Has my spark used the right wiring

[Corrado]

Hi all,

I just wanted to check here first in case I ask my electrician and offend him.

He is wiring in lighting in my new kictchen and I see that he has been using grey plastic covered cable with a solid copper core on most of the kitchen for my GU10 mains spot lights.

There are 14 lights in total and he has run grey coloured cable to 8 of the light units and then on the other lights he has used white covered flex cable with stranded copper.

Is this okay? If not, why not?

He must have run out of the solid core cable and decided to use this flex instead. He has also used the same white flex cable for my cooker hoods and under unit lights which are LV spot lights.

Do I need to raise an alarm about this or am I being unduly cautious?

 

[RMS]

Is your electrician an approved contactor and registered with an approved body?

It sounds to me that he/she has ran out of pvc twin and earth and used flex. I would question as to why the change of cable for the lights?

Under unit lights are commonly wired in flex.

RMS

 

[Corrado]

Thanks for getting back to me.

I don't know if he is approved, I assume he is as the builder has appointed him, but he may well not be.

It definitely seems that he ran out of PVC - is there actually a problem with running it in flex? Should I not accept it? What reasons can I give?

 

[sparkybird]

As long as the flex can carry the same current as the twin and earth (grey cable) then no. Why not ask what size cable and flex he has used (eg 1.5mm) and see??

Sb

 

[Corrado]

okay will ask.

Does it need to be 1.5mm flex to be up to the job?

 

[Steve]

My uncle used to be an electrician, and he wired about 10 transformers up in his loft, mounted on a board in free space, and supplied the kitchen lights (bungalow) individually with 1.5mm² white flex. It actually looked quite good, all the white flexes bundled up and run together, and I cant see any reason not to use flex, unless theres something in the regs.

 

[RF Lighting]

The only regulation I can think of is 521-01-04, but this really doesn't clear things up. I seem to remember that you are only allowed to use a maximum of 2 meters of flexiable cable when it forms part of a fixed wiring installation.

 

[kai]

1.5.sq.mm flex is perfectly safe for lighting, especially if the MCB Breaker is a B6 at the origin of the circuit.

Think about it - most pendant lights are wired using flex from the ceiling rose unit to the lampholder itself.

 

[RF Lighting]

1.5.sq.mm flex is perfectly safe for lighting, especially if the MCB Breaker is a B6 at the origin of the circuit.

This is a portable apliance, not fixed wiring. (It has a plug top on the end either at the patch bay, or if it is a TRS extention)

Think about it - most pendant lights are wired using flex from the ceiling rose unit to the lampholder itself.

This doesn't exceed 2 meters though.




Realisticly the wiring is safe but wheter it is right or not

 

[Corrado]

the wire to the junction box that the spot lights all feed from is traditional grey pvc cable.

The wire loop that then travels to each spot is flex and on its entire route is easily more than 2m.

Shall I protest and say I am not happy or am I just being unreasonable?

Given that he has used the same flex for the hob ignition and hood, surely it is safe enough for my 50W lights?

 

[securespark]

The two meter rule is adopted by some companies - mine included.

But if you look in the regs there is nothing to stop you using flexible cables for fixed wiring.

See regulation 521-01-04.

A flexible cable may be used for fixed wiring only where.....the regulations are met.

If the lights were SELV, I'd worry, but they are low voltage, so carry 0.22A each.

Even if they were all linked together, 1,5 flex is well able to carry that current.

 

[RF Lighting]

I suppose it is just convention to use T&E as it is cheaper than flex.

 

[plugwash]

See regulation 521-01-04.

A flexible cable may be used for fixed wiring only where.....the regulations are met.

for those of us who don't have the regs book to hand can you fill in the gap you left please?

 

[Corrado]

okay good.

Just to be clear, these are not Low Voltage lights, they are mains voltage, if that makes any difference?

 

[bondy]

which makes them low voltage. (upto 1000v) and not extra low voltage. (upto 50v.)
SELV.=separated extra low voltage. (no earth)