Cable lighting query? How long can i go???

[Silverfox999]

Hi

I would love to install a cable light solution in a long room (8.8m long).

The room has a vaulted ceiling with 150mm of Celotex in the ceiling and i don't fancy cutting great chunks out of the celotex to install downlighters.

I thought that a cable lighting solution might prevent, cutting of the celotex and also provide a nice looking solution.

Problem is that the most of the cable lights i have seen are only about 4-5m long.

Any help appreciated.

 

[ericmark]

I am assuming you mean the type where you hang lamps off two wires often steel suspended across the ceiling?

These are normally 12 volt so a 50W lamp will draw 4 amp so with for example 4 lamps that 16A and steel is not as good as copper at conducting.

There are two problems the wire can get hot and the lamps can become as a result dim compared with normal.

Two ways around the problem is to use thicker wire or energy saving bulbs however with latter do check the min ratting of transformer (inverter). Plus of course centre feed better than end feed or feed at both ends but must use same transformer and with HF types a ring can give some odd results better not feeding both ends if you can help it.

The other is lighting track. Because this runs at 230v not 12v the volt drop is not a problem and there are many different makes.

Lighting is a specialised subject and one can get surprising results. One guy wanted 10 x 10W lamps in his living room saying he had 100W in last house and it was ample. It looked like a planetarium thought I was in Jodral Bank. I would avoid the little 50mm lamps as a result of seeing that. They are great for lighting a picture on the wall useless for lighting a room.