Under Counter Lighting

[junoeclipse]

Hey, my mams had her kitchen rewired, and the guys put a junction box under the wall units for under counter lighting, I'm looking at some T5 strip lights, and wondered if they have to be linked together? Or can you wire to separate lights into the same junction box? As the ones were looking at are cheap cheapest we could find, but the linking cable you can buy separate is a meter long, and it only needs to be 10cm, so thought this way would save looping it and tacking it up lol.

Thanks,
J

 

[ericmark]

The idea of the pre-wired lights with link cables is to get around the Part P problem if you don't use them to be legal you will either need to employ a scheme registered electrician or pay the LABC £100 plus for the completion certificate.

 

[flameport]

The decent makes of light don't need link leads for straight runs - one light will plug directly into the next one, with a short 10cm lead only being used at corners or to connect the first light to the power supply.

If yours only have 1m leads available for links, find another manufacturer.

 

[junoeclipse]

Yeah, these can be linked in straight runs, but its the two corners, which need 2 lights each, i had seen more expensive ones with much shorter leads, were just trying to do the kitchen on a very tight budget, So if the lights are put in by an electrician can two be linked in to the same junction box? Hes coming back once the kitchen is finished, I just wanted to get everything ordered so it was here ready and he can wire everything up that we have installed.

Cheers,
J

 

[Taylortwocities]

Yes.
Several individual lights can be separately wired back to the central junction box.

I think that's the straightforward answer you are looking for without any of the esoteric and undesireable/impractical options that will be thrown at you.

Use your electrician to do the wiring per the above though.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

the guys put a junction box under the wall units for under counter lighting, I'm looking at some T5 strip lights, and wondered if they have to be linked together?

I've got cupboards and drawers under my counters - surely your Mum's kitchen is the same? Why would you want lights inside places like that?

You can put LED strips under the overhangs, but no way would there be room for T5s...