socket installation in loft from light?

[trevski]

Hi, I currently have a light in the loft but not a power socket and wish to install a socket from the light to power a 5A Signall Booster only.

Any advice very welcome - thank you.

Trevor

 

[Steve]

Its not against regs. If its only a signal booster for aerials, then it will pull MUCH less than 5 amps. More like milliamps.

 

[ColJack]

havent we already gone over this...

you cannot put a 13A socket on a lighting circuit..

some idiot in the future will go up there, see a socket and plug in a lead light, drill, train set or whatever else he wants...

this will blow the 5A fuse and plunge you into darkness..

by all means feel free to fit a 5 amp round pin plug, but bear in mind that these are not fused..

also you can fit a FCU with apropriate fuse to feed the amplifier..


EDIT:

I figure you'll ask for regs so I've found it out..

Reg 553-04-01

At each fixed lighting point one of the following accessories shall be used:

(i) a ceiling rose to BS67
(ii) a luminaire supporting coupler to BS6972 or BS7001
(iii) a batten lampholder to BS7895, BS EN 60238 or BS EN 61184
(iv) a luminair designed to be connected directly to the circuit wiring
(v) a suitable socket-outlet
(vi) a connection unit to BS 5733 or BS 1363-4

this obviously depends on your definition of suitable..
for a lighting circuit, i take this as meaning 2A and 5A round pin plugs to prevent the use of general plugs being plugged in by mistake..

a "point" on a curcuit is where the circuit is "tapped off" from

 

[plugwash]

I don't belive there is any reg that forbids 13A sockets on the lighting circuit though many consider it very bad practice.

Personally i don't consider it any worse than selling 5A extention leads using a 13A socket on the end. It should certainly be marked as being on the lighting circuit though.

 

[ColJack]

see edit above..

 

[plugwash]

Well a 13A socket can carry the load safely and as long so as long its marked as being on the ligthing circuit and not in a place where it is liable to be used by visitors as a general purpose socketi don't see whats unsuitable about it.

I would however say that having some form of lighting or power on two seperate circuits in the loft is a bloody good idea. Given that lofts generally don't have natural light coming in its bloody usefull to be able to illuminate the area without relying on the circuit you are working on.

 

[ColJack]

with a 13 amp socket, you are reliant on the fuse rating in the plug

I have no problems with using one if it is fed from a FCU with a suitable fuse to protect the circuit..

if you have to identify it, then you would need a permanent lable, just writing on with marker or writing on tape wouldn't be good enough..

 

[fattony]

So if I follow this right people are happy if they see a fused spur fed from a lighting circuit as the 13amp fuse in the spur is protecting the load!

 

[davy_owen_88]

No, we are happy to see a 3A fuse in the FCU because that prevents overloading of the light circuit - but since this fuse can be changed quite easily, I don't think it solves the problem.

This plus this would at least prevent other appliances being connected.