Virgin kitchen what supply cables?

[oldman2]

OK I now have lots of loverly new cables from CU to kitchen, still not got a plan for layout of the units/oven etc. The only thing for sure is the sink under the window.
Please excuse the drawing.

View media item 15136
The L shape will be all units with wall cupboards on the long side and an oven/hob/extract hood around the middle of that side.

I could do with some pointers on the lighting please. I have drawn in a TLX70 in the middle of the area but I was looking at maybe puting some downlighting in, say 3 down the long side and 2 the other side of the fluorescent.
Should these be around 60cm out so they light the edge of the worktops or mid way between the fluorescent and worktop edge?

This is a warm flat roof extension so I have around 20cm of space above the ceiling then osb with 90mm celotex above that so what sort of downlighting would suit best? Not wishing to cook my new roof just yet!

There will no doubt be lighting under the wall units but the cabling for thats not a problem, I do need to fix the position of ceiling lighting cables next.
Thanks.

 

[ColJack]

it would depend on what you intend to use them for..

to illuminate the surface then you want to be about 400-500 out from the wall.. enough to miss the uppers but not enough so that you are in your own light.. ( the 400-500 depends on the angle of the beam and how much of the uppers you want to highlight.. )

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1) Forget the idea of a fluorescent strip on the ceiling.

2) Forget the idea of little recessed torches.

Put in something which will actually light the room evenly and efficiently - here's one suggestion:



but there are loads of unobtrusive and efficient lights out there.

3) Use under-cabinet lighting to illuminate the worktops.

 

[ColJack]

make your mind up BAS..
there's nothing wrong with a 6ft twin flourescent light in a kitchen..
it's perfectly suited to task lighting and will do a grand job of illuminating a kitchen..
just because it's not the prettiest thing in the world doesn't make it no good..

 

[RF Lighting]

I've got two 6' pop packs in my kitchen.

It's really bright, no shadows, and it doesn't really matter if they get left on all evening, as they invairibly do.

I don't tend to sit and look at the ceiling when I'm in the kitchen. I'm usually too busy doing stuff.

 

[oldman2]

And its £100 cheaper than the super deluxe one that ban has pointed out.

I am on a limited budget, also my other half insists on a flourescent for the main lighting. I have added another circuit so we can have a choice of tube or downlighting.

 

[RF Lighting]

What about pop pack(s) fixed to the top of the kitchen cabinets?

It's cheap for the bits, and cheap to run. It also provides lots of diffused light, providing your walls / ceiling are not painted black...

Then add plenty of task lighting under the cabinets, and maybe a bit of a decorative central feature light too.

 

[oldman2]

I have bought a couple of 4 lamp spot rails (R50 ses lamps) for the decorative bit and shall mount those above the front edge of the worktops.

I figured in the end I didnt need to run with the pack on downlighters with hoods and the worry of heating the roofspace too much.

I will fit as suggested some task lighting under the wall units.

Unless I get warned off them as I have not used the make before I shall be fitting a central Dextra Lighting Dexpax 6ft twin HF fluorescent with prismatic diffuser as its considerably cheaper than the Thorn or Tamlite one.

http://www.discount-electrical.co.u...batten-with-lamps-ip20-2-x70w-t8-1823mm---6ft

I have used the above company a couple of times now, their pricing is really very keen, unfortunately it seems their packing dept doesnt like me and sends each order short of something, requiring a call and further delivery, but being as its for my own home I can stand the delays.

Thanks for suggestions so far

 

[oldman2]

I am now at the point where I need to run my cables on the thermolite blocks, now this wall will be plasterboarded using adhesive.

Is it usual to surface cable in safe zones and then just make the adhesive thick enough for the plasterboard to be proud of them?
I was intending to use 35mm flush boxes set 15mm into the blocks so the front is near flush with the 12mm plasterboard.
Thats assuming 10-12mm of adhesive behind the boards.

I have already chased out the non RCD freezer circuit wall and installed the conduit and socket box and rendered back up ready for the plasterboard.

 

[ColJack]

metal conduit I hope? or you still need RCD on it.. unless you have sunk the conduit so that the surface of it will be 50mm from the plasterboard surface?

and why render it back up if you're boarding over it? seems a waste of effort..

 

[oldman2]

Metal conduit of course, I rendered it in as I had secured it with cut nails and after rendering the box in place I had some left, so I tidied up some
Maybe nobodys going to see it but I still will for a while and its nice to have it tidy. My cables will be covered by a ceiling but that didnt stop me clipping them tidily

View media item 15370
Now about this plasterboard adhesive.....

 

[oldman2]

Next question...

I now have a layout for the kitchen units and know where the gas hob will be. I intend to have a cooker hood over the hob but as I have bought nothing yet I need to guess where to put the fcu on the wall in readiness for whatever chimney type extract hood I get.

Assuming a chimney section that goes hood to ceiling and guessing the cable run is usually inside that, if I fit an fcu say 15cm down from the ceiling and 15cm to the side of a centerline of the hob position is that likely to be a catchall that will cover any install of a 60cm hood?

 

[ColJack]

the problem with that is that you have to dismantle the chimney bit to change a fuse..

how about sinking a backbox into the wall behind the chimney bit and then run conduit sideways to a FCU above the cabinet to one side..
you can extend the flex that comes with the hood and wire it direct into that..?

 

[oldman2]

the problem with that is that you have to dismantle the chimney bit to change a fuse..

I can do as you say Coljack or even just a bit of plastic conduit with an open end below the plasterboard behind the chimney going to an FCU to feed the flex through.

Why would I need to strip the chimney to change a fuse? I was offsetting the FCU by 15cm so it was just to one side of any chimney.

I've not fitted a hood before so I guess the norm is flex up the inside and grommet out wherever you need to?

 

[ColJack]

the norm is to have the FCU behind the chimney.. that way all you see is the nice sparky stainless... not a horrid little white square next to it with a flex dangling out the bottom..

15cm I thought would still have it behind the chimney cover.. some of them are quite wide..