Need an extra power socket-but nearest cable is maybe on light circuit.

johnsmi

Hi folks,


I need an extra cable to run tv and maybe oil radiator but the nearest thick electric cable is I feel maybe on the light circuit.


As I know nothing and am getting a sparky in to do this, just wondering if this cable is on lights circuit would it be safe to wire a power socket to it?


I know that in main fuse box light fuses and plugs are separate trips.


Thanks for any help.
John

kwmlondon

Absolutely and completely no.

Do not try to run anything other than lights off a lighting circuit.

Your sparky will tell you what you need and advise you how he/she will need to do it safely.

Do not be tempted to bodge. Electrickery is deadly.

Lube

Definitely not your right to get a a sparky though

xyz123

Purely for my understanding, why is it not allowed? Is it due to lighting cable typically being smaller size and hence smaller current capacity? Ta

Owain_Moneysaver

xyz123 wrote: »

Purely for my understanding, why is it not allowed? Is it due to lighting cable typically being smaller size and hence smaller current capacity? Ta

Yes.

Lighting circuit usually rated at 5 or 6 amps.

A socket circuit will be 20 30 or 32 amps.

ariba10

There is a clue in the way they are named.

Lighting Circit and Power Circit.

kwmlondon

xyz123 wrote: »

Purely for my understanding, why is it not allowed? Is it due to lighting cable typically being smaller size and hence smaller current capacity? Ta

A lighting circuit is designed to deal with the low amp levels lighting needs. The cables are thinner and the fuse on the circuit will blow if there's too much power being drawn. You want this to happen. If there's a problem then the fuse blowing is your safety cut-out.

The socket circuit is meant to be able to handle higher amp items, such as hair-dryers, heaters, kettles etc. The fuse will trip if you have too many high-power items on at the same time, but this is the idea - if you run too many high power things on the circuit you'll overload the cables.

The cooker will have its own power supply from the fuse box and its own fuse, so will an electric shower.

Don't run things off an inappropriate circuit. As much as anything, having lights on the lighting circuit and sockets on the socket circuit means you can turn off one and still have the other.

When someone is working on the lighting system they can still get power from the sockets, and when working on the sockets they can still see what they are doing because they can still have power to the lights.

If you start mixing this up someone could turn off the socket circuit and think that all the sockets are safe to work on. You could be making a deadly booby trap for someone.

Hope this explains why it's vital to have separate circuits for lights, sockets etc and why you should never mix them up.

NICHOLAS_2

If you have sockets in the room already you may be able to spur off an existing socket.

You are probably looking at a 3 core lighting cable, which can be mistaken for 2.5 socket cable.