Hi everyone can someone tell me if I can add some low voltage lights to an existing circuit or do I have to wire a totally seperate circuit for them Thanks
Bathroom lighting
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Let me guess how many fittings you are adding.....and how many are on the circuit at the moment.......and what size your circuit breaker / fuse is........and what your circuit cable csa is.......and where the lights are.....
Need a little bit more to go on 
It may be possible depending on what else is already on the circuit and what you are proposing to add. Is this circuit already RCD protected? A new circuit is notifiable under part p of the building regs, as is adding lighting within the zones of a special location (the zones being specified in the 16th edition IEE wiring regs.)
Are there any other circuits in the bathroom? Are these all RCD protected? What materials are your water and central heating pipes?
LV = 230v btw,
It may be possible depending on what else is already on the circuit and what you are proposing to add. Is this circuit already RCD protected? A new circuit is notifiable under part p of the building regs, as is adding lighting within the zones of a special location (the zones being specified in the 16th edition IEE wiring regs.)Are there any other circuits in the bathroom? Are these all RCD protected? What materials are your water and central heating pipes?
LV = 230v btw,
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Good answer, blakey!
there you go again BAS, jumping to conclusions...
since he hasn't specified transformers or 12V, then how do you know he's not using the term correctly and means 230V downlighters?
since he hasn't specified transformers or 12V, then how do you know he's not using the term correctly and means 230V downlighters?
S
sparkyspike
How do you know he is?
In fact, he probably does mean 12v downlighters. It seems to me that the OP is worried about whether you can combine 230v and 12v on the same circuit, which is understandable. The answer is yes, you can wire 12v light fittings (with transformers) into a 230v lighting circuit.
Obviously the capacity of the circuit needs to be looked at. If the circuit is already running at max load (5 or 6A depending on the fuse type) then you need a seperate circuit. This equates to approx 12 pendants or 24 50W downlights on one circuit.
In fact, he probably does mean 12v downlighters. It seems to me that the OP is worried about whether you can combine 230v and 12v on the same circuit, which is understandable. The answer is yes, you can wire 12v light fittings (with transformers) into a 230v lighting circuit.
Obviously the capacity of the circuit needs to be looked at. If the circuit is already running at max load (5 or 6A depending on the fuse type) then you need a seperate circuit. This equates to approx 12 pendants or 24 50W downlights on one circuit.
since he hasn't specified transformers or 12V, then how do you know he's not using the term correctly and means 230V downlighters?
Hmmm - doesn't ring true, does it.....
why not?
he could be asking on the basis he wants to add 16 x 50W downlighters which would add about 3.5A to a 6A circuit...
seems a reasonable question to ask..
it still holds true if he DID mean 12V downlighters too since the wattage added would still be the same..
he could be asking on the basis he wants to add 16 x 50W downlighters which would add about 3.5A to a 6A circuit...
seems a reasonable question to ask..
it still holds true if he DID mean 12V downlighters too since the wattage added would still be the same..
Hard to see what's scary about the details of voltage ranges....
People getting too technical on him! This is a DIY forum. To a DIYer talking about "LOW VOLTAGE DOWNLIGHTS" I appreciate he's most likely talking about 12 volts. If further clarification is required ask for it.
But it isn't "too technical".
It isn't some pedantic technical point along the lines of “it's not an earth, it's a cpc” or “bulbs are what you plant in the ground, what you mean is a lamp”. If people start getting involved in doing their own electrical work, and start learning about regulations etc they'll come across references to “Low voltage”, and it'll be no good them thinking that that means 12V. The Building Regulations, for example, which are law in England and Wales, contain a section on electrical safety, Part P, and the legislation says
The requirements of this Part apply only to electrical installations that are intended to operate at low or extra-low voltage….
So if they don't realise that “low voltage” includes their mains supply of 230V, they might think that the law doesn't apply.
It isn't some pedantic technical point along the lines of “it's not an earth, it's a cpc” or “bulbs are what you plant in the ground, what you mean is a lamp”. If people start getting involved in doing their own electrical work, and start learning about regulations etc they'll come across references to “Low voltage”, and it'll be no good them thinking that that means 12V. The Building Regulations, for example, which are law in England and Wales, contain a section on electrical safety, Part P, and the legislation says
The requirements of this Part apply only to electrical installations that are intended to operate at low or extra-low voltage….
So if they don't realise that “low voltage” includes their mains supply of 230V, they might think that the law doesn't apply.
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