Downlights with flex help

[aveatry]

I have had a ceiling re boarded and skimmed in the spare bedroom. It had 5 R39 spotlights that I am replacing with new fire rated gu10 downlights, fitted with LEDs.
The old lights were double insulated no earth and the new ones will be the same. The old ones were daisy chain wired so each light fitting had one in and one out to the next, except for the last one.
The new lights dont have enough room for wiring this way. From reading here I see the correct way is a junction box at each in and out and a flex from that to each light, and best practice is to use heat resistant flex. But I can only find heat resistant in 0.75 in a two core.
So do I use 0.75 heat resist or 1.00mm non resist because on reading here 1.00mm should be used but canot find it in heat resist

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have had a ceiling re boarded and skimmed in the spare bedroom.

And you failed to seize that golden opportunity to get rid of all the holes, and install lights actually designed to do the job of lighting up rooms, rather than put in ones designed to not do that?

Oh dear.

Anybody lying in bed with the lights on is going to (rightly) curse you for blinding them with the beams from recessed LED torches.

Whether or not the lights need them, an earth core, actually connected to earth, must be in the cable running to each point.

 

[aveatry]

Whether or not the lights need them, an earth core, actually connected to earth, must be in the cable running to each point.

The old lights did not need any earth connection and the cable suppling them in the atic above the room (flat twin) has no earth, are you saying I have to find in the atic a junction box with an earth and then connect that earth to each junction box even if the lights connected to it dont need an earth and wont be connected to one.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes.

And while you are up there install sealed enclosures (bought or DIY made) around the lights, large enough to provide the required clearances and strong enough to support the insulation placed over them, or the eyeball-boiling victims will also be cursing you for the cold draughts falling onto them.

 

[aveatry]

Yes.

Why then- when the lights will not be connected to an earth.
So there is no earth there now and I am to add an earth that the lights will not be connected too

 

[JohnW2]

Why then- when the lights will not be connected to an earth. ... So there is no earth there now and I am to add an earth that the lights will not be connected too

That what the regulations require, at least for new circuits/installations. I'm far less sure that there is any requirement to add an earth connection to an existing circuit just because you are changing the lights (to ones that don't need an earth). I would personally suspect not, but would be interested to hear what others think.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I don't think there is aproblem.
If the OP is now having to use junction boxes -

These are good and specially for the purpose.

- twin and earth can/will be used from box to box and the small flex to each light, so the regulation is met.

 

[JohnW2]

I don't think there is aproblem.
If the OP is now having to use junction boxes - These are good and specially for the purpose. - twin and earth can/will be used from box to box and the small flex to each light, so the regulation is met.

If that's the case, where are these twin/earth cables going to get their connection to earth? (if it is new wiring, I presume that there would be a requirement for an earth to each fitting).

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

I read it that it was wired properly in the first place - i.e. with CPC (earth) - and the OP now has two-core which he proposed to use because that is the only heat-resistant he could find.

Let's see if I am mistaken before the next step.

 

[aveatry]

Just to be clear that the old wiring suppling the old lights was just flat twin with no earth as the lights were double insulated with no earth needed.

I am replacing the old lights with new ones that also are double insulated with no earth.

Old lights were daisy chain wired
The connection box on the new lights wont take an in and an out, hence the flex from each light to a junction box that is the daisy chain

 

[JohnW2]

I read it that it was wired properly in the first place - i.e. with CPC (earth) - and the OP now has two-core which he proposed to use because that is the only heat-resistant he could find. ... Let's see if I am mistaken before the next step.

I was partially confusing this with another thread, but OP has now indicated that the original wiring was/is in "flat twin with no earth". I think (but am not certain) that the OP wishes/intends to retain that wiring (with no earth).

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just to be clear that the old wiring suppling the old lights was just flat twin with no earth

Ok, I take it you mean flex - not twin and earth with, possibly, the earth wire cut?

Is there an earth wire at the first connection?

 

[aveatry]

I read it that it was wired properly in the first place - i.e. with CPC (earth) - and the OP now has two-core which he proposed to use because that is the only heat-resistant he could find. ... Let's see if I am mistaken before the next step.

I was partially confusing this with another thread, but OP has now indicated that the original wiring was/is in "flat twin with no earth". I think (but am not certain) that the OP wishes/intends to retain that wiring (with no earth).

Kind Regards, John

Yes that is right
Maybe also worth pointing out that the whole house was re- wired about 17 years ago.

 

[aveatry]

Just to be clear that the old wiring suppling the old lights was just flat twin with no earth

Ok, I take it you mean flex - not twin and earth with, possibly, the earth wire cut?

Is there an earth wire at the first connection?

Ok, I take it you mean flex - not twin and earth with, possibly, the earth wire cut?
The old wire is just twin flat there is no earth in it


Is there an earth wire at the first connection?
No

 

[JohnW2]

... but OP has now indicated that the original wiring was/is in "flat twin with no earth". I think (but am not certain) that the OP wishes/intends to retain that wiring (with no earth).

Yes that is right Maybe also worth pointing out that the whole house was re- wired about 17 years ago.

That doesn't really add up - it would not have been rewired with a lighting circuit using 'twin with no earth' cable as 'recently' as 17 years ago. Was the lighting circuit perhaps not re-wired at that time?

Kind Regards, John