Wiring for new lights in new room...

[timcunnell]

Hi guys
I am not an electrician, but I am quite proficient in a DIY sense. I've successfully wired in a few mains outlet spurs in my house, and recently replaced a standard lighting pendant in a bedroom with 8 x LED downlights. No probs with any of that.
For my latest project I am partitioning off a portion of a bedroom to become an en suite. As such, I need to install lights, so I am planning to install 3 x IP-rated downlights. I've got easy access to the loft and wiring above. So I assume I need to wire from existing light in bedroom to 3 x new LEDs, and then add a pull-cord switch.
I just don't know exactly how to do this! Presumably there must be a constant live that I need to locate and wire in to the new switch? Any advice would be much-appreciated. Sorry if I've not explained very well!

 

[ericmark]

In the main in UK we go from ceiling rose to ceiling rose with power then drop down from ceiling rose to switch. However when using non UK stuff they tend to wire switch to switch and then up to lights. What we tend to do is get special junction boxes designed for lighting where mixing British and other systems and wire the light from the junction box which replaces the ceiling rose.

With the ceiling rose you must remember often black or blue wires are not neutral but switched line, you need to be careful and label any switched line wires with red or brown tape, as if these get mixed up with neutrals it's hard to sort out after.

The IP rating is how resistance some thing is to dust, water and some times impact, in the main it is shown with two numbers i.e. IP56 everything is IP rated what you need to do is select the correct IP rating.

There were instructions in Wiki have you looked?

 

[timcunnell]

Hi mate - thanks very much for the reply. I do have a ceiling rose of course in the loft for the existing bedroom, so presumably if I locate the live/Sw live etc, and wire across to a new ceiling rose, I should be okay to fit a pull-cord type switch, and run in the downlights then!

Sorry I should've been clearer re the IP thing! Indeed I guess any lights are potentially IP-rated! I was planning to get some IP-65 fire-rated jobs - very cheap on eBay. Presumably these are okay for a bathroom though? Was planning to install one directly above shower!

I am a little unsure about how best to proceed with regards to installing the lights with loft insulation. Does it help at all to go with 12v lights and transformers? I was thinking at least LED would be better as they don't get hot, but if fitting GU10 fittings I guess there's no guarantee a future resident (if I move on) might replace an LED bulb with a halogen and then create an issue with heat?

 

[daggermark]

I've done something quite similar recently to branch off an existing rose for some new lights on a new switch.

Having 5 cables into the rose can be quite fiddly so I chucked everything into one of the big wago boxes with push-fit connections.

 

[EFLImpudence]

It would be advisable and better NOT to cut holes in bathroom/ensuite (or any) ceilings.

All problems with heat, insulation, moisture egress etc. then disappear.

https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting-Circuit-layouts

 

[timcunnell]

That is a good point to be fair. I guess particularly in the case of the en suite I am planning (as is perhaps quite common) I won't have a window, so will be reliant entirely on extractor fan to get the steam out etc. But even then, any holes cut into ceiling plasterboard for downlights must be a source for potential egress into the loft, and possible further problems?
Is there any way round this? What do people usually do when fitting spotlights in bathrooms/kitchen, as they're quite common these days?

 

[EFLImpudence]

You can get reatively shallow surface mounted ones now.

Someone will have a link.

 

[winston1]

I do have a ceiling rose of course in the loft for the existing bedroom, so presumably if I locate the live/Sw live etc, and wire across to a new ceiling rose, I should be okay to fit a pull-cord type switch, and run in the downlights then!

You need to locate the live and neutral for it to work.

You do realise that as this new room is a "bathroom" this work is notifiable don't you?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You need to locate the live and neutral for it to work.

You do realise that as this new room is a "bathroom" this work is notifiable don't you?

And 30mA RCD protection is also required, as would have been on all newly installed sockets, and very likely on most newly buried cable.

Plus inspection and testing.