Bedside wall lights

[panther100]

I'm looking to install two bedside wall lamps. One on each side of the bed.
On each side of the bed is a socket.
I have done some searching on here and google and was just wondering if you guys could confirm something for me.

The sockets are part of the ring main. Am I right in thinking that I can spur off each one to an FCU and then to the lamp? If that is the case what size should the fuse be as I had read that it should be a 3amp fuse.

Thanking you in advance.

 

[OwainDIYer]

Yes and yes.

You can use one fused spur for both lamps if you want.

 

[panther100]

Excellent thank you. I'll probably stick to two switches per lamp as I'll just use these to turn them on and off from the bed side.

Kind of like a hotel room.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You may want to think about two two-way switches so that both lights can be operated from both sides.
Is that what you meant by two switches per lamp?

After all, you don't want to have to turn over to switch off the other one.

 

[panther100]

Not what I meant. I meant an FCU to each lamp but I had considered doing what you suggested actually but thought it may be over complicated or over load the spur.

When I get in front of my PC tomorrow I'm going to draw up a plan. I'll post it up for you guys approval.

 

[JohnW2]

Not what I meant. I meant an FCU to each lamp but I had considered doing what you suggested actually but thought it may be over complicated or over load the spur.

It's obviously up to you to decide whether you would regard it as 'over complicated' (it would require a cable or two between the switches on the two sides of the bed) but it most certainly wouldn't overload the spur.

Kind Regards, John

 

[winston1]

Am I missing something but why not put a plug on each light and plug in to the adjacent socket?

The fuse, plug or FCU is to protect the cable, not the light so not necessarily 3 amp. For filament lamps best to use 5 amp to avoid nuisance blowing when a lamp fails.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I'm looking to install two bedside wall lamps. One on each side of the bed.

 

[winston1]

Am I missing something but why not put a plug on each light and plug in to the adjacent socket?

 

[deadshort]

That would be dependant on where the individuals standard of installation, and sense of aesthetic sits.
Clearly the OP's obviously sits above yours

DS

 

[panther100]

Right so I have mocked up a quick diagram of what I am now anticipating. Hopefully someone on here could give me a little guidance on the best way to wire between the two switches and the lamps. I'm in the process of drawing that up and will post it once complete

 

[JohnW2]

Right so I have mocked up a quick diagram of what I am now anticipating. ....

That looks fine. You probably don't really need a switched FCU - an unswitched one would be adequate. There will be quite a lot going on in the back boxes behind the two 2-gang switches, so it might get quite crowded - you might want to use pretty deep back boxes.

Kind Regards, John

 

[panther100]

That looks fine. You probably don't really need a switched FCU - an unswitched one would be adequate.

That was going to be my next question but you have answered it perfectly and that is what I will do.

In my diagram below I have negated the earths and neutrals which will be connected/joined correctly behind the switches either using either wago connectors or choc boxes.

Thank you for all your help.

 

[JohnW2]

In my diagram below ....

No, your diagram is wrong. To get the sort of 2-way switching (either light can be turned on and off from either side of the bed), you need more complicated wiring than that - with what you have proposed, it would not be possible to turn a light off from one side of the bed if it had been turned on with the switch on the other side. Read up on 2-way switching in this forum's wiki, and then let us know if you have further questions. You will need two 3-core+earth cables between switches, and probably also a twin+earth cable (to provide a neutral for the light on the side of the switch remote from the FCU)..

Kind Regards, John

 

[deadshort]

Hi, 2x 3 core is enough between switches.


1 live
2 Neutral
3 1x L1
4 1x L2
5 1x L1
6 1x L2

DS