Electric Socket / Change of use??

paulofessex

Hi there

We have a extractor fan in the kitchen which we do not use. It is powered via a fused socket (switch, red light, fuse holder) appears to be wired internally. I do not know where it is spurred from.



Does anyone with electrical knowledge know if l can replace the front cover to make it into a normal 3 pin plug socket. I'm looking at using it to power a IP Camera which is a 5V plug.

Thank you

knightstyle

Yes you can! But be aware that the regulations now require any work like this to be done by a qualified person who also has to check the safety of the rest of the installation and issue appropriate paperwork.

Owain_Moneysaver

Possibly not.

You must find out where it's supplied from. If it's from a power circuit then yes, if it's from a lighting circuit then no.

GunJack

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Possibly not.

You must find out where it's supplied from. If it's from a power circuit then yes, if it's from a lighting circuit then no.

which is easy to check by turning off the relevant circuit breakers in turn until it is established where it is fed from

texranger

knightstyle wrote: »

Yes you can! But be aware that the regulations now require any work like this to be done by a qualified person who also has to check the safety of the rest of the installation and issue appropriate paperwork.

yes regulations state a householder can only change a bulb and a plug anything else MUST be carried out by a qualified electrician, but this does not seems to have filtered down to DIY stores as yet as you can buy all elect fittings.

but a qualified electrician is not always best, we had one rewire out house and we have him fit a 3 bulb fitting in the living room, every few months we had to get him in as this fittting kept blowing bulbs (yes it was fiitting with correct bulbs) he kept having to rewire the light unit.
when i redecorated the room jan 2010 i fitted a new light unit myself and so far this has never had any problems.

Fifer

knightstyle wrote: »

Yes you can! But be aware that the regulations now require any work like this to be done by a qualified person who also has to check the safety of the rest of the installation and issue appropriate paperwork.

That's not necessarily true. It depends upon where in the UK the OP lives. Building regs in Scotland take a slightly more sensible and pragmatic view on DIY electrics.

texranger wrote: »

yes regulations state a householder can only change a bulb and a plug anything else MUST be carried out by a qualified electrician

That's definitely not true (unless par P has been updated - I don't keep bang up to date with English building reg's.).

Owain_Moneysaver

texranger wrote: »

yes regulations state a householder can only change a bulb and a plug anything else MUST be carried out by a qualified electrician,

This is emphatically not true.

Even Part P does not require the electrician to be qualified, merely to be employed by a firm that has one qualified supervisor and is a member of a self-certification scheme.

robmar0se

If you can change a plug, you can do this. As a previous poster said, check the fuse box for which circuit it is on (if it is fan connection at present it is bound to be a power rather than light circuit, however double check), remove the fuse temporarilly, and replace face plate. Earth wire attached and no bare wires please!

Richie-from-the-Boro

texranger wrote: »

yes regulations state a householder can only change a bulb and a plug anything else MUST be carried out by a qualified electrician, but this does not seems to have filtered down to DIY stores as yet as you can buy all elect fittings.

but a qualified electrician is not always best, we had one rewire out house and we have him fit a 3 bulb fitting in the living room, every few months we had to get him in as this fittting kept blowing bulbs (yes it was fitting with correct bulbs) he kept having to rewire the light unit.
when i redecorated the room jan 2010 i fitted a new light unit myself and so far this has never had any problems.

Good points my friend !

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