"Adrian" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 05 May 2014 21:23:44 +0100, Gareth Davies wrote:

The people who lived here before me wired outside security/night lights
not to the lighting circuit but to a socket ring. Although controlled by
a wall switch the lights actually plug in to a socket inside.

It's not the best job in the world.

I've been using the lights with my old style fuse box and a plug in RCD
which does trip every now and again - probably three times a week.

Moisture ingress?

I'm having the fuse box replaced with a consumer unit

Which will required the full installation to be checked out and
certified, so the problem will almost certainly be resolved within that.

I would just unlug the outside lights and say that they out of the remit of
the test (subject of the agreed contract of the electrical test).

Or to put it into Yorkshire speak "Your outside lights on that plug are
shagged. I have made a note of this on the cert and it's up to you what you
would like to do about this".



and I am pre-empting nuisance tripping from these lights.

Is is best to just disconnect them completely or is there any way of
isolating them so that they don't cause nuisance tripping?

Dual-pole RCD where they come into the house, and switch that off when
you don't want anything on that outdoor circuit?

No need for double pole RCD switching unless it is a TT supply (and even
then it's not all that important).

Double pole switching for outside lights is always a good idea if it is a
shared RCD.



--
Adam