Any problems with this loft light set up?

[FullPint]

Hi,

I'm planning to put some new lights in the loft and wanted to check I'm going about it properly. Any advice is welcome!

This shows what I'm planning:

There are 8 lights because they have to be mounted quite low and there are joists in several places which will block a lot of light.

The junction box JB1 at the bottom of the pic is an existing one I'll take a feed from. The lighting circuit is protected by a 6A MCB.

I'm planning to use 1.0mm T&E, a 1 gang 2 way switch, oval bulkhead lights (because they are cheap!), and energy efficient bulbs.

Everything will be mounted on visible woodwork in the loft space.

Am I doing anything dumb here? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[FullPint]

Photobucket seems to be down, so here's another copy of that image:

 

[Taylortwocities]

Looks good to me!

 

[FullPint]

Thanks TTC!

The main thing I wanted to check was that I didn't need to use 1.5mm T&E. I figured not as even with 100w bulbs (which would be blinding in that space) the load would be under 3.5 Amps and well within 1.0mm T&E capacity but I wanted to make sure.

Cheers!

 

[Taylortwocities]

If its wired in 1.5 then you must extend it in 1.5mm
1mm is fine on a 6A CB . The fuse is there to protect the cable. But check to see what other load is on that fuse.
In any event you are using LE lamps probable load 11W per lamp so u should be OK. Bear in mind you'll have 8 of them all starting up at the same time.....

 

[FullPint]

Thanks again TTC. I checked the current cable and ordered the bits I need from Screwfix...

Argh!

Compact Fluorescent Lamps my ass! They don't fit in the damn enclosures! Have a look... the first picture shows one of them between some standard E27 bulbs I had lying around, the next is a standard E27 in one of the enclosure and other bulbs and a sealed enclosure for comparison.

I knew they'd be a bit bigger but that's crazy. If Screwfix showed the bulb dimensions then fair enough it would be my mistake, but as they don't they can have them back - they are having a laugh calling that compact.

 

[RF Lighting]

Should have used a megaman lamp

This 11W lamp is only 70mm long (end to end)



http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MGGB11ES.html

 

[Taylortwocities]

Get a return credit from Screwfix. They're pretty good about it.

 

[FullPint]

Thanks guys,

RF Lighting - nice one, I'll have a look at those. Doesn't that site say they're 102mm rather than 70mm? Probably still small enough though, I'll have to get the tape measure out!

Taylortwocities - good suggestion, Screwfix have taken the bulbs back without any hassle. I'm really impressed with their service so far.

Now I just have to find the time to put the final four lights up! Thanks again!

 

[JohnD]

I bet your supermarket has CFLs including some with a sort of twisted element like a Mr Whippy ice cream, they seem very small (but ugly). lower power ones are smaller.

The "bulb" shape on the ones you got is to make them look prettier by hiding the tubes.

Those wellglass luminaires are a bit tight, but you can get a "drum" lamp quite cheaply which is also waterproof and has a clip on cover, it takes the longer CFLs.

 

[CallEdsFirst]

Omicron do tiddley ones too I believe. Just tell your friendly wholesaler that Stearns keep them on the shelf as a rule! But not the GLS immitations, they're still quite large.

Alternatively, why not PL bulkheads that take normal compact fluorescents rather than the E27/B22 retro fit jobbies. ASDs 2D fittings must be a pittance these days!

 

[FullPint]

JohnD - Thanks, those spiral type lamps look like the way to go. Maybe this or this, they both seem small and are good value. I'll just need to make sure and measure before I order this time!

CallEdsFirst - If I'd realised that it was going to be a pain finding small enough bulbs I'd have gone for that type of enclosure, but I just went for the cheapest OK looking ones I could find. Hindsight eh?


[Edit - corrected one of the product links]

 

[CallEdsFirst]

7/9W aint gonna do much for you! Can't you return the cheap bulkheads?

 

[FullPint]

Sorry, they should both have been 9w bulbs, I updated the 2nd link.

9w is equivalent to 40w incandescent and there are 8 of them so it should be fine. They are mounted quite low down so I went for many less bright lamps rather than a couple of blinding ones.

 

[CallEdsFirst]

Can I ask how big is this loft and what is it going to be used for? If its just storage, this is mega overkill, if a converted room, pretty ugly. Is it a trainset? Thats the only sort of thing that would need this much thought given to light but not need to be pretty!