Electrical box for lights

[Adam_151]

Normally in a light box I would have power in, power out, and a cable to the switch. I suppose you could put it all in the switch box, but they are normally on masonry walls, and one would think it is easier to run 3 wires into a ceiling box than in the wall.

We don't generally have a box behind light fittings in the UK, because traditionally the ceiling rose would accomodate the 3 plate wiring, now a lot of modern fittings make it a plan, which is perhaps why these days its pretty popular to loop at the switch, although not always ideal as you say.

The nearest thing is the BESA boxes above which have the two fixing lugs at 2 inch centres, to match a lot of light fittings, now while they are designed to be used on a conduit system (and thats when you will find a box behind a fitting), you could fit one on a fitting fed in twin as long as you earth the box, you'll need a noggin to fix it to though. Its not commonly done with light fttings, although oits pretty much standard practice when wiring commerial fire alarm systems for the detection heads.

The box behind fittings is probably one thing that is better in north amercian installaiton practices, you can keep your wire nuts though, we generally moved on from scru-its in the 1970s!

 

[plugwash]

Something you will have to make peace with when moving countries as someone who does DIY electrics is that things that one country thinks are important another country doesn't care about.

 

[JohnD]

Normally in a light box I would have power in, power out, and a cable to the switch. I suppose you could put it all in the switch box, but they are normally on masonry walls, and one would think it is easier to run 3 wires into a ceiling box than in the wall.

Yes, we most often do all that at the ceiling rose.

The switch method is sometimes used.