socket outlet on a lighting loop..! (6 amp MCB)

[GT1]

Crawling around a loft today.. found a surface mount single gang socket outlet powering a TV antenae booster..

So I was preparing myself for the usual conversation about the fact that its not to regs etc etc.... however when i looked at it closer, I saw it was wired from the loop in the same 1.5mm.. (so no change in CSA) and the I opened the plug top to find it was fused down to 3amp..

Can someone throw me a line..? (im shattered from crawling around on hands and needs all day and about to go and try and shower off all the loft fibres from my forearms..!) my brain has gone numb on this one..!
cheers

 

[gamblor6]

the socket has the potential for a larger load to be connected, even tho its in a loft. my view would be to change the socket for a spur.

 

[Gravid]

Seen this a few times, just to power the tv booster. Worked with a gang once who actually left a loop out of one of the roses for exactly this purpose.

 

[Sav]

Hi,
We done the same thing at some Barratt new builds a while back. We put labels on the socket marked T.V amp only and it was a single socket.
So i guess your allright to leave it alone and go home !!
Have a great evening,
Sav

 

[jeremy]

If it's labelled for sole use for booster I can't see a problem and even if they did put a bigger load on it the mcb would trip long before any cable damage occurred. Is the socket face horizontal or vertical?

 

[Guest123]

Very regular occurance is this, as long as it is a 6A MCB it's fine and lets be honest, who's going to go up the attic to plug something else into it???

 

[GT1]

The socket is horizontal.
As far as a larger load is concerned. As stated the plug top is fused down to 3 amp.
To be honest it's only a 5 min job to swop out the socket plate for a fcu. So will probably do that. Just goes against the grain to have a socket outlet in a lighting circuit. !
And. There are other matters in there to attend to !!

 

[Sav]

Agree with Lenny.
Only, the ones that we did were inside a cupboard, hence why they were marked.

Sav

 

[gamblor6]

gt1 i was young and it was my first job lol

 

[GT1]

Haha. Nice one gamblor.
Obviously before the age of cable clips then !!!

 

[jeremy]

I'd move it off the "floor" so nothing can be stored on top of it but leave it as a socket. If the booster needs to be removed for whatever reason it can just be unplugged. I hate lofts.

 

[telectrix]

or you could fit a round pin 5A socket and plug. that,s the way i would do it. see loads in pubs for table lamps.

 

[roukel01]

Like previously said, if its labeled up for the amp then it should be fine, its only the same as getting away with not putting an RCD in for a socket if you label it up for a specific purpose.

 

[Spudnik]

Yup, i do it all the time..

 

[GT1]

Thanks fellas.
Brain now back in it's box !!

 

[Darkwood]

you can also put a 5amp socket outlet on round pin and change the plug too or T pin socket have it marked up as it will avoid nuisance tripping when joiner cant plug his 110v tranny in next time hes up there, i agree a 13amp outlet shouldn't be fitted to a 5amp circuit when there are plenty of alternatives, lofts are usually dark and dingy so simply marking up 13amp outlet for aerial booster isnt good enough as ive seen loads of trades men ignore these over the years and use them for all sorts.

 

[Sintra]

3 pin plug in ceiling rose was my weapon of choice at home. Reason was i couldn't find a 5A socket in the shed.

 

[nickblake]

im just going to add you could always put a fused spur next to it with a 3 amp fuse in it then there is no chance of overloading

 

[dixon9]

The socket is horizontal.
As far as a larger load is concerned. As stated the plug top is fused down to 3 amp.
To be honest it's only a 5 min job to swop out the socket plate for a fcu. So will probably do that. Just goes against the grain to have a socket outlet in a lighting circuit. !
And. There are other matters in there to attend to !!

Interested in forum members opinion on this one: If you were conducting a PIR on this house, what code would you give the loose, unclipped cables in the loft?

 

[stuylangford]

wouldnt have seen them.always put havent been in loft in limitations box.