bathroom light

[JamesThomas]

This is a useful board!

I've found much the same problem replacing a light in our bathroom and was wondering what the right thing to do is. (An additional complication is that the bathroom has a flat roof, so no loft access.) As all the bathroom lights I've seen are just designed for L, N + earth, should my bathroom light really be working with a junction box?

I could drill a slightly larger hole in the back of the light fitting and deal with all the wiring inside it with connector blocks, but am wondering what the right thing to do is.

Thanks for any help, James.
________________________________
Lynda, moderator

Welcome aboard, but please note forum rule 20, your post has been split

 

[Adam_151]

Mount one of these ( http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MTMDLB6.html ) in the ceiling, conenct your loop in inside it with a trip of choc block and mount the light over it?

 

[plugwash]

if you can get the connections inside the fitting in a way that they won't get in the way of anything or get too near hot things then doing them in the fitting with terminal block is perfectly acceptable.

the round dryline box is another good soloution if it matches up with the fixing holes on the light fitting.

 

[Adam_151]

if you can get the connections inside the fitting in a way that they won't get in the way of anything or get too near hot things then doing them in the fitting with terminal block is perfectly acceptable.

Ah yes... I remember taking down round glass bulk head fittings on a few occasions and finding crispy choc block and brittle wire insulation (even though they have been oversleeved with the special sleeveing)

Not even sure my idea of the dry lining box is much better, considering heat rises

 

[JamesThomas]

Thanks Adam and Plugwash - it's good to get some feedback on this as my bathroom seemed to be non-standard. I didn't think of using the lining box but will give terminal strip a go first, before making the hole in the ceiling bigger.

(sorry Lynda - I didn't think of that as hijacking - will remember in future!)

James.
____________________________
lynda, moderator

It happens, welcome aboard

 

[plugwash]

most fancy (read everything except standard roses and battern holders) light fittings sold in this country are imported and are not designed for the way we wire things (most of europe tends to use conduit and singles far more than we do), some are easier to squeeze our loop in wiring into than others. This is something that causes electricians and diyers alike a lot of grief.

junction boxes are a possible soloution but they are supposed to be accessible, fine for upstairs in a normal house with a pitched roof and a loft thats either unboarded or loose boarded, not so good elsewhere. The round dryline box solves the accessibility problem (just take the light down to get acess) but brings issues of its own (big hole in the ceiling and fitting must have a suitable screw spacing)

looping at the switch is another soloution but that system is only really practical to introduce if you are rewiring anyway and are either digging out new routes in the plaster or working surface (there is no way you will pull 3 T&E cables down an old lighting conduit, two is tight enough).

so often sparkies and diyers alike end up making the best job of it we can in the cramped spaces the fittings offer.