Wellwisher
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As you are not a sparks you won’t understand.
Wiring 13A socket on lighting circuit
- Thread starter Peter Hatfield
- Start date
Wellwisher
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Doing the correct thing is often more difficult than bodging.
I
Ind spark
Guest
Plugging an item in is not a bodge
Coloumb
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I didn't say I wasn't a spark, I said I didn't work as a spark. So please explain. I will understand.
Why is it bad practice to fit sockets to a lighting ctt?
Wellwisher
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It is bad practice.
Coloumb
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Why?
Wellwisher
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Because 13a sockets are designed for loads up to 13a. Putting a 13a load on a lighting circuit will plunge you into darkness.
Coloumb
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Put a 3a fuse in plug.
I
Ind spark
Guest
If he was saying can I install a socket off the lighting circuit for a kettle then yes, but a few lights?? Don't think so
Wellwisher
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A 3a fuse has no discrimination against a 6a MCB especially when that MCB is already loaded with lights around the house.
Anyway someone about to plug in a large load is not going to stop and change the fuse for one he knows will fail.
Wellwisher
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People tend unplug lights when they have something else they want to use.
I
Ind spark
Guest
Coloumb
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The regs say to discriminate you need the fusing factors of the fuses to be about half of each other. 6a / 2 is 3a. The time current characters will show this. Have you found a anomaly in the laws of physics?
Coloumb
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Yea I often use the plug above the kitchen cupboards to plug in my welder.
Wellwisher
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Good place to plug in a fan heater pointing down. There are other examples.
Wellwisher
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A 6 a MCB already loaded by lights around the house leaves a margin less than 6. <6a/2 is <3a.
Coloumb
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So what? The point of failure will be in the 3a fuse regardless of the loading on the ctt. Do you understand how discrimination works?
Wellwisher
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Rubbish. If the circuit is loaded to 4 amps say there only 2 amps available. 2 is less than 3.
Coloumb
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Seems to me you are confusing discrimination/fault current with overload current.
Tuxmark2
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Probably the only solution, someone may not agree because its a ' 3 pin socket and other things can be plugged in like toaster or tumble dryer'
Its a lighting circuit so probably protected by a 6A MCB or RCBO and if the plug has a fuse of 3A then....
Just put a label on the outlet (s) saying something like 'FOR LIGHTING ONLY' and be done with it.
Its a lighting circuit so probably protected by a 6A MCB or RCBO and if the plug has a fuse of 3A then....
Just put a label on the outlet (s) saying something like 'FOR LIGHTING ONLY' and be done with it.