Installing Outdoor Lighting

[Zman248]

Hi All,

New to the forum, looking for some advice.

I'm a fairly competent DIYer and have completed some other minor electrical stuff recently... I'm looking to install some outdoor lights in my new house as currently have none. There is no existing lighting circuit outside or sockets, however there is an outdoor terminal connecting the power supply to the garage to the feed from the consumer unit in the utility room (pictured).

I spoke to an electrician recently and he said the outdoor lighting circuit could be taken from this, though he was asking for an obscene amount of money for the job...

My question is, can I essentially spur off this point to create a lighting circuit? I understand that I would need to first put in a fused spur to downrate to 5A then run to a switch and subsequently the lights - is this right? I would have the fused spur and switches also on the exterior wall to save any internal mess being created.

In the picture, the grey cable feeding from back come from the consumer unit in the house and the black cable then feeds to another smaller consumer unit in the garage (powering a socket circuit and a light circuit).

Thanks for any help in advance!

 

[winston1]

Sounds OK. You don’t need a FCU and a switch. You can use a switched FCU for both functions.

 

[Zman248]

Is it common to use a switch fused spur as just a switch? I'm actually looking to install two sets of lights that I'd like to be able to control separately so was going to put in a 2 gang switch from the FCU

 

[winston1]

Is it common to use a switch fused spur as just a switch?

Yes.

I'm actually looking to install two sets of lights that I'd like to be able to control separately so was going to put in a 2 gang switch from the FCU

OK.

 

[ericmark]

Very likely in England you can, but looking at a box with wires in tells us nothing, since new houses have RCD protection on all circuits you need an isolator, which can be combined with the FCU, the FCU on it's own not good enough as it does not switch neutral, and should an outside light get water in it, you need to be able to isolate it to stop it tripping the RCD.

I would for same reason not want it on same circuit (RCD) as freezer.

Since whole reason for isolator is to stop a RCD tripping if water gets in, really want that in the dry.

My house I have a B16 RCBO feeding a FCU ready for outside stuff, there is no real need for the FCU I did not fit it, as if water does get in, only the RCBO will trip which only supplies that one item.

So when we do work we complete the minor works certificate and we sign to say we have designed it. Even if you done fill in the minor works certificate you should still do all it asks, they are a free download from IET site. It serves as a good check list, so if that box is fed from a 16 amp or smaller RCBO then you can just fit lamp, but if it comes from a MCB then you need to consider what else will be lost if the RCD trips.

I'm actually looking to install two sets of lights that I'd like to be able to control separately so was going to put in a 2 gang switch from the FCU

You can buy grid switches so you can fit what fuses or switches you like, Screwfix LAP range do not need the grid and plate in the same way, so work out quite cheap and easy to use.

 

[Zman248]

Very likely in England you can, but looking at a box with wires in tells us nothing, since new houses have RCD protection on all circuits you need an isolator, which can be combined with the FCU, the FCU on it's own not good enough as it does not switch neutral, and should an outside light get water in it, you need to be able to isolate it to stop it tripping the RCD.

I would for same reason not want it on same circuit (RCD) as freezer.

Since whole reason for isolator is to stop a RCD tripping if water gets in, really want that in the dry.

My house I have a B16 RCBO feeding a FCU ready for outside stuff, there is no real need for the FCU I did not fit it, as if water does get in, only the RCBO will trip which only supplies that one item.

So when we do work we complete the minor works certificate and we sign to say we have designed it. Even if you done fill in the minor works certificate you should still do all it asks, they are a free download from IET site. It serves as a good check list, so if that box is fed from a 16 amp or smaller RCBO then you can just fit lamp, but if it comes from a MCB then you need to consider what else will be lost if the RCD trips.

You can buy grid switches so you can fit what fuses or switches you like, Screwfix LAP range do not need the grid and plate in the same way, so work out quite cheap and easy to use.

Very helpful, thank you!

 

[ericmark]

I used the LAP grid system to extend a spur, the double socket bottom became a single socket, switch, and fuse in original back box.