Strip light and 3 spotlights in loft conversion help

[michaelw09]

Hi all,

I will be having my loft converted and was wanting the following lighting arrangement.

1 strip light in the main loft area and 3 spotlights running down the stairs from the loft. Also im wanting a double dimmer switch at the bottom of the stairs to the loft, one side of the dimmer to control the spotlights and the other side to control the main strip light. Reason being is that my 3 year old son will sleeping up there and wanting the spotlights dimmed enough to shed light on the stairs all night.

Any diagrams or info on how to do this would be great. I will be taking the feed from my upstairs lights to the main strip light but from there i just want a second opinion.

Many thanks

 

[wingcoax]

I presume you mean a flourescent when you say striplight, these do NOT like dimming. The start up would more than likely blow your dimmer to pieces as well as not letting you switch on at low setting in the first place.

 

[electronicsuk]

As you're planning on installing downlights, which generally have very little space for cable termination, you would be best to take your feed from the existing lighting circuit straight to the switch plate. From there, you can add two more cables - one to feed the strip light in the loft, another for the lights on the stairs. By joining the neutrals together in a terminal block in the same backbox as the switch, you'll avoid the need to use a junction box on the downlights.

If you're not already considering fitting a switch in the loft itself as a two-way circuit, I'd seriously give it thought. It would seem mad for the only switching to be at the bottom of the stairs.

If you use a grid switch, you can install a dimmer module in one side a switch in the other, so the striplight wont be dimmable.

 

[michaelw09]

you would be best to take your feed from the existing lighting circuit straight to the switch plate. From there, you can add two more cables - one to feed the strip light in the loft, another for the lights on the stairs. By joining the neutrals together in a terminal block in the same backbox as the switch, you'll avoid the need to use a junction box on the downlights.

Thanks for the replies. I think i have got the idea but would anyone by any chance have a diagram showing this if possible.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you can't draw a diagram yourself then you aren't yet at the level of knowledge and understanding you should have to be doing the job.

You should not be doing electrical installation work on the basis of following connection diagrams which you don't understand.

Caution and wanting confirmation is admirable, and if you go and spend a bit of time learning how lighting circuits work and then you draw a diagram and post it here for checking that'll be fine.

The lighting article in the Wiki //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting has lots of information, as do these sites:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html

and the books listed here: //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=75416#75416


Also, you must have applied for Building Regulation approval, so when you did, what did you put on it about the way that you would ensure that the electrical work would comply with Part P?

That's not a trick question, and for the benefit of the hard-of-thinking here who delight in pretending I have written words which they can't actually see it's not an insult, it's not rude, it's not patronising and it's not a refusal to help you just because the work is notifiable.

The problem is that it's not unusual for people copy down what the council tells them to write on the application, and don't give any thought to what they are actually committing to, and then find themselves in all sorts of bother when they don't abide by it, usually right at the end when they find that they can't get their completion certificate from the council.

 

[michaelw09]

If you can't draw a diagram yourself then you aren't yet at the level of knowledge and understanding you should have to be doing the job.

You should not be doing electrical installation work on the basis of following connection diagrams which you don't understand.

Thank you for the comment yet i was merely asking for a second opinion.

Caution and wanting confirmation is admirable, and if you go and spend a bit of time learning how lighting circuits work and then you draw a diagram and post it here for checking that'll be fine

I have drawn a diagram and thanks to your info in diagrams(which i was looking for for ages but couldnt find any hence my post here) they have been very helpful and confirmed what i was going to do.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Good oh!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You must have applied for Building Regulation approval, so when you did, what did you put on it about the way that you would ensure that the electrical work would comply with Part P?

Also, you must have applied for Building Regulation approval, so when you did, what did you put on it about the way that you would ensure that the electrical work would comply with Part P?

Michael = why do I get the feeling you don't want to answer that?