installing dowlighters downstairs

[fatty]

Is there a way of installing dowlighters in a downstairs room without taking up the floorboards upstairs?

 

[coopersim]

it's a proper pain, but the only way I have found (if your joists aren't running in the direction you want to feed the cables) is to mark the joists using a joist detector, cut neat grooves in the plaster board between the joist you want to cross, feed the cable through with a mouse (16mm earth cable is quite good!) then close the hole using car body filler, sand and re decorate

 

[Taylortwocities]

Not good practise Coopersim. your cable should be thru the joist a minimum of 50mm from the ceiling below and the floor above.
I rather think that your method os stitching will not comply with this??

TTC

 

[coopersim]

Point taken, but I don't see that there would be a problem with a LV cable running that close to the ceiling

Plus, it is my opinion, I'm not making anyone take my advise !!

 

[coopersim]

Granted, I have just read the OP, and it doesn't state that the downlighters are LV - so I would only use my suggested option in the case of using LV downlights - obviously

 

[securespark]

Point taken, but I don't see that there would be a problem with a LV cable running that close to the ceiling

Plus, it is my opinion, I'm not making anyone take my advise !!

Please don't post advice unless you are sure it is good. Some people asking questions here may take advice that is offered in good faith, only to install something incorrectly.

We don't want opinions here, not for this kind of post anyway. The posters are looking for best advice, not opinions.

In any case, it does not matter if it is an LV cable (do you mean SELV?) or SELV, they still need the same protection.

Of course there are problems running "that close to the ceiling". Why do you think the regs concerning this are like they are?

 

[coopersim]

for what it is worth, I offered the advise as it is what has worked for me, in a seemingly impossible situ.

from now on though, I will stick to asking for advise.... instead of giving it, to prevent being shot down in flames

thanks for putting me on the straight and narrow

 

[sparkyspike]

Only by making holes in the ceiling! You'll be able to run most of the cable through the downlight holes. For the rest, use a 4" hole cutter, then you'll be able to get a long drill bit through the joists you need to cross. There is a risk though of drilling through a cable clipped to the other side of the joist, so check first!

If you don't fancy redecorating your ceiling, pull your carpet up upstairs and lift the boards. If you have chipboard floors, use the 4" hole cutter and replace the cutouts after, supported by some batten. No redecorating involved!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Usual situation is punter has just installed laminate flooring in room above and the next week decides to have downlights in the room below..

TTC

 

[sparkyspike]

Tell me about it! And then he says "Oh, but I've only just had the ceiling plastered"

 

[fatty]

Thanks for the replies. Does cutting a 4 inch hole really give enough room to get your drill, bit and hand in to drill through the joist in the right place? I'm sure it does for those who've done it before, but I'm just trying to visualise the job before doing it. Also, what's the best wiring configuration going to be (i.e. to minismise 4 inch holes to be cut and joists to be drilled) given that the ceiling rose is currently in the centre of the room?

 

[philrosenberg]

I think I read on this forum the other day that you can get right angle drill bits.

 

[sparkyspike]

Or even flexible bits. Choose whichever configuration means cutting less holes, without using stupid amounts of cable. If you try and put as many downlights in line with the joists, and then drill through each joist in one place, you'll only have to cut a few holes. You can run them all back to the j.b. but best to use a chain (wired in parallel).

If your drill is bulky, cut a bigger hole! You could even cut a whole strip of plasterboard off in a line crossing the joists and past the ceiling rose, that way you'd need no battens, just screw it back on to the joists and caulk up.

 

[fatty]

Thanks for the replies. Taking out a strip of plaster on the ceiling is something I'd not thought of. Interesting. I was planning to wire the lamps in parallel (but thanks for the confirmation anyway) but what about the junction box, may I replace the ceiling rose with it and then screw it to the side of one of the joists?

 

[securespark]

It needs to be accessible.


All domestic lighting is wired in parallel, never in series.