domestic lighting circuit

[devonwoody]

How many watts/amps can a domestic lighting circuit cope with these days?

My memory fails me.

 

[Racers]

6A fuse so max 6X240V=1440Watts that's a lot of lamps.

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Pete - our supply is 230v now,apparently.

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks, the wifes idea has just gone out of the circuit.

 

[Racers]

No, they just changed the tolerance so it would be a nominal 230V, (+10-5V I seem to remember, cheaper than new transformers in all the distribution network!

Pete

 

[nanscombe]

1400 odd watts would be a hell of a lot of these new fangled energy saving bulbs but better not plug the electric iron into a spare bulb socket though. :lol:

 

[monkeybiter]

When we had our supply re-routed a couple of years ago the 'engineer' told me they were allowed 12% voltage variation!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I had a house once where the all electric cooker was a spur of the dining room light. I assume the woman there before didn't cook much.

 

[Racers]

My house had a socket in the garage wired with 1mm lighting cable clipped to the wooden roof, don't worry the 15A cable was protected by the 30A cooker fuse!

Pete

 

[AndyT]

Hi DW, I've had a look in my library and found out the latest info on connecting appliances to your lighting circuit - but do be careful. It's ok if you just want to do some soldering in bed, but don't go buying the dangerous sort of adaptor!

I'm sure Mrs DW will approve of the neat and tidy appearance this will give! :lol: :lol:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My grandmother had the old boy next door put an extension on her fridge flex. He left the original plug on the fridge lead, plugging it in to one side of a three way adaptor, then found a bit of spare cable and put a plug on both ends, plugging one into the socket and the other into the other side of the adaptor, which was taped up over the door lining. She didn't realise it was dangerous until she woke up on the floor after wiping the paintwork down with a wet cloth.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Where do you find all this stuff Andy :lol: ?

I've been to the odd agricultural show. some of which have a HSE stand. If you're lucky, they have a choice collection of dangerous items found on farms. On of my favourites came from a farm where an outbuilding had been internally wired, but the main supply was not yet connected. Our innovative but impatient farmer had made up an extension cable with a 13A plug on both ends (!), and plugged one end in in the house, and one in the shed. Simples.

Of course, that was some time ago, before we had part P in place to actively encourage such bodgery.

 

[bugbear]

Our innovative but impatient farmer had made up an extension cable with a 13A plug on both ends (!), and plugged one end in in the house, and one in the shed. Simples.

That's quite a common (and very dangerous) trick.

Some "practical" type will explain it to you, with an "aren't I clever" smirk on his face.

BugBear

 

[flying haggis]

Our innovative but impatient farmer had made up an extension cable with a 13A plug on both ends (!), and plugged one end in in the house, and one in the shed. Simples.<BR abp="778">

<BR abp="779"><BR abp="780">That's quite a common (and very dangerous) trick.<BR abp="781"><BR abp="782">Some "practical" type will explain it to you, with an "aren't I clever" smirk on his face.<BR abp="783"><BR abp="784">BugBear

that sort of extension lead is usually referred to as a "widowmaker"

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've mentioned before a trade show I was working at, in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, many years ago. I had a three-pin earthed cable to go into an extension lead on our stand. The stand erectors had laid in the wrong type - only a two-pin socket. Before I could stop him, a helpful sparks pulled a large pair of wirecutters from a tool belt and removed the earth pin from my plug, leaving me open mouthed.

On the rig day, the overhead lighting was turned off to save money. Propane-powered forklifts were haring around the show floor in the dark. How they didn't kill anyone I have no idea. It came close when they knocked a pile of boxes over...

 

[Graham Orm]

Having lived in our current castle for a couple of years a 'let's re-paper that wall' idea turned into 'lets take out the fireplace and re-plaster'. The job entailed exposing the wiring to some wall lights we've been using since we moved in. The wire was bell wire, connected into the back of a socket!

 

[devonwoody]

My wife thought it would be nice if I took down the electric flex lamp holder in the bedroom and fitted one of those flush to the ceiling heating element and light display set ups rated at 750 watts plus bulb. I know they need an earth circuit but when I added up everything on the lighting circuit I don't fancy it.

The consumer unit is already full up so she has had it.

edit.

Oh. btw do the low energy bulbs mean you actually read that low wattage as gospel?

 

[bugbear]

Oh. btw do the low energy bulbs mean you actually read that low wattage as gospel?

If you find an example of a false claim I suggest you contact the ASA or trading standards as appropriate.

BugBear

 

[Sheffield Tony]

In the IET magazine a while ago, it was mentioned that the US Deparment of Energy found in tests that the light output of LED lighting was mostly overstated, and in some cases by an order of magnitude. As for CFL's, the wattage equivalent figures at least need to be taken with a pinch of salt - IIRC there have been calls to re-assess them on the basis that they are not really equivalent in normal use, even if the total output measures the same, because of their different spectra.

 

[MMUK]

My wife thought it would be nice if I took down the electric flex lamp holder in the bedroom and fitted one of those flush to the ceiling heating element and light display set ups rated at 750 watts plus bulb.

:shock:

Those "bathroom" heaters are a waste of time anyway - they only heat the ceiling area and you'll be left with cold pinkies :ho2