socket off light in loft

[shaunsparks]

hi ,would it be advisable to take feed off the upstairs lighting circuit in the loft and put a socket on the end ,as i need a socket up there.The socket would only be feeding some christmas lights through a transformer,cheers.

 

[mapj1]

Really you should only do this if its a 3 or 5 amp "lighting only" type socket, something other than 13A, however, nothing in the regs actually prohibits you, and its quite common for TV aerial boosters and things like that to be wired up this way.
I expect others will simply shout NO!!
Clearly plugging in ore than the lightest of loads would be very foolish.

 

[shaunsparks]

the socket wouldnt be used for any other purpose other than for the transformer,and it would be out of site,cheers

 

[dw3101]

Label it clearly if you do it, Id also personally supply it from a FCU with a 3a or 5a fuse.

David

 

[shaunsparks]

i will look for other alternatives before i do and use that method as last resort cheers

 

[breezer]

Today its a socket "for lights only" next year it will be a socket for..............

 

[ninebob]

Today its a socket "for lights only" next year it will be a socket for..............

yes, i can see it now... decides to have a loft conversion, running umpteen power tools on a 4-way trailing socket from it.......

Agreed with earlier advice, if you must do it a FCU or round-pin "lighting only" socket is the way to go, removes the temptation....

 

[brown-nought]

If you add a socket you will need to check it will achieve a 0.4s disconnetion time. Fixed light circuits normally only need to do 5s.

I'm guessing the Xmas lights are temporary?

The transformer is inside and not placed on insulation? How will you functionally switch the circuit? (i.e. normally turn the lights on and off?)

 

[shaunsparks]

yes lights will be temporary ,but found a quite easy route to spur off a socket thats in a bedroom and run it in trunking.Wasnt to sure if u could take the feed off the lighting circuit as it would of been easier but not really ideal.cheers

 

[brown-nought]

Use the spur route - happy illuminations.

 

[dw3101]

or perish the thought.... an extension lead

 

[plugwash]

i personally have 13A sockets on a lighting cuircuit i know what they are for and they are not in a place where they are likely to get anything plugged or unplugged much (they are just under the ceiling you either need to climb on furniture or use a steplader to reach them)

and even if someone did plug in a bar fire the system should be protected from overload by the 6A breaker.

noone seems to be campaigning to stamp out extention leads with a 5A fused plug 0.75mm flex and a 13A socket on the end do they?

 

[securespark]

No.

 

[plugwash]

also its seriously tempting to stick a socket under the floor on the lighting cuircuit

i DO NOT like having my inspection lamp on a rcd protected cuircuit when i am working on other cuircuits on that same rcd...

 

[brown-nought]

i DO NOT like having my inspection lamp on a rcd protected cuircuit when i am working on other cuircuits on that same rcd...

The problem with the socket is it will never be near enough to where you want to work ... and then you will end up using an extension lead!.

I bought a lamp that works of my drill batteries for similar sorts of reason.