Question says it all really. Based in the UK so mains is 240v and 20 amps. It's a lighting circuit.
Electrical – Is Duck/Duct Tape Safe for Insulating Mains Wires?
electrical
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Both of the bulbs you show are fluorescent (or more specifically, compact fluorescents "CFLs"). Fluorescent bulbs are characterized by their long opaque glass tubes and the electrical ballast in the base of the bulb which controls the light. (Commercial fluorescent lighting usually has the ballast built into the fixture instead of attached to the tube, but they work the same way).
Fluorescent lighting is one type of "energy-saving" bulbs, although it's not the only kind. Other types of energy saving bulbs are LEDs (newer, more expensive than CFLs but even more efficient). Halogens are sometimes considered "energy efficient", though they're only marginally better than old-fashioned incandescents.
You might contact the manufacturer and find out what exactly is the problem with fluorescent lights. It's possible the ballasts create some electrical "noise" that the smoke alarm doesn't like. Or maybe the alarm sends a trickle of current through the fixtures which is not noticeable for incandescents but can cause fluorescent or LED bulbs to glow slightly. See also Why does using a dimmer with this ceiling fan and lights cause energy saving bulbs to flicker? and Why do my LED lights stay on, even when the switch is off? .
The panel can indeed support a 240V breaker. The question you should ask is, is there space in the panel to physically accommodate additional breakers?
Based on the model number, your panel should look something like this.
Notice how this example image has lots of blank spaces. In a panel like this, there's no problem at all installing a new breaker (or double pole breaker in your case). However, it's not likely your panel looks like this. More probable, is your panel has all or nearly all the slots full.
If there are not two free spaces in the panel, you'll not be able to install a new breaker in this panel. You have a few options in this case.
- Install tandem breakers where possible to free up slots.
- Install a subpanel.
The other problem you could have, is that your current service will not handle the additional load. This panel can handle 100 amperes, but that does not mean you have 100 amp service. You'll have to check with the local utility to determine the size of the current service. If
Lastly, the panel might already be close to being overloaded. If you have all electric appliances (Range, Dryer, heat, water heater, etc.), adding a hot tub could cause the main breaker to trip from time to time. This will completely depend on your current consumption of power, which is not possible to know based on the information you've provided.
tl;dr
Contact a local licensed Electrician to determine what's required with installing a hot tub.
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Best Answer
Use an appropriately listed and labeled electrical tape instead if you must use tape -- duck tape is an unknown quantity when it comes to insulating properties, and also is more likely to combust if hit with sparks than a proper electrical tape would.
Of course, if you can use heat-shrink tubing or some sort of wire connector (wirenut or push-lock) instead, that's a much better solution -- electrical tape doesn't last the way a proper heat-shrink job does.