Fuse size for 2 (& for 3) 50W downlights on 240V ring ma

[Taylortwocities]

I,m in England.

OK, so before you start anything. Read this: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part_p:diy_electrical_work_and_the_law

It says that to do electrical work in a bathroom you have two choices:
1. If you are planning to do it yourself, you must contact your local authority building control at least 2 days before starting work. Fill in their forms and pay their fee.
They will inspect and approve the works done (if it has been done to BS7671). You may need to add an RCD to the lighting circuit and/or provide supplementary equipotential bonding.
or
2. Get a registered electrician to do the work. You can find a local one at www.competentperson.co.uk

also

There isn't a loft or anything else above the bathroom.

Is it a flat roof or something? If so, how are you going to recess the lights and run the wiring between them?

You'll need a good 6" clearance above them.
I hope that they are the sealed type otherwise they will pull steamy air into the ceiling space and you will get damp = rotting of ceiling timbers.

 

[ColJack]

then you need to be wary of the fact that your ceiling is likely a fire break between you and the flat above.. you might not be able to put lights into the ceiling.. contact the LABC and notify them and give them the details.

 

[17thman]

is there a flat above and are the downlighters fire rated?

 

[17thman]

if there is a flat above, is there a void, or are you going to drill through their underfloor heating and say hello through the 64 mm hole

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Add Parts B, C, E and L to your list of Building Regulations with which to be concerned.

 

[free4all]

In order to recreate the same degree & effect of light with 240v CFLs as the 80W strip light gave......what combined bulb wattage would most likely be needed ?

Thanks.

 

[Taylortwocities]

80watts of CFL will produce the same light as an 80watt fluorescent strip light.

But before you worry about that, lets see if you can fit downlights at all.

CAn we have some answers to all the questions posted above.[/u]

 

[GaryMo]

In order to recreate the same degree & effect of light with 240v CFLs as the 80W strip light gave......what combined bulb wattage would most likely be needed ?

Thanks.

Far too many but sometimes you have to create a balance.

Your 5ft fluorescent fitting would have been either 58W or 65W, not 80W.
This type of fitting will give superior light output to any other fitting but at an expense. They're ugly.

In my opinion you need to create a balance of performance against visual appearance.
What may look fine to one person won't to another. Each to their own.

 

[free4all]

Ok. Firstly the apologies.

After informing (last night) that I live in a flat I refreshing the page fairly regularly.......but didn't check/realise that subsequent entries had continued on another page until making another posting today.

So thanks a lot for your input.

That link you provided to: electrical_work_and_the_law is very informative......and most definitely food for thought.

Unfortunately, I cannot afford an electrician to be doing this on my behalf. If I had the money (believe me) I would rather be doing so.

So thanks again for this help in my making the end result a safe one (an issue to which I don't give slight regard).

The lights (all identical, obviously) were manufactured by Homebase (printed on the box & instructions).

Their instructions state the fitting as being (quote) "desgined for use in bathrooms. It has special protection against the ingress of moisture and is an IP44 rating fitting".

My bathroom is being fitted with a humidistat fan placed into a pre-existing moisture venting (to exterior) air-flow system mounted several inches from the ceiling. It will be on its own mains box circuit & possess a fused double-pole isolating switch (in compliance with its own instructions).

It is a model that can be manually switched on/off and can be set to turn off after a desired period. It can be set to automatically activate/turn off at varying humidity levels.

So moisture getting into the ceiling (and causing consequential damage) shouldn't be an issue in this case.

It light fitting is (quote) "double insulated and must not be earthed".

I live in a top-floor flat attic flat. There is nobody above nor on any side of me (only below). So accidentally drilling up through somebodys slippers thankfully isn't a great concern.

The instructions state that a radius 140mm clearance behind/above the ceiling is required. There is indeed a clearance of that spec above my bathroom ceiling. (I've checked).

The threading of the cable hasn't proven a problem, and for the fan has now been done, as has now mostly aslo been so for the lights. A drill, stud/pipe/wire detector & a straightened wire coat hanger have gotten the job done.

 

[free4all]

I agree on the ugly factor (hence the change).....but indeed a quality light output which I would be pretty sorry not to be able to replicate (to a reasonable degree).

Just checked. The strip light tube is printed with: L 65/80W/23

I presumed the 80W to be the light output. Thanks forvputting me straight.

 

[GaryMo]

Just checked. The strip light tube is printed with: L 65/80W/23

I presumed the 80W to be the light output. Thanks forvputting me straight.

You may be correct, it's AGES since I've fitted a T12 tube. It's been 58W T8 tubes for such a long time now.

http://www.deslamps.co.uk/t12-6580-watt-5ft-fluorescent-tube-box-of-25-p-1946.html

 

[free4all]

I guess there truly is a first time for everything then....

There doesn't seem to be ant reference on any of the packaging/instructions that makes specific reference to being "fire rated".

So how do I know whether these fittingd are or not? If they were, then would it always be clearly printed somewhere (even if only as a selling point)? Can I take it that a lack of such print means that mine aren't?

 

[GaryMo]

If they're fire rated then they should state so.
Normally they'll be a rating in minutes for fire resistance, eg 30, 60 or 90.

Have a look at this fitting for reference:

JCC Fireguard IP65 downlight

And a spec sheet for it

 

[free4all]

There doesn't appear to be anything specific. The Homebase instruction pamphlet (print date 08/10/08) only gives a model number 664521 (which I guess I might be able to use to hunt down a definitive answer).

On the fitting itself there are several symbols. One is the obligatory "don't throw away" bin symbol, another is the square-within-a-square (denoting double insulation).

The third is one I'm not familiar with. It is a triangle pointing downwards, with a capital F within it. Is this some fire related symbol,......or does it mean a fuse value or something else?

If there is no fire rating, then are these going to need fire hoods? And would that remain the case if CFL lamps were used (instead of the 50W halogen each light was supplied with/

 

[free4all]

Sorry that date should have ended in '08.....not a smiley!