Where to take power for outside light?

[veedee]

I want two sets of outside lights

Wall lights within 2m away (LED 20w)

One approx 10m away. The cable will be SWA (1.5mm) and buried underground.

My nearest power options are from my kitchen which is on a ring circuit

Should I take power from

1. Switched FCU (Isolator for my washing machine)

2. Spur (ie plug from washing machine

3. Kitchen worktop double socket

4. Do something else? Please state

 

[sparkwright]

Taking a 5amp switched fused spur unit from a kitchen worktop double socket sounds preferable (assuming this is a 32amp ring circuit, and that double socket is not a spur, and it is wired 'directly' to the ring).

 

[Mr Sparkle]

.

 

[ericmark]

For any outside light you want a supply which if water gets in it will not stop lights from working, and you can easy and quickly isolate. So a switched FCU if the switch is double pole seems best option, but all depends how many RCD's you have in the CU and what they control.

I have all RCBO's so each circuit is independent, but many people only have two RCD's so down to risk assessment, what will happen if it gets water in, will it cause house lights to fail, or freezer to fail, we don't have answers.

 

[veedee]

For any outside light you want a supply which if water gets in it will not stop lights from working, and you can easy and quickly isolate. So a switched FCU if the switch is double pole seems best option, but all depends how many RCD's you have in the CU and what they control.

I have all RCBO's so each circuit is independent, but many people only have two RCD's so down to risk assessment, what will happen if it gets water in, will it cause house lights to fail, or freezer to fail, we don't have answers.

I have two RCD's

The FCU's in the pic below are on a kitchen Ring circuit. The load side is wired to a socket (which powers the respective appliance/device).

Are there any suggestions on a reasonable way to get power to my outside lights?

 

[ericmark]

It seems likely from what you show and say there is a pair of cables feeding those FCU's and I would simply add another, but a fan likely uses mA and smallest fuse you can get is 1 amp, so adding to the Ex Fan with LED outside lamps of less than 200 watt total would be fine.

So keeping it simple add it to extractor fan.

 

[DetlefSchmitz]

Mmm... if it's necessary to isolate the outside lights because they fill with water it would be best not to have to turn off the fan which could be important, for a long duration.

 

[winston1]

Better still to instal the outside lights properly so they don't fill with water.

 

[markyd1]

Where will you terminate the Armoured cable