Advantages of Separate Circuits for Lights and Sockets

Separating circuits for lights and sockets within an electrical system offers several significant advantages, promoting safety, efficiency, and tailored power usage.

To ensure safety, it is recommended to have a dedicated lighting circuit that just covers lighting. This is because the lighting circuit will have a lower breaker amperage covering it for protection and overload to protect any damage to the fixtures or danger to the consumers.

Similarly, placing the sockets on their own circuit would be needed, as they would have a larger load capability when compared to lighting. Therefore, they would be installed using a larger amperage circuit breaker for protection and overload.

By placing the lights and sockets on separate circuits, this also has a practical use when a problem or fault has occurred. For example, if you had a socket fault within a domestic property causing the sockets to trip and be unable to be used, the lights would still work as they are on a different circuit. This would allow the homeowner to safely move around the house and it be habitable whilst the socket issue is being rectified.