Connecting 2 Nest cameras to loft plug, possibly lighting circuit

chriso · Nov 28, 2020

I have 2 Google Nest Outdoor cameras that I’d like to mount front and back under the eaves and power from the loft. Their power details:

“Plugs into a standard household power outlet
AC adapter input: 100–240V AC, 50/60Hz, 0.2AAC
adapter output: 5V DC, 1.4A”

This house is a rental, so no ability to run more power / make big holes in walls.

In the loft is a round pin socket already wired, with a round pin connected cable going to a tv arial booster box. The plug says 5A/240V. The cable going to the socket says AEI 167/001.

As each camera is 1.4A, would I be ok to have 2 cameras and this tv booster plugged into this prewired outlet?

I would want to leave the outlet as is with round pins (rental house), but take an extension blog that has normal 13A square pins and put a round pin plug on the end. Then plug the two cameras and booster into this extension.

Does that sound ok? How can I be sure the load on the lighting circuit with those 3 items is ok, to plug into this outlet.

Just to be clear, no heavy electrical item would be plugged into the extension, just these two cameras and the booster. When we leave the rental I’d take the extension with us and put a round pin back on the booster and leave it plugged in as shown.

I’ve attached some pics. Any thoughts?

Many thanks

westward10 · Nov 28, 2020

It should be fine they will never overload the circuit. The 1.4A is the adapter power output, not the input which would be considerably less.
If your extension lead has 1.25 or 1.5 flex it may be difficult to connect to the 5A plug so I would suggest buying the parts separate, a four way extension end and some 1.0 three-core flex which can be obtained by the metre.

Rockingit · Nov 28, 2020

I've exactly this in my own loft - a 13A 4way block to run 2 x Nest cams and a wifi booster, coming off the lighting ring.

I'd just come off that single 13A socket your booster is in already, unsure where the 5A round pin comes in??

westward10 · Nov 28, 2020

Rockingit said:
I've exactly this in my own loft - a 13A 4way block to run 2 x Nest cams and a wifi booster, coming off the lighting ring.

I'd just come off that single 13A socket your booster is in already, unsure where the 5A round pin comes in??

It is a 5A and not a 13A socket.

Rockingit · Nov 28, 2020

Oh..... I get it, OK. Yep..... just get a flimsy cheap 4way and the cable will be a piece of string anyway ?

chriso · Nov 28, 2020

Thanks for the replies.

sorry newbie here

“If your extension lead has 1.25 or 1.5 flex it may be difficult to connect to the 5A plug”

is that the lead thickness etc rather than cables being different?

https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/5a-unfused-round-pin-plug-white/22877

get a surge protected one for safety?
https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/masterplug-13a-4-gang-switched-surge-protected-extension-lead-1m/1601g

then take the plug off and stick the other plug on?

newt camera the manual says you should plug in to a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter). Is that only if it’s an outdoor plug though? Plug socket indoors, I guess the camera in theory could get water in it but I’m sure unlikely.

just want to be sure/safe as it’s a house rental and don’t want to do anything wrong.

thanks

westward10 · Nov 28, 2020

The cables will be different, a 1.5 cable is thicker than a 1.25. The 1.5 will take more current. You don't need a new 5A plug as the old one can probably be reused. You will need a 13A plug for the aerial amplifier once the 5A is removed. You can get a surge protected lead but I think you will struggle to get the fitted flex into that 5A plug.
You can get separate ends without a flex like this then get a metre of 1.0 flex.
https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-elec/97...0iobti5DMhc9cP8nXiAYCfZFLfGwuCY0aAtUAEALw_wcB

Rockingit · Nov 29, 2020

chriso said:
Thanks for the replies.

sorry newbie here

“If your extension lead has 1.25 or 1.5 flex it may be difficult to connect to the 5A plug”

is that the lead thickness etc rather than cables being different?

https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/5a-unfused-round-pin-plug-white/22877

get a surge protected one for safety?
https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/masterplug-13a-4-gang-switched-surge-protected-extension-lead-1m/1601g

then take the plug off and stick the other plug on?

newt camera the manual says you should plug in to a GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter). Is that only if it’s an outdoor plug though? Plug socket indoors, I guess the camera in theory could get water in it but I’m sure unlikely.

just want to be sure/safe as it’s a house rental and don’t want to do anything wrong.

thanks

The cameras have their own power supplies anyway which are separate - when you look at them it's that round thing that they plug into. If they're inside and you've just got the second cable poking under the eaves then you're only dealing with 5v DC running down a USB cable essentially - in other words, you'll be fine. And as Westward said.... all you actually need is a new 13a plug - which - you might strike lucky and find a non-moulded one on the end of the 4way you need to get!

chriso · Dec 6, 2020

Just been up on the loft to look ? Plug on left is 5A round pin, no fuse and no earth. On the right 13A connected to extension.

I'm ok to swap these over? Do I just wire the earth cable into the top pin to match and it should all be ok? No issue having something wired into earth pin connected to lighting circuit plug?

thanks