Installing downlights...need a bit of help!!

[rsj84]

Hi All
Sorry if this is a repeat question... but really need a quick piece of advice..

Im replacing a standard ceiling rose with a few downlights...

Firstly... I have purchased some new cable.. 0.75mm2 2 Core heat resistant flex...max rating 240V, 6 Amps, 1440W. Also purchased some single core 1.5mm2 for the earth...Does this sound ok for this job?

Next question... for replacing the single light with the downlights..

Can I simply connect the 1st downlight to the rose where the old light was connected (brown and blue wires and the earth) then connect the others in a chain from this?

Would be grateful for the advice... Thanks in advance...

Oh, just another addition... I am installing energy saving lamps.. as I know how much people on this site hate normal halogen...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Firstly... I have purchased some new cable.. 0.75mm2 2 Core heat resistant flex...max rating 240V, 6 Amps, 1440. Also purchased some single core 1.5mm2 for the earth...Does this sound ok for this job?

No - you should have bought 3-core cable.

Can I simply connect the 1st downlight to the rose where the old light was connected (brown and blue wires and the earth) then connect the others in a chain from this?

Yup.

If you're in England or Wales, and these lights are in the bathroom or kitchen the work is notifiable.

 

[rsj84]

Thanks for the quick reply...

can you suggest an appropriate thickness for the cable... Looked in B&Q and the 2 core was recommended for lighting... would something along the lines of 1.5mm2 three core be suitable?

thanks for the advice... doing the bedroom at the moment.. but was thinking about doing bathroom at some point.... How would I go about 'notifying' the relevant people?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

can you suggest an appropriate thickness for the cable... Looked in B&Q and the 2 core was recommended for lighting... would something along the lines of 1.5mm2 three core be suitable?

That would be fine.

thanks for the advice... doing the bedroom at the moment.. but was thinking about doing bathroom at some point.... How would I go about 'notifying' the relevant people?

Look on your local council's website - dunno if you could do it online or if you need to print a form and post it.

Read this first: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:part_p

 

[rsj84]

brilliant...thanks for the advice...

any idea of how much this notification process costs... rough guide...??

also... i take it i need to remove any insulation that is in the way of the light fitting about the ceiling...? any specific amount??

 

[ban-all-sheds]

brilliant...thanks for the advice...

any idea of how much this notification process costs... rough guide...??

Varies from council to council - yours will say in their website - usually in the low hundreds.

also... i take it i need to remove any insulation that is in the way of the light fitting about the ceiling...? any specific amount??

The installation instructions should say.

Also, useful info here: http://www.nhbcbuilder.co.uk/NHBCpu...ical/StandardsExtra/filedownload,21353,en.pdf

 

[sparkybird]

Hi

Just a point for future reference - if you use a junction box at the current position of the ceiling rose - PLEASE make sure it iwill be accessible in the future (ie don't just shove it up the hole and plaster over it). Better really to have the jb near one of the downlight holes so you can pull it down.

I recently had to cut holes in a client's recently plastered ceiling as he had done just this and there was a problem with the connections at the jb...

Good luck

SB

 

[rsj84]

hi SB..thanks for the advice..

just a quick question... might sound dumb to you but here goes...

at the moment... the light is connected to a round connector where the wires from the lighting circuit come in (2 lots of earth, brown and blue wires) and the blue and brown of the light is connected to this... As I said earlier, I was going to connect the new lights from the round connector in a 'daisy chain'... 1st light is going near the round connector, so will be easily accessible..

My understanding is that a junction box is used to connect all the lights directly to that... correct me if im wrong...which i probably am!

Sorry for all the questions... just want to be 100% sure..
Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So are you going to leave the ceiling rose in place?

 

[securespark]

By £ core, you mean twin & earth cable. As to whether it should ne 1mm² or 1.5mm², that depends. I would use whatever size the rest of the circuit is wired in.

 

[rsj84]

ok...bit of confusion kicking in...

can someone show me a picture of a juncton box... where im asuming the 2 '3 core' cables come in and from there i can connect the 1st of downlights... replacing the existing ceiling rose... and then daisy chain the rest...

 

[sparkybird]

Click here for a pic of jb

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ201.html

If you use a small one, it will fit up the hole you cut for the downlights.

I presume you are not having a light at the point of the old ceiling rose and that therefore this will be coming out? You should replace it with a junction box to make sure that the connections are not just open to the elements (OK dust). My point though was that this jb needs to be accessible for the future. Out of this jb, you can then daisy chain to each light (personally I use another jb at each light as well), makes for easier testing.

SB

 

[rsj84]

brilliant... explains everything... thanks for that..

one last question... can i place the wiring fir the next light and junction box from the previous JB, instead of from the actual light...

also, the wiring inside the junction box...will it be the same as it is in the ceiling rose...

my ceiling rose is something like this at the moment... (second picture)
http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/lights_and_switches.htm

 

[ban-all-sheds]

one last question... can i place the wiring fir the next light and junction box from the previous JB, instead of from the actual light...

If you mean can you daisy chain the JBs, and just take a cable from each one to the light, yes. Obviously only the 1st JB needs 4 terminals - all the subsequent ones can be 3-way.

also, the wiring inside the junction box...will it be the same as it is in the ceiling rose...

Yup. As the diagram shows, the rose has 4 terminals in it, hence the use of a 4-way JB. Make sure you make a careful note of which is the switch drop cable...

 

[rsj84]

yep...its all making sense now..

do i have to use 20A JBs...or are 5A ones ok?
screwfix do one... 5A, 4 terminal... and its only 60mm...perfect to fit in the hole... also, easier to get hold of..

yep..the switch cable has red taping around it...