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Ask The Trades › DIY Forum › Electrical Questions › Rewiring an Old Table Lamp

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Rewiring an Old Table Lamp (Read 6094 times)

aidanhh

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Rewiring an Old Table Lamp
Sep 30^th, 2010, 12:43pm

Hi, I'm rewiring an old table lamp. It came already with a new 3 core wire, so I've installed a plug with an earthing terminal. I think the plug had a 13A fuse in it.

I know want to install an inline 3 core switch. But there are many, and some are described as 2AMP, others 3AMP, some 6 AMP, and others still at 10AMP.

I'm not sure what I can use with what? Is it okay that my plug has a 13AMP fuse in it, and if so, which switch would I need to remain safe?

Thank you! The different numbered amps are confusing me and I can't find any answers on the net! I just don't want to do anything dangerous,

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Lectrician Administrator Trade Member Author Offline Ask The Trades Posts: 8815 Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0 Braunton, North Devon United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Electrician	Re: Rewiring an Old Table Lamp Reply #1 - Sep 30^th, 2010, 9:30pm Assuming just a standard light bulb, you should have a 3amp fuse in the plug and any switch with a rating 3amp or above.
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aidanhh GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0	Re: Rewiring an Old Table Lamp Reply #2 - Oct 6^th, 2010, 10:01am Thanks Lectrician! It is a standard plug (Homebase) but it came with a 13A fuse. I left that in it. Should I replace it with a 3A? Or is it ok to leave in there.
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TIMBA-WOLF Board Moderator Offline Timba-Wolf..... Var@*sh, should be banned!! Posts: 7158 Total Thanks: 15 For This Post: 0 KENT,(under a tree!!!!) United Kingdom Gender: Trade: Joiner	Re: Rewiring an Old Table Lamp Reply #3 - Oct 6^th, 2010, 11:32am Quote: Thanks Lectrician! It is a standard plug (Homebase) but it came with a 13A fuse. I left that in it. Should I replace it with a 3A? YES!!Or is it ok to leave in there.NO, replace it!!
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aidanhh GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 15 For This Post: 0	Re: Rewiring an Old Table Lamp Reply #4 - Oct 6^th, 2010, 6:55pm Thank you. I'll change the plug's fuse. One other question: If I now have a 3A fuse in the plug, and a 6A switch on the flex, ca the flex be 6A? Or does that have to have a 3A rating?
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Lectrician

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Re: Rewiring an Old Table Lamp
Reply #5 - Oct 7^th, 2010, 7:10am

Anything above 3amp.

The flex would be something like 0.5mm² or 0.75mm². 1mm² is probably too large for your switch and lamp holder.

For refference:

All you need to do is calculate the current drawn by your light - so the wattage of the lamp (100watt for example). 100watt devided by 230volt is only 0.44amps.

The fuse in the plug needs to be closely matached to this, 3amps being the smallest common size (smaller are available, but a 3amp would be what most would use).

Then everything else in the circuit such as the cable, switch, lamp holder etc must have a rating equal to or larger than 3amp.

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aidanhh GDPR opt-out Total Thanks: 109 For This Post: 0	Re: Rewiring an Old Table Lamp Reply #6 - Oct 7^th, 2010, 4:57pm That is exactly what I needed. Thank you so much, Lectrician!
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