Providing Power for 2x Wall Lights

[Door7000]

I am creating a bedroom look as shown in the image. I want two wall lights similar to the one shown. The wall is dot and dabbed plasterboard onto an external wall and the room is on the first floor with a main light in the ceiling. Directly below one of the lights (behind the bedside unit) is a double socket.

I have two options here:

1. Run mains power to the lights but is this something that I can do myself?

2. Go low voltage. I could source some low voltage fittings and just drop the cable behind the drywall and fish it out in a hole behind the bedside unit and plug it's psu into the double socket.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I am creating a bedroom look as shown in the image. I want two wall lights similar to the one shown. The wall is dot and dabbed plasterboard onto an external wall and the room is on the first floor with a main light in the ceiling. Directly below one of the lights (behind the bedside unit) is a double socket.

Ok. That sounds ideal.
Fused Connector Unit next to the socket and wire from there.

I presume you want a light both sides of the bed and a switch both sides.

If you want both lights to be operated separately by a two-gang switch both sides of the bed the wiring gets quite involved but simple with one step at a time.

I have two options here:

1. Run mains power to the lights but is this something that I can do myself?

You are allowed to if that is what you mean but you still must do it properly so - can you?

2. Go low voltage. I could source some low voltage fittings and just drop the cable behind the drywall and fish it out in a hole behind the bedside unit and plug it's psu into the double socket.

240V is actually classed as low voltage.
If you mean 12V then no point bothering with that.

 

[Door7000]

Ok, 240v sounds the way to go. I would consider that I can do it properly - I am just not upto date on regs, Part P notifiable, best practices etc.

Let's go for two lights either side of the bed with a single gang switch on the left side controlling both at the same time, and the fused connector unit next to the double socket.

Can I just run a cable directly up from the FCU to the switch, then up to the left hand light, and from that light another cable horiztontally to the right hand light? Do they need to be protected or clipped in someway?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok, 240v sounds the way to go. I would consider that I can do it properly - I am just not upto date on regs, Part P notifiable, best practices etc

Not notifiable.
Part P just says you must ensure it is safe.

Let's go for two lights either side of the bed with a single gang switch on the left side controlling both at the same time, and the fused connector unit next to the double socket.

Ok but now is the time to change your mind.

Can I just run a cable directly up from the FCU to the switch, then up to the left hand light, and from that light another cable horiztontally to the right hand light?

Yes.

Do they need to be protected or clipped in someway?

No - not really possible.
Vertically up - and as much as possible horizontally across.

 

[SUNRAY]

I'll suggest that for the sake of one extra cable chase, one extra switch position and 4m of cable you will be more comfortable being able to switch either from either side of the bed. Think about hotel room arrangements.

 

[Door7000]

I am ready to install this now. Here are a couple more questions if I may.

To the right of the double socket (where I want the FCU to be) is some dot and dab adhesive. The cables for the socket enter the back box through the bottom inlet but I can't then feed off through the right inlet because of the adhesive. I could go up but that would mean the fcu would be about 5" to the left of the perpendicular to the light. So can I go up and then right 5"? Bedside draws hide the socket and FCU so not bothered about aesthetics.

Second question. I am going for the single switch option (one switch turn both off and on) as the room is single occupancy and no need for a left and or right to be on. The cable that runs horizontally from the left light to the right light would need to be junctioned. Should I use wago connectors here? The terminal block in the light fitting is quite small.

 

[pete01]

Supply each light from the fcu and use wireless switches

 

[SUNRAY]

So I guess this is the preferred layout:

And the problem is the piece in blue,

One answer could be to drill at an angle from both directions into the brick behind the dot:

The grey being the plaster board and the pink being the dot.

Second would be to cut a chase in the plasterboard and plaster the cable into place.

And third, if you really dont mind the look, surface run the cable.

Everything buried must be in line with fittings, switches etc for safety.


Another alternative could be to drop down from the lighting circuit in the loft.

 

[ericmark]

I swapped the main switch for a three gang switch (two-way), then two switches either side of the bed two gang (one two-way and one intermediate) and two spotlights either side of the bed, and the main light. So main light switched from any switch bank, and bed lights side they were on and door switch.

However, since then Smart lights have come out, the version of smart switch I use is only done as one or two gang, but the smart button

S200D needs no wiring, and so can go anywhere,

S220 will work without a neutral (uses two AAA batteries) so the whole requirement for two-way lighting has gone. So new house just smart switches, bulbs, and relays. Plus in our case Nest Mini speakers, so can use voice commands as well.

Yes, more expensive to buy, but move the bed, and no rewiring for the switches. Since we now have our own bedrooms, voice is not a problem, so don't use the smart button any more. (Well used as a door push for the door bell now.)

Where the two-way wiring already existed, we used a smart relay in the ceiling lamp, so two-way switching now extra low voltage, oh and 230 volt AC is considered as low voltage except in the USA, who always have to do things different.