Replacement light fitting advice sought

[Jay1111]

Good afternoon,

I'm currently in the process of swapping a standard ceiling rose to a nice metal fisherman style pendant and hope some of you more experienced diyers can help;

It is/was my intention to wire up the new lamp using wago connectors and house them between the lamp housing/ceiling, however the pendants have now arrived and I note a couple of things, 1. There won't be enough room to hold all my connector blocks in the lamp itself and 2. It's class 2 - so has no earth.

My query is - if I can manage to fit all wago connectors inside (which I doubt) - is this still sufficient in relation to wiring being double insulated, or will I need to fashion some sort of earthing for the cover?

And secondly - if they don't fit inside, the only alternative I can think of is to use a larger junction box for all the connections and push it up into my ceiling void (if I can create a hold large enough and keep the holes required for the lamp) - are there any alternative/easier ways to do this?

 

[EFLImpudence]

My query is - if I can manage to fit all wago connectors inside (which I doubt) - is this still sufficient in relation to wiring being double insulated,

No.

or will I need to fashion some sort of earthing for the cover?

I would say, yes.
Is it connected metalically to the actual light fitting? It looks like a metal rod.

I would just fit the bracket behind the rose and connect the new cable to the same terminals on the rose as the present light - plus earth to suitable ring lug to the centre nut.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Other than that you will have to disconnect the rose and get a suitable junction box and push it up into the ceiling space.

https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ501.html

 

[Jay1111]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply - I did try this but unfortunately the cable needs shortened and uses up space within the ceiling rose of the pendant meaning there isn't the room.

I also considered shortening the flex by cutting it down to exactly what I need but it doesnt appear to be one single piece of wire within the sheath - more lots of strands with a little metal cover - which then goes into the connector. Can I shorten this and buy the little metal cover to place on my new shortened flex?

Thanks in advance!

 

[EFLImpudence]

I should have said - if there is room.


No, don't cut the flex.

Junction box in ceiling, then ?

Then no need to earth it.

 

[rsgaz]

That looks like a heavy pendant. Whilst EFLI's link to the Ashley box is suitable, of course, I personally would go for a...

https://www.downlights.co.uk/ct102c.html

This way the flex from the pendant can be wired up nice and easy on a table/workbench, rather than up a ladder holding up the weight. You just connect them when you're ready to mount it.

 

[rsgaz]

Just noticed also, the screwdriver you'll need to get the old rose off the ceiling is called a Robertson or Scrulox screwdriver, or generically just 'square drive'. Probably a 'Number 2' size.

 

[winston1]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply - I did try this but unfortunately the cable needs shortened and uses up space within the ceiling rose of the pendant meaning there isn't the room.

I also considered shortening the flex by cutting it down to exactly what I need but it doesnt appear to be one single piece of wire within the sheath - more lots of strands with a little metal cover - which then goes into the connector. Can I shorten this and buy the little metal cover to place on my new shortened flex?

Thanks in advance!

I assume you mean stranded flex and a ferrule. You can fit a new ferrule but you need a special tool. You could just twist the strands and fit them under the screw as has been done for years, or perhaps you could twist and solder them together.