Fluorescent lighting - extending a circuit

[BBee1]

Hi all
First post so please be nice I have a small art studio attached to my garage and I currently have 2 fluorescent lights in there on one switch and I would like to increase the number to 4. I think that I need to change the current light switch to a double and then run the new two lights off that rather than linking all the lights onto a single light switch? I am concerned that 4 lights from one switch is dangerous or that not enough power would get to each bulb. By running 2 lots of 2, that would sort that out as it works like that at the moment.

Just as an aside, there is a ccu in the garage and the wiring is completely visible all the way along the circuit.

Am I talking rubbish or is that a sensible option?

Also, with fluroescents, do I just treat them as normal lightbulbs - there is nothing special that I must do to them?

Thanks for your help - guidance is appreciated.

 

[Taylortwocities]

I guess these lights have one tube per fitting?

If so you are looking at adding ony as much as a couple of standard light bulbs to the load and the cable, switch and supply should be big enough for that.

You could use a 2-gang switch and switch them separately but the voltage and current will still come from the same place (the fusebaord).
Also, if you do that then you'll have to learn how lighting circuits are wired up, you may not want to get in that deep!

Here's a link to the handy WIKI which tells you most of it. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[BBee1]

Hi TTC
Thanks for that - you are correct, they are single bulbs each - so that carry the same loads as normal lightbulbs....but they are a couple of foot long each - is that still the case? Thanks for the clarification

 

[Taylortwocities]

Only a couple of foot long? Probably even less than a standard 60watt lamp.

Could be 38watt or even less, the wattage will be written on the tube.

You have nothing to worry about.

 

[333rocky333]

Also be aware there may not be a Neutral connection at the switch, so as TTC says please check his link regarding wiring

 

[MySparky]

Hi,
I've posted a schematic for 2-way 2-gang switching for lighting circuits in the Lighting Circuits thread, (it just happens to feature fluorescent lights in the drawing), which should meet your needs. Adapting it to four lights isn't a problem and you could probably do it banks of 2 lights so that one 2-way switch controls two lights and the other 2-way switch controls the other two.
The key to 2-way switching is to remember you need a 3-core & earth between the two switches, other than that it's a standard circuit arrangement for lighting circuits, but remember for fluorescent lights that you need to earth them (as opposed to terminating the earths in a terminal block as with normal plastic pendants)
Schematic for 2-way 2-gang Lighting Circuits

 

[BBee1]

Thanks so much for your help - it is great to be helped and not judged

BBee1

 

[Taylortwocities]

Thanks, yourself.

It's refreshing to have a polite, appreciative newbie!

Good luck with the project.

 

[BBee1]

Hi,
I've posted a schematic for 2-way 2-gang switching for lighting circuits in the Lighting Circuits thread, (it just happens to feature fluorescent lights in the drawing), which should meet your needs. Adapting it to four lights isn't a problem and you could probably do it banks of 2 lights so that one 2-way switch controls two lights and the other 2-way switch controls the other two.
The key to 2-way switching is to remember you need a 3-core & earth between the two switches, other than that it's a standard circuit arrangement for lighting circuits, but remember for fluorescent lights that you need to earth them (as opposed to terminating the earths in a terminal block as with normal plastic pendants)
Schematic for 2-way 2-gang Lighting Circuits

Hi MySparky
Thanks so much for you help - appreciated. As the room is small, I don't need two way switching, just a two gang light switch. I am presuming that this is much more simple? But thank you for the wiring diagram - and I understand it!
BBee1

 

[MySparky]

Hi,
I've posted a schematic for 2-way 2-gang switching for lighting circuits in the Lighting Circuits thread, (it just happens to feature fluorescent lights in the drawing), which should meet your needs. Adapting it to four lights isn't a problem and you could probably do it banks of 2 lights so that one 2-way switch controls two lights and the other 2-way switch controls the other two.
The key to 2-way switching is to remember you need a 3-core & earth between the two switches, other than that it's a standard circuit arrangement for lighting circuits, but remember for fluorescent lights that you need to earth them (as opposed to terminating the earths in a terminal block as with normal plastic pendants)
Schematic for 2-way 2-gang Lighting Circuits

Hi MySparky
Thanks so much for you help - appreciated. As the room is small, I don't need two way switching, just a two gang light switch. I am presuming that this is much more simple? But thank you for the wiring diagram - and I understand it!
BBee1

Yes, it's simple enough to do. You run the main feed from the CU to the first 4-way junction box (you'll need junction boxes as it's a swine trying to cram all the wires you'll need into a fluorescent light housing) and terminate that cable as normal into Loop, Neutral and Earth, then daisy chain to the next junction box etc etc until the 4th one. Then you run a switch wire from the 1st j/box (terminated into Loop, Switched Live & Earth) to the first switch on your 2-gang switch, and a switch wire from the 3rd j/box to the second switch on your 2-gang switch.
That takes care of the switching and all you now have to do is slave the 2nd light to the first and the 4th to the 3rd by running twin & earth cables from the 1st j/box (terminated into Switched Live, Neutral & Earth) to the 1st & 2nd lights, and a similar arrangement from the 3rd j/box to the 3rd & 4th lights.
You now have two switches controlling 4 lights with switch 1 controlling lights 1 & 2, and switch 2 controlling lights 3 & 4.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

[img]Drawing with spam on it[/img]

And not only spam - the information is already in the Wiki.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:two-way-lighting#wiring-diagrams

 

[MySparky]

[img]Drawing with spam on it[/img]

And not only spam - the information is already in the Wiki.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:two-way-lighting#wiring-diagrams[/QUOTE]

If it was spam I'd be saying, "Hey, come and look at my website as I'm such a grrrreat electrician blah blah blah," but I didn't, I simply took credit for a piece of artwork I'd created and wanted to share with people who maybe didn't understand - OR COULDN'T FOLLOW - more technical drawings. If I wanted to generate business I wouldn't provide drawings that made it easier for people to do it themselves.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If it was spam I'd be saying, "Hey, come and look at my website as I'm such a grrrreat electrician blah blah blah," but I didn't, I simply took credit for a piece of artwork I'd created

No you didn't "simply" do that.

You chose a user name here which is the same as your business, and you put website and contact details on the drawing.

It's advertising, pure and simple.

But as you are a lying, cheating thief I'm not at all surprised that you're trying to deny it.

and wanted to share with people who maybe didn't understand - OR COULDN'T FOLLOW - more technical drawings.

Oh - so your drawing was easier to understand for someone who couldn't understand or follow this:

Yeah, right.....

 

[MySparky]

"lying cheating thief"??? Who have I stolen from, cheated or lied to?
Yes, I am in business, but, as it is so frequently said on forums like these, to the unitiated, in a condescending manner by so called 'professionals'- "you should really get a sparky to do it for you" - well, all I'm guilty of is giving a bit of info to someone who needed some info (and who thanked me for it) and you've thrown your toys out the pram.
37000 posts and you haven't learned how to speak like an adult.

 

[Taylortwocities]

<sigh!>

And it was all going so well...............