POwer socket and lights on same switch

Fen1

I have a problem in my new house. If I want to use the power socket in my garage I have to turn on the light. If I switch off the light, the power on the socket goes off.
To have the socket on the lights need to be on; if the lights are switched off, the power goes off.
This cannot be right?
What can I do to fix this?

maninthestreet

Sound like someone has wired the socket into the lighting circuit. That's not good!

sillygoose

Bad! lighting circuit is 5 amp, not good for supplying a 13 amp socket!

If there is a proper socket in the house on the other side of a garage wall, then simplest thing is to drill a hole through the back of its mounting box and wire a spur socket from it to a socket in the garage on the other side.

All you need is a large masonary drill, a bit of cable and a metal surface box and socket.

I am sure I don't need remind you not to attempt this if not competent but it makes my conscience feel better

Fen1

I did think it was a bit dodgy!
Should my landlord have this fixed as a safety matter?

jblack_2

Yes he should. Immediately.

Fen1

Is there any kind of paperwork that I can present to back me up: rules and regs etc? I tried googling for stuff today, but all I came up with was the regs for new buildings, and didn';t address my specific problem.

AdrianW2

One other thing to check is whether the socket provides an earth. Quite often lighting circuits won't include an earth and that could easily ruin your day.

Sockets on lighting circuits aren't necessarily a completely bad thing - it used to be quite common practice to use a 2amp or 5amp round pin socket.

Fen1

How do I check for the earth? Do I open up the socket? It looks like an ordinary extention cable socket. It's not an old fashioned round-pin.

I am very obviously not an electrician...............

clairehi

Dont open up the socket! Its up to your land lord to sort this out thats what you pay rent for. And he/she needs to get it investigated/fixed by a "competent person". There is a very specific definition of "Competent person" - this is someone who has received "Part P" approval to do electrical work in compliance with building regulations.

Leave it alone and dont use it in the meantime. Do not attempt to fix this yourself, you could be putting yourself in danger and also (less importantly) leaving yourself open to action by the landlord in causing damage by doing unapprove electrical work.

AdrianW2

Fen1 wrote: »

How do I check for the earth?

I use a cheap plug-in tester to find gross errors, but be aware that they come with a health warning that they don't detect all faults.

[I'm not a professional electrician either, so don't take what I say as gospel.]

The work doesn't necessarily have to be done by a registered electrician, see threads passim, and the easiest solution for your landlord would probably be just to disconnect the socket.

Is it possible the socket is only intended for a lamp?

Fen1

The socket is currently being used for a lamp, but you have to have the main lights on in the garage to use the small lamp. Not economical.

I would also quite like to use the socket for other things. I suppose my power tools would be out of the question.............:D