Kitchen under cupboard lights

[robnelson]

I want to fit some under cupboard LV lights in my kitchen, I've run a spur off my hob hood connection FCU to a second FCU.

I've tried running the live across to a double light switch (connected to the spare switch) and back to the FCU (So the FCU is fed by the Earth and Neutral from the Spur and Live via the Switch)

When the switch is on, the FCU has 230V AC, when the switch is off the FCU shows around 130V AC.

The spur connection is fine, and I can't understand where I've acquired 130V AC from.

Any advice?

Rob

 

[pdcelec]

If someone was working on the lighting circuit and isolated it at the consumer unit, then took off switch they would get quite a surprise when disconnecting the cables!

 

[robnelson]

If someone was working on the lighting circuit and isolated it at the consumer unit, then took off switch they would get quite a surprise when disconnecting the cables!

Hence the nice little tags identifying the cables as lighting circuit and ring main!

Still doesn't help much with the question as to why with the switch off I'm seeing 130 odd volts at the FCU.

Is there likely to be some wierd link between the lighting circuit earth (connected to the switch) and the earth of the ring main causing the 130V - Surely an Earth feed should be an Earth feed ??

Rob

 

[pdcelec]

Could it be that 6Amp or 10Amp light switches are not designed to carry maybe the 32Amps from the ring main and that the switch is melting inside thus the insulation resistance is low and the voltage is dropping due to the current being drawn by this resistance?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't wind him up like that...

 

[robnelson]

So how would everyone else go about connecting cupboard lights to a spur socket ensuring the user can turn the cupboard lights on from the same location as the lights?

Would you wire the LV transformer up to the FCU and fix a switch onto the transformer output?

Rob

 

[pdcelec]

You could use a 2 pole relay and use a switch to operate the coil of the relay which would then operate both lights.

 

[breezer]

So how would everyone else go about connecting cupboard lights to a spur socket ensuring the user can turn the cupboard lights on from the same location as the lights?

Would you wire the LV transformer up to the FCU and fix a switch onto the transformer output?

Rob

i would feed lights from lighting circuit

 

[robnelson]

The idea is to be able to operate the cupboard lights independently of the main kitchen light.

As I've just had the ceiling replastered I'd rather not go poking around for a feed from the lighting circuit (And I've already got the spur FCU in place)

I'm planning on using LV lights, running the transformer off the ring main (fed from the spur FCU above the cupboards) and would simply like to be able to switch them off/on as required from the kitchen light switch.

Surely that can't be beyond the wit of man ... just the wit of me at the moment!!!

Rob

 

[pdcelec]

Install another switched FCU next to the light switch fed from the first one and back to the light. The switch would then operate the light

 

[ban-all-sheds]

But the whole point is to avoid having two separate circuits present at one switch, because as you yourself pointed out, that sort of thing can result in a nasty surprise for someone.

And as for your solution of a second FCU - why?? What purpose does that have? What's it going to do that a switch won't do?

Rob - I understand your concern about the ceiling, but I'm afraid that this is the sort of thing that happens when you don't plan things properly. If you want the two sets of lights to be switched by a two-gang switch then you really should have them on the same circuit. If you don't then you must have a warning notice on the light switch to tell people to isolate in two places before working on it, and that's going to look pretty ugly. Even a separate light switch wouldn't do, because people expect light switches to be on a lighting circuit, not a socket one.

 

[pdcelec]

But the whole point is to avoid having two separate circuits present at one switch, because as you yourself pointed out, that sort of thing can result in a nasty surprise for someone.

And as for your solution of a second FCU - why?? What purpose does that have? What's it going to do that a switch won't do?

I am not suggesting two circuits at one switch. I am suggesting leaving the original light switch as it is and installing a FCU next to it (to operate the under cupboard light).

There is no reason for the second FCU (apart from the fact that he already has it in place and presumably doesnt want to alter it), I would put the original FCU next to the light switch. I suppose you could install a correctly rated switch instead but that would depend on the fuse in the FCU.

Personally I would not have done any of this stuff as the amount of time that I have spent typing, I could have had the job done and a couple of pints down the pub.

The word "pre planning" springs to mind.

Something to ponder "I have just rebuilt my car engine, and have now decided to put new pistons in it. I would like to do this without removing the head from the engine. My wifes car does more miles to the gallon so I was going to connect the propshaft from her car to mine" Wonder what the answer would be if I posted this on the motoring forum?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have just rebuilt my car engine, and have now decided to put new pistons in it. I would like to do this without removing the head from the engine.

What's access like from underneath? Can you drop the sump?

 

[user56565]

rob nelson, you're gona have to make a lot of mess to your kitchen if you want to switch this from where your existing light switch is.

your other alternative could be to put in a switched FCU between base and wall cabinets, supplied by the ring. if you wanted to then turn these lights on, you could then be able to 'operate the cupboard lights independently of the main kitchen light'. does this sound like a reasonable alternative?? let us know what you do... (but pls dnt mix circuits)

 

[pdcelec]

I have just rebuilt my car engine, and have now decided to put new pistons in it. I would like to do this without removing the head from the engine.

What's access like from underneath? Can you drop the sump?

Could I not just superglue the pistons to the underside of the bonnet?. Surely this would save me some money?