Tim W wrote:
The Medway Handyman
wibbled on Sunday 25 October 2009 21:26

Tim W wrote:

Or is making use of the security light power feed the only way?

Not the only way. I could do as you suggest, but due to the layout
of the house I'd have to run a cable under the bathroom floor.

I take it your proposed route would be up the wall to the ceiling
level, hence the bathroom?

Sorry, should have made it clear, old house, bathroom on ground floor,
nothing above. Due to large slope bathroom floor is 3' above deck level.

Can you not go left or right and hit another room? Not intending to
doubt you, but thinking more of the occupant (including future ones)
- a SELV cable at 12V or whatever doing weird things is a lot less
likely to turn into an "issue" down the line.

There isn't anything left of right - only the neighbours bathroom :-)


What about diving in the corner of a window frame (a Sky dish
installer favourite) - sorry hard to comment without knowing the
house in question.

That would go into the bathroom. Hole isn't the problem, I have extra long
bits & a Mak SDS.

The only tricky bit AFAICS is putting a 13A socket on the end of the
lighting circuit. People normally use 2A or 5A sockets for
differentiation purposes. That would be shafted if the wall-warts
plug is built in though.

It is one of theose 'fat plug' type wall warts e.g the plug & PSU
are one unit. Like a Nokia charger.

The one thing that could go wrong is that someone down the line
thinks: "Hmm 13A socket, I'll run me welder off that...". Clear
labelling as to the circuit origin would be a must (ie: "This is fed
by downstairs lights breaker, max load 1A" or something...).

Good point - thanks.

The other thing I think would be worth mentioning, if you do go down
this route: I would regard it as essential that that circuit is
backed by an RCD - is the security light feed already covered by one?

Don't know, I'll check.

Sooner or later, labels, or not, someone is going to try plugging a
radio/lawnmower or something else into this for use outside. And for
those sort of loads, they'll probably get away with it without
tripping the lighting breaker.

There is a proper IP66 socket on the wall a few feet away, but a wall wart
is too big to fit under the flap.

The risk is of course very tiny, but you probably wouldn't want to be
associated with it...

No, I wouldn't - hence the question :-)


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk