Emergency Light Wiring Recommendations

[Iggifer]

Following on from my borrowed neutral thread, I really liked the idea of installing an emergency above my C/U to provide illumination in the event of a fault.

A couple of points to clear up though:

- I was planning on putting it on it's own 6a MCB, however I've been thinking, if it's the downstairs lights RCBO pops, it won't come on (is a NM fitting). I could just put it onto the D/S RCBO or:

- To overcome point one, I could replace the light in my understairs cupboard with the em. fitting (on a seperate mcb) and have it switched (in reverse). But, does anybody see any problem with somewhat frequent switching of an emergency light? I know it will drain the battery sooner rather than later, but that's not an issue, I can replace it when it fails

- In terms of cabling, I see as I have three choices (light will be 1.5m from the C/U),

1) T+E clipped direct
2) Conduit + Singles (or T+E)
3) SWA or similar

I am not a massive fan of T+E clipped direct, and honestly, not a massive fan of conduit, I also don't fancy making some of the required bends in conduit. However I do think the cable needs to be something a little meatier than T+E (i'm not expecting it to be nailed into or anything, but the c/u is in a fairly full under stairs cupboard, so I don't want to take any chances.

Question is, is SWA overkill? I'm fairly confident working with SWA so have no issue using it, but if there are better options to explore I'm willing to, I see TLC do NYY-J which seems like it might provide the right level of protection and be a little more manageable than SWA.

Any other points to consider are welcome.

It's just a simple 8w emergency bulkhead

 

[RF Lighting]

Swa would look gash, and you've got all the grief of earthing the armour to worry about too.

Just put it a bit above the CU on the wall. If you don't want T&E clipped direct then use a bit of pvc trunking or conduit.

Connect it to the downstairs RCBO.

I don't like backwards switched EM's. It's ok until you forget you've left it on (powered down) then it'll go off when the battery is dead and won't work when you actually need it.

 

[Iggifer]

OK SWA is off the cards.

The other option is keep the existing light but wire it up correctly (it's currently wired in T+E from C/U to switch to light. If I wire it with a switch wire I can just use loop out from the existing rose to the new light fitting.

A little more work but means I can do this work separately to the c/u change and I have been meaning to rectify that light switch anyway

 

[333rocky333]

you can get preset timed test switches, 1 or 3 hours, wire through one of them.

you can then combine its use as working on full power loss, or simply 1 or 3 hours use as understairs light regardless of supply status, simply by activating timer.

After timed period or power back then light will revert to charging automatically

 

[Iggifer]

I was considering this, but the time it's required for varies greatly.

The other option is a push to break door switch, assuming I can find one. Push to make are much more common unfortunately

 

[OwainDIYer]

The other option is a push to break door switch, assuming I can find one. Push to make are much more common unfortunately

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/FM142.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/FM140WB.html

 

[ban-all-sheds]

However I do think the cable needs to be something a little meatier than T+E (i'm not expecting it to be nailed into or anything, but the c/u is in a fairly full under stairs cupboard, so I don't want to take any chances.

Take a length of T/E.

Fix it to a wall with gaffer tape at each end.

Hold the sorts of things you keep in the understairs cupboard at an angle, and let go so that they fall against the cable.

Post photos here of the damage.

 

[Iggifer]

The other option is a push to break door switch, assuming I can find one. Push to make are much more common unfortunately

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/FM142.html
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/FM140WB.html[/QUOTE]

My apologies, I meant push to make. As a NM light will come on when the power is broken, and go off when the switch is closed (made). And TLC don't do the P2M anymore

And B.A.S, that's exactly my thinking as well, there's nothing especially sharp stored in there, but there are brooms, airers, ironing board etc - having said that, the c/u is a surface c/u and the cable run would be above it, so that would prevent most objects from being able to touch any cable I chose to run

 

[ChrisRogers]

why dont you just get a maintained fitting?

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Iggifer]

A maintained fitting would be on ALL the time - that would be naff, and a waste of money

And as for just putting two lights on two circuits in there - interesting idea but an em fitting will provide lighting in the event of something more dramatic than the RCBO popping - should it ever be needed

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[Iggifer]

I don't know, the main fuse blowing, main switch failing (I know both very unlikely)

I have no problem maintaining it, the fitting has a user replaceable battery, should I need to

 

[flameport]

I could replace the light in my understairs cupboard with the em. fitting (on a seperate mcb) and have it switched (in reverse).
...
1) T+E clipped direct
2) Conduit + Singles (or T+E)
3) SWA or similar
...
I see TLC do NYY-J
...
push to break door switch
...
lighting in the event of something more dramatic than the RCBO popping

Totally out of proportion - it's a light for a cupboard which will be stuffed with junk most of the time, making the CU totally inaccessible.
Even with a working emergency light fitting in the cupboard which for some reason wasn't full of stuff, the rest of the house will be totally dark.

In the event of power failure, most people would use this: http://www.toolstation.com/shop/d220/sd2490/p74917

 

[Iggifer]

But of course. However, should the need arise, the EM light will be there to remove said junk from said cupboard to get to the c/u

I didn't specify the location when the house was rewired (was 1998) I am just upgrading to an RCBO board. If it was a full rewire I would have it moved, but the pros do not outweigh the cons for that unfortunately