Which amp rating terminal block to use?

[gdunbar]

Hello,

Im a complete newbie to electrical work so bare with me. Im going to replace a rose fixing with a new light. The rose fixing is downstairs and there are four lights downstairs altogether. I have done my research so I now know what each of the many wires in the rose fixing are for and how to wire them up in the new light.

I need to connect the three red cables together using a terminal block but which rating is the best to use? I was thinking of 5A is this enough?

I know this is a really basic question for you guys, but I just want to make sure I do it right.

Many Thanks,

Glyn

 

[JohnD]

Domestic lighting circuits are (almost) always fused at 5A or 6A. Most light switchews are rated at 10A which is plenty (some lighting circuits are fused at 10A, but not, usually, domestically).

Lighting junction boxes are available rated at 5A/6A but they are very small and inconvenient. 10A and 20A ones are almost as cheap and MUCH easier to use.

If you use choc-blocks, get the 10A/15A ones, and get a choc-box to put it in to cover the live screw-heads. It does no harm to use accessories rated to higher amoperage than the circuit will use, until you reach the very big and heavy ones.

Most importantly, when working with lighting circuits, identify and label every wire and every cable, and draw a diagram of how they were connected before you took them apart. Use a marker pen and white vinyl tape. Failure to do this is athe most common cause of wiring faults on lighting circuits. You can't just go by colour.

 

[Pensdown]

If your lighting circuit MCB/fuse is 5/6amp then 5amp connector block is fine. If you have room, 15amp is often better because it's easier to get the cables in.

 

[gdunbar]

Thanks to you both, that info is just what I needed

I will be taking photos of the wires all labeled up before I start to disconnect them. One thing I did notice is the installer used a yellow wire for the switch connection rather than a black wire with a red sleeve which I thought it had to be.

 

[kai]

On older installations, especially staircase lights, the Red, Yellow and Blue colours were often utilised in the lighting control circuits for the switches.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I have done my research so I now know what each of the many wires in the rose fixing are for and how to wire them up in the new light.

Then you should be able to see how useful something like this could be...