Connector block in new ceiling light

[cedrich]

Hi

Fitted a new ceiling light yesterday and had great difficulty offering the light to the cables etc. Have done this job many times before but this was a real mother. The connector block was fixed to the light and you had to disconnector it from the light to offer it to the loop cables. As well as the usual difficluties associated with 3 cables going into a single hole etc etc it was almost impossible to then connect the light to the other side of the block.

We did our best and the light works but there is an awful feeling that some cable will come out etc.

In the circumstances I was wondering how a spark would have coped with:

1. The lack of cable available to get the 9 wires securely into the connections.
2. Deciding whether to offer the whole light to the connector block or separate as we did (must say that the former seems impossible to me)
3.If say one of the earth cconnections came out would the unit still function but be in danger of becoming live as it is metal.

You will have seen these bog standard lights in any DIY store. Its just a square box with 3 halogen bulbs and the instructions were predictably crap.

Thanks for your time.

cedrich

 

[Chri5]

If the base of the fitting covered enough ceiling space I'd have cut out 30 x 30mm of the plaster to give more room / or

Got the jig saw out and made a MDF patress again with a big hole in the middle to give further space / or

Use a ceiling rose and via clever fitting have the lamp fixed to the ceiling through the spare fixing holes on a rose / or

Made a collar out of some 110mm PVC pipe and used the collar between fitting and ceiling to give extra room.

If there's an issue, there IS a solution

 

[cedrich]

Don't profess to understand any of it but thats cos you know what you're doing.

Just out of interest what would be the effect of a loose cable etc?

Thanks

 

[Gaz the Sparky]

Use a ceiling rose and via clever fitting have the lamp fixed to the ceiling through the spare fixing holes on a rose

Thats a bit amaterish and ruff the amount of time i've taken down fittings trying to fault find to find that the plastic has melted from the heat and the connections have touched. The best thing is either a junction box in the ceiling as long as you can make a hole so you can access it/or the good old choc bock

I always chuck the choc block that you get with the lights because they are 5amp and you carn't get all the connections in and replace it with a loverly 15amp one

G.T.S

 

[daytona]

Don't profess to understand any of it but thats cos you know what you're doing.

Just out of interest what would be the effect of a loose cable etc?

Thanks

if the earths pop out then that fitting and every fitting after it in the cct will have no earth.potential for fitting to become live under fault conditions and you would never know.changing a lamp is an easy job and need not be life threatening.also excess heat due to connections arcing which could lead to a fire in the void.

in short extreme badness could result as a consequence of a loose wire.if your in any doubt whatsoever then check it