daisy chain downlights with Ashley J501 - first JB

[KevinPeters]

Hi, I am replacing a single ceiling rose with 3 downlights.

I have purchased 3 x Ashley J501 junction boxes but I don't quite get the wiring for the first JB when daisy chaining to the other downlights (on the same switch).

Inside the JB there are 4 sets of terminals. The terminals for earth, live and neutral for the loop all have 3 terminals as you would expect. The switched-live only has 2 terminals however. For a single downlight, this would make sense.

However, when daisy chaining to the next downlight I need another terminal, right? Do I have to put two wires in a single terminal?

In fact this isn't specific to the J501's or downlights; even regular pendants only ever have two terminals for the switched-live (one for the flex, one for the sheathed cable from the switch).

What am I missing here? Is it acceptable practice to put two cores into one terminal? Doing so in my downlight example would mean the first JB has 5 cables coming out of it (loop in, loop out, switch, flex and daisy chain), but it seems designed for 4.

Thanks in advance
Kevin[/b]

 

[RF Lighting]

Yep that's fine. It's standard practice when a ceiling rose is suppling an extra light or a fan etc.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes you are correct in all you say.

The J501 boxes have room for six cables (two at the pointed end as well).

You should use the pointed end for the cable which actually goes to the light.
(Although you will not get shot if you don't - it's just why they are designed like that).

 

[KevinPeters]

Thinking about it some more..... if I use 4 J501's (instead of 3) then the flex out from the first JB would just form the start of the daisy-chain and therefore not have more cables than it is designed for. i.e. the first JB wouldn't be attached directly to a light, only to another JB with light.

Is this the correct way to do it?

It still doesn't explain how you would do this if you were adding another pendant to an existing one given the same limitation (and you weren't using JBs). I guess you would start the chain with a JB?

Thanks
Kevin

 

[KevinPeters]

wow, quick replies guys, thanks! I guess you can ignore my previous post then!

Thanks again
Kevin

 

[EFLImpudence]

Nothing wrong with putting two wires in one terminal hole.

 

[333rocky333]

do ashley 501 jb's have any cable strain releif, im not sure they do

EDIT
Its ok
seems you have the new ones with clamps which have the same part number as the old round ones