I have a light in the loft but want to add in a single power point. Can I just take it off the light switch or is this not wise?
2007-03-18 22:43:11 · 20 answers · asked by Dom 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
No.
Sorry to say, but the fact you ask that question suggests that you need to get an electrician in.
In the UK it is against the law to 'Add' (loosely interpreted) extra wiring to certain rooms, even though you can buy the cable. You could have problems when you come to sell the house or god forbid there is a fire! insurance companies won't pay out.
If you did try it:
The feed is broken by the light switch - hence no live & Neutral available (often ne earth!)
If you took it from the lighting ring, the fuse or breaker would blow / trip.
New wiring (colour change) stands out.
The existing wire is probably 1mm - Sockets use 2.5 mm T&E - risk of wiring burning out, if you used a high fuse / breaker.
See links below:
2007-03-18 23:11:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
It will depend on where the switched light is being fed from. If there is a pair of black and white wires going into the box that has the light switch and that the light is then fed from that switched black wire then there is no problem at all. Take the incoming black and white wires and add a cable to take them along to the new outlet.
If the live wires and the light are fed from another location then all you have in the box with the switch is a black wire that the switch turns on and off . That second wire is usually painted black so it will be obvious that there are is not a black plus white wire there. You can not feed a new outlet from that box since you do not have a complete set of black plus white wires that you can bring out from that box.
Your only other concern would be avoiding putting too many wires into the box with the switch since there is a maximum based on size of box and thickness of wires. See this link for how to check this http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/how-to/articles/more-wires-need-bigger-boxes.aspx
2007-03-19 11:27:01 · answer #2 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No you cannot use the lighting circuit to feed a normal 13A socket.
Jayktee is correct.
You only have a live conductor and a switchline in the switch there is no neutral.
Get an approved electrician to do this work for you.
DO NOT take the advice of some of these non-qualified people.
2007-03-19 09:16:11 · answer #3 · answered by robert22061954 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
NO! A switch will probably not have a neutral present in the box,and more importantly will be fed from a 5/6 amp circuit. A socket outlet requires to be supplied from a ring (32amp) or a radial (16amp) final sub-circuit, and wired throughout in the correct sized cable. Anyone that suggests this is allowable is 100% wrong.
2007-03-19 08:56:28 · answer #4 · answered by jayktee96 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
<>No, you cannot do that!!! Light switches only carry one-half (1/2) of a circuit and so cannot power an outlet. A circuit is made up of a hot wire and a common wire; both are needed to power a fixture (light, outlet, etc). When a switch is placed in the circuit, it is (usually) placed in the hot wire ONLY and the common wire is not present. I suggest you speak to an electrician if you do not have experience with home wiring.
2007-03-19 05:45:30 · answer #5 · answered by druid 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Jayktee9 is correct. The rating of the lighting circuit is the critical thing. Any circuit feeding a 13A outlet must at the very least meet the spec of the outlet (13A), your lighting circuit doesn’t.
2007-03-19 10:14:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes . as long as you tie into the hot side of it , not the switched side of it. in residential ;quite often the lites are tied into with the outlets. if the outlet is going to power up a heavy demand device it will cause the lites to momentarily slightly dim for a very breif milisecond. if it's just a convenience outlet with low demands ;you'll be fine
2007-03-19 13:16:41 · answer #7 · answered by pahump1@verizon.net 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The answer is NO! Lighting cable is normally 1.5mm, a power socket is 2.5mm. This is due to the heavier demand that a power tool, TV, hoover, food mixer etc requires compared to a light bulb.
2007-03-19 07:37:10 · answer #8 · answered by SIMON M 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Honestly and don't take this personally,by asking this question indicates your knowledge on domestic wiring and electricity is limited.Domestic electricity is an excellent slave but a terrible master
.Please gt a electrician to wire in an additional power point for you.
2007-03-19 08:36:26 · answer #9 · answered by bryte 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
ASOLUTELY NOT...YOU WILL BURN THE HOUSE DOWN. If you intend to use the extension for such things as tv's etc. you will need to run the extension from a wall power socket in the house. For Gods sake seek expert advice prior to messing about with electricity, which is, after all, one of the biggest killers in the home
2007-03-19 05:58:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋