Adding loft lighting

[geojay]

I’d like to add some permanent lighting to my loft. Currently, the loft has a double socket on the upstairs ring and that double socket has a fused switched spur to a towel heater in the top floor bathroom below.

I’m planning on using three 16W batten lights from Screwfix.

Firstly, is acceptable to add a second fused switched spur for these LED loft lights? Should I connect it to the double socket on the ring or the existing fused switched spur? I’ll use a switched fused spur as it’ll be located above the loft hatch and thus be convenient to turn on without a separate switch.

Secondly, what rated cable should I use to link from the existing installation to the new switched fused spur? I’ll use 1mm² twin and earth after the switched fused spur along with a 3 amp fuse.

Finally, given that the lights fittings have no earth connection, I assume I should otherwise still use twin & earth cable and connect the earth up throughout the system? I’ll use junction boxes to connect the light flexes to the twin & earth cable and to allow the cable to go in different directions to each light from the switched fused spur.

Is there anything else I need to consider?

Thanks in anticipation

 

[pete01]

You could use flex and plug the lights into the socket.

 

[foxhole]

I use an inline sensor so no switch required , turns on as you enter .

 

[mikehammer69]

I use an inline sensor so no switch required , turns on as you enter .

I'm not a fan of sensors in attics and similar locations

Lights could be on for a year without knowing

 

[foxhole]

I'm not a fan of sensors in attics and similar locations

Lights could be on for a year without knowing

Sensor only keeps the light on while the room is occupied no danger of it staying on.

 

[mikehammer69]

Sensor only keeps the light on while the room is occupied no danger of it staying on.

That's the hope

 

[foxhole]

That's the hope

No that’s the sensor timer .

 

[geojay]

I’m definitely going for a switch so no need to worry about occupancy sensors.

Any thoughts on my original questions?

Thanks in anticipation

 

[pete01]

Yea you can spur from an already spurred socket but not from the original spur.....so you will end up with 4 cables at the original socket so it could be tricky to connect.

 

[ebee]

Well to stick to the rules you only spur unfused once from any point on the ring - you are allowed to spur to one twin/single socket/Fused Connection Unit although in reality two single sockets or two FCUs are electrically no different from a twin socket because in each case a maximum of two 13A fuses will limit current - the reason that the rule was changed was changed from once allowing such things to not allowing it was to avoid a not uncommon mistake of, for instance in the future, someone unkowingly changing a single socket to a twin socket thereby causing a spur limited to 3 or 4 limiting13A fuses thereby allowing a potential for overloading.

If there was such a device manufactured as a twin FCU it would surely be allowed at the end of one unfused spur just the same as a twin socket is.

PS - The name "Spur" is essentially that piece of cable and is NOT the name of an FCU (whether switched or unswitched) although it is often wrongly used as such.

Conceivably you could wire an spur 2.5 T & E cable to an FCU (max 13A fuse) from the Ring Final Circuit (or a Radial Final Circuit) then to several FCUs that is feeding any number of items you want to whether in one long line or several radial spokes of wiring because the maximum load will be limited by that one 13A fuse at the supply end of the that spur total - the whole total of any current drawn on that spur will always be limited by one 13A fuse.

Note - a 13A fuse does actually allow a little more than just 13A to flow but that is another subject for another day.

Conclusion - in your situation you could have one spur from the ring supplying one FCU input and the output of that FCU feeding two (or more) FCUs .
That might be your most elegant solution and would comply with the Regs.

 

[Collectors]

Not sure if your loft is like my one, but most are brown in colour & i fitted 3x25w led bulbs & the light is perfect. This is a bungalow & the lofts are often larger. I also found the 6000K brighter, but not so warm.

 

[pete01]

Well to stick to the rules you only spur unfused once from any point on the ring - you are allowed to spur to one twin/single socket/Fused Connection Unit although in reality two single sockets or two FCUs are electrically no different from a twin socket because in each case a maximum of two 13A fuses will limit current - the reason that the rule was changed was changed from once allowing such things to not allowing it was to avoid a not uncommon mistake of, for instance in the future, someone unkowingly changing a single socket to a twin socket thereby causing a spur limited to 3 or 4 limiting13A fuses thereby allowing a potential for overloading.

If there was such a device manufactured as a twin FCU it would surely be allowed at the end of one unfused spur just the same as a twin socket is.

PS - The name "Spur" is essentially that piece of cable and is NOT the name of an FCU (whether switched or unswitched) although it is often wrongly used as such.

Conceivably you could wire an spur 2.5 T & E cable to an FCU (max 13A fuse) from the Ring Final Circuit (or a Radial Final Circuit) then to several FCUs that is feeding any number of items you want to whether in one long line or several radial spokes of wiring because the maximum load will be limited by that one 13A fuse at the supply end of the that spur total - the whole total of any current drawn on that spur will always be limited by one 13A fuse.

Note - a 13A fuse does actually allow a little more than just 13A to flow but that is another subject for another day.

Conclusion - in your situation you could have one spur from the ring supplying one FCU input and the output of that FCU feeding two (or more) FCUs .
That might be your most elegant solution and would comply with the Regs.

Is there a rule that says you cant spur twice from the same point?

I obviously know you cant spur from a spur.

 

[boringoldcodger]

I'm not an electrician.

given that the lights fittings have no earth connection, I assume I should otherwise still use twin & earth cable and connect the earth up throughout the system?

Yes. I'd expect the lights to have an earth terminal even if it's just to park the earth wire.