Power socket from a light switch?

I'm renovating a room at the moment and it only has one double plug socket. I need another one on the other side of the room but this is where the problem starts.

The wall where I want the new power socket only has a lighting switch located on it. It is an external wall so there are no other power outlets nearby. The room above has been wallpapered so I'm not able to break into the circuit and pass a wire down.

Would it be possible (safe) to run a double socket from the lighting circuit?

There is a crawl space under the house from which I might be able to run a new power outlet although this is my least preferred option due to spiders and the high probability that I wont locate the correct part of the wall to drill.

Thanks in advance.

 

You can't supply a 13 amp socket from a light switch.

It's just not done, and often there isn't even a neutral.

Forget that idea.

Going under the floor does sound the way forward. Not sure why you're concerned about drilling in the wrong place. Typically you would drill from the room downwards into the floor void - having checked there's no pipes or cables in the way.

Typically you would use 2.5 mm2 twin and earth cable - but you need to correctly decide where you are going to get the supply from.

As is often the case, getting an electrician to do the job will be the simplest and best way, as he will be experienced in finding the best and neatest way.

But it will help him if you get under the floor and drag the cable across!

 

Nope you cannot run a socket from a lighting circuit.

In certain circumstances you can run a fused spur with a 3/5a fuse in it for really low load things like a aerial booster in the loft etc but not for everyday use.

Just get some old clothes on and get in the crawl space. And drill down from the room into the void, not up.

Edit: damn too slow

 

Thanks for the info, I thought as much and will get a sparky in after I've done the groundwork.

At the moment there is an oak floor laid which runs under the skirting, I don't particularly want to move any of this. My idea is to find out where the wall lies in the crawl space and drill abeam it, then knock through some plaster and pull the cable up. Does this sound reasonable?

 

Don't fully understand, but yes, sounds reasonable and awkward like most of these jobs are.

You can buy thin rods that aid fishing cables in voids, if these may help you.

 

Thanks, I'll go on a spider inspection tomorrow

 

Yes, but make sure you are in the right place, you don't want a hole through your nice oak floor!

 

With a long enough drill bit you can start drilling through the plaster above the skirting, and drill right down behind the skirting, through the floor, through the beam (or wall) below the floor, and come out into the void eventually.

Might need a couple of bits - wood and masonry, depending on what you hit at various stages.

 

Thanks Owain, did exactly that. Luckily my SDS drill broke through just at its limit. I've chiseled out the new socket and run the cable back to the consumer unit (which is where the entrance to the crawlspace is)

- crawling through is not nice at 6"2 and 210lbs.

I've got my plasterer coming to do the fireplace in a couple of weeks so I'll make sure he does the socket as well.



Where would you guys connect the socket to? There is a junction box in the crawlspace that I could add it to or would you take it from the wiring of an existing socket?

 

Where to get the supply from is part of the puzzle - and unless you are doing the same job in identical properties, it will never be the same.

Usually the ideal is to be able to break into the ring and extend it - so your new socket is part of the ring. That's not always possible though. So it comes down to where the best supply is - whether that's adding a junction box to the ring, spurring off an existing socket, or going back to the CU.

 

Also the cable and the new socket will require, 30mA RCD protection. if not already existing on the circuit?

 

First of all well done on the drilling.

Junction boxes in crawl spaces are not really accesible for maintainance so this might the the opportunity to do a bit of wiring and remove the need for a junction box.

If you can post details of where the cables from the junction box go to it might be possible to suggest how to remove it and wire the new socket into an existing ring rather than spurring it.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. I ended up extending the current ring main and incorporating the new socket instead of bringing it off a spur. I felt this was neater and safer

I had to use a junction box to extend a section of the ring which wasn't ideal but I used a 30amp one and made sure it was all secured properly to a joist.

Power went back on and all is good

 

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