Aaron wrote:
Mark Carver wrote:

al wrote:

AFAIK, you shouldn't use the lighting circuit at all, as even if
you don't, a future person could attach something of high load and
cause a fire.



But any load higher than 5 or 6 amps would trip/blow the lighting
circuit's MCB or fuse, so I can't see how it would be dangerous ?
That's not to say it's reg-compliant ! The only safety issue
(ignoring the regs etc) would be the possible lack of RCD protection.


Maybe.. But not straight away, they take time to trip and even when they
do the chances are the cable has heated up considerably. So if a future
home owner does this on a regular basis he may damage the cable by
heating it too much. Eventually you'd get a short which may not
instantly blow a fuse (say if it's been replaced with one of the wrong
rating to stop it blowing!) and then you get your fire.

Another reason I think this may be a bad idea is if you get a novice
DIY-er who wishes to say install a double socket, he goes to his CU and
switches off the ring marked 'upstairs plugs' or whatever. So when he
thinks it's dead... It may not be. Same may go for a shower spur too.

Of course this is all hear-say by me who's electrical knowledge is
non-professional.

Yes, I'm not advocating leaving such an arrangement for any future house owner,
such a thing should obviously be removed if you sell the house, but for one's own
use, under your own control etc, I see nothing wrong.

Of course should your house burn down due to a totally unrelated cause, and the
socket connected to the lighting circuit is found by investigators, it might well
invalidate your insurance claim. :-)


--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply