogether where the load is unlikely to cause an overload.

Always subject to the cable being satisfactory for the fault current protection.

And the answer to the question in plain English is .................?

 

[flameport]

And the answer to the question in plain English is .................?

The easy choice - change the light switch to a fused spur with a 3A fuse in it.

Slightly more work is:

cable from the back of the mains socket comes through to the porch about a foot from the floor so could add the fused spur there and then continue back up to the light switch as it was before.

with 3A fuse in it.

In some circumstances the existing arrangement might comply, but that would require testing and confirmation of several other things - none of which can be determined without being there.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Who here knows whether the socket in question is a spur from a ring, or directly on a ring, or on a radial, and if the latter what rating of OPD?

 

[winston1]

Yes you need a fuse, the regulations state 16A is limit for lighting not 32A so you need a fuse, likely 1A is big enough. Either a switched FCU as light switch or grid switch with fuse.

If you want to replace the fuse every time the bulb blows indeed use a 1 amp. Otherwise use a 5 amp.