Yes 1.5mm is suitable cable for a 10A MCB
Daisy Chaining Flourescent Lighting
- Thread starter dk1uk
- Start date
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And can I then take feed from the existing second light to the fourth?
Many thanks
Electrically speaking, yes - but you need to be sure that there is enough space for all the cables and, more importantly, that you can comfortably and satisfactorily get three conductors into each of the terminals in the connector.
You can take the feed for the fourth from either the second or the (new) third, whichever is more convenient.
Kind Regards, John
Thank you John. Yes you’re right, there’s not enough room in the lamp’s terminals for there cables. I’ll have to add a choc bloc in the lamp for the three cables then add a short length of cable to lamps terminals.
Not ideal but I can’t thinkbof anything else?
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Well, I can't tell without looking, but a 'nicer' solution (avoiding an additional choc block), if it were possible, would be to replace the unit's existing 'terminal block' (which itself may well just be some type of choc block) with one large enough to take all the conductors.
However, would it not be convenient to take your third light from the second, and the fourth from the third (which should avoid 'terminal capacity' issues)?
Kind Regards, John
Hi John, the trouble with that is that I then end up with a maze of conduit on the ceiling.
This is what I’ve done - see pic. The two white cables are the free in and the feed for the second lamp. I’ve added the two grey cables - one for the new third light.
Then the other grey goes to the terminals in the lamp. I’m not at risk of overloading something by having just one cable carrying all the load to the terminals am I?
Why do you need conduit?
That looks fine. Nothing will get overloaded.
Some purist may comment on the very small bit of bare copper visible for one of the conductors in the top-right terminal of the chock block
Kind Regards, John
I’m using that white plastic conduit to put the cable into. I thought it was a good idea to use it but also it’s what the original builder used for the first two lights.Why do you need conduit?
That looks fine. Nothing will get overloaded.
Some purist may comment on the very small bit of bare copper visible for one of the conductors in the top-right terminal of the chock block
Kind Regards, John
Anyhow, all done now and it all works perfectly! Many thanks for your help!
1.0mm is all that is required and easier to get several wires into the terminals. Can't understand why so many people want to over specify cable on lighting circuits.
As is 1.0mm T&E.
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I see no real problem with what you are doing, however I was taught one terminal one wire, but domestic seem to work one terminal up to three wires. I first started to work with push on maintenance free connectors working for a Dutch company in Algeria in 1980, these are not new, however seem to have been a slow take up in using them.
With steel girder building construction one can get more vibration, and I have seen many terminals come loose in batching plants, and crushers, but in the home rare, however screws can bind on thread or loose strand of flex, and what seems tight is not, even the choc block some times has a metal bit between wire and screw to ensure screw does not bind, and using maintenance free terminals for flex never seemed to work, OK could use ferrules but not ideal. I have also seen bad connections with the push fit terminals, so they do not remove the problem.
With lighting in the main we use items rated 5 or 6 amp, so although the book says up to 16A in real terms 6A MCB is the limit, the choc block found in the fluorescent fitting is normally 5A rating, the ceiling rose is 5A rating, so why anyone puts a 10A MCB in for lights I don't know? However it will not really affect what you are doing.
I am sure we can find fault with every job we find, however that does not mean it is dangerous, so just make sure there is a good connection and carry on, as long as no more than three wires in a terminal (as we are allowed with a spur from ring) then OK.
With steel girder building construction one can get more vibration, and I have seen many terminals come loose in batching plants, and crushers, but in the home rare, however screws can bind on thread or loose strand of flex, and what seems tight is not, even the choc block some times has a metal bit between wire and screw to ensure screw does not bind, and using maintenance free terminals for flex never seemed to work, OK could use ferrules but not ideal. I have also seen bad connections with the push fit terminals, so they do not remove the problem.
With lighting in the main we use items rated 5 or 6 amp, so although the book says up to 16A in real terms 6A MCB is the limit, the choc block found in the fluorescent fitting is normally 5A rating, the ceiling rose is 5A rating, so why anyone puts a 10A MCB in for lights I don't know? However it will not really affect what you are doing.
I am sure we can find fault with every job we find, however that does not mean it is dangerous, so just make sure there is a good connection and carry on, as long as no more than three wires in a terminal (as we are allowed with a spur from ring) then OK.
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