A question for the electricians

[BlackTails]

I have a light-switch that controls two 2A sockets. Three round pin sockets, that take a tiny unfused 2A plug*.

I have a lamp plugged into each socket (the lamps have 2A plugs, but could easily be switched back to 13A plugs), and using the switch I can turn both lamps on and off from the wall and dim them. All good so far.

I (or rather mygoodladywife) have acquired two more lamps.

Four plugs (two 2A unfused, two 13A fused), two 2A sockets, one wall switch.

How do I get all four lamps working off the single switch?

Can I take a couple of two gang 13A extension leads, cut the 13A plug off them and put 2A plugs on them? Or is there such a thing as a 2/3/4 gang 2A extension lead, with 2A sockets and a 2A plug?

*they are definitely 2A plugs - I made the mistake of buying 3A plugs and found they were too big for the sockets.

[RizzoTheRat]

First off I'm not an electrician!

I wouldn't put a 2A plug on a 13A power strip. Too much risk that someone would plug some 13A stuff in to it and try and run it from a 2A socket.

If you can't find a 2A extension, one alternative option would be a smart socket and remote to run them from a 13A socket. For example the Ikea Tretakt or Inspelning smart plugs can be directly paired with a remote control wall switch, so you can use one smart plug on to a 13A multiway and then run the lamps off that. You'd need to fit 13A plugs to your other two lamps get all 4 working though.

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tretakt-plug-with-rem...

[BlackTails]

Good point on the 2A plug on a 13A power strip. In principle the sockets would all be occupied by the lamps and the whole thing tucked away out of sight, but I know from experience that when someone needs to charge a phone they tend not to care what’s already plugged into a socket.

The alternative option may be where we end up. We have a LightwaveRF eco-system. So all the functionality of the ikea plug, plus Alexa integration, at a much higher cost…

The downside of the alternative though is not being able to dim the lamps.

[RizzoTheRat]

Surely lightwave do a dimming module?

Don't know about Lightwave specifically, but if if your system is compatible with a smart bulb, the other option is to leave the lamps on all the time and just control the bulb.

I do this with my lounge bulbs where I couldn't find a dimmer I liked, I have a pair of smart bulbs in a fitting which is wired permanently on and the switch just tells Home Assistant to turn them on or off. I then have Low, Medium and High brightness presets that I can tell Alexa to set.

The bodge option is wire 2 lamps in to one plug

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Friday 13th December 13:17

[BlackTails]

It looks like they have something called a scene selector, which may well do the job. I’ll try that.

[tux850]

BlackTails said:

Good point on the 2A plug on a 13A power strip. In principle the sockets would all be occupied by the lamps and the whole thing tucked away out of sight, but I know from experience that when someone needs to charge a phone they tend not to care what’s already plugged into a socket.

Plugging phone chargers in would be absolutely fine. It'd be something like a heater that draws a lot of current that'd present a potential issue. If the risk of this happening is low/zero then you could mark up the extension lead accordingly to warn against plugging anything about 2A in - even just for your own sakes in case you ever end up forgetting what you'd done!

[Mr Pointy]

OP: change to the more usual 5A sockets & plugs & fit double sockets:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lieber-Silk-White-Gang-So...

[Rough101]

2 flexes into one plug if you’re handy.

[BlackTails]

Mr Pointy said:

OP: change to the more usual 5A sockets & plugs & fit double sockets:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lieber-Silk-White-Gang-So...

Nice idea in principle, but that would involve excavating bits of brick wall. Whilst I am quite capable of doing that, on this occasion I am after a quicker easier solution.

Rough101 said:

2 flexes into one plug if you’re handy.

Not into a 2A plug! Getting one cable in is hard enough. They are crazy small.

[DorsetSparky]

Rough101 said:

2 flexes into one plug if you’re handy.

Username checks out!

[IJWS15]

The hall of residence I lived in for 3 years limited us to 2A sockets. For three years I ran en extension with two 13A sockets including a kettle. Nothing melted.

IIRC the lead was previously used by my brother who had similar issues at a different university.

[Belle427]

I wouldnt have an issue with using an extension lead if its fused correctly.

[Rough101]

DorsetSparky said:

Username checks out!

Or a choc box and wago’s if you can’t manage it. Some lamps have tiny flat twin flex.

[Mr Pointy]

This is what you need but sadly they are museum pieces:

https://flameport.com/electric_museum/plugs_conver...

[BlackTails]

Mr Pointy said:

This is what you need but sadly they are museum pieces:

https://flameport.com/electric_museum/plugs_conver...

Yes - I came across those in my googling, but as you say: museum pieces.

The solution, which is not perfect: the two new lamps plug into LWRF smart plugs, and those are controlled by a battery operated LWRF scene selector switch.

Pros: I can control the new lamps individually or together using Alexa or the scene selector. The scene selector has quite a clever little trick in its set up, which means one press turns both lamps on, two presses turns one on and three turns the other on. Same for off.

Cons: the scene selector can’t dim the smart plugs. This actually makes sense, in that no plug is smart enough to be able to work out what’s plugged into it. So if I were to plug my TV into the smart plug, it probably wouldn’t be a good thing if I were able to dim my TV. Ditto, eg, a microwave or a fridge.

Had I been able to get all four lamps - the two old and the two new - plugged into the two sockets somehow, I would only have been able to dim them all together to the same levels, as the two sockets both run off one switch. That would probably have been a bit restrictive.