Florescent lighting, multiple units
- Thread starter SASroofer
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They are normally simply daisy changed everything in parallel and unless HF type you add a third to power requirement so 6 x 60W = 2A approx so using a simple fused connection unit (FCU) and 3A fuse is ample.
There are specials designed to be plugged into each other but to be frank to ask the question one's first reaction is to say get an electrician as if you need a diagram then you should not be doing the job.
There are specials designed to be plugged into each other but to be frank to ask the question one's first reaction is to say get an electrician as if you need a diagram then you should not be doing the job.
Do you want all 6 fittings to operate from the same switch?
And how are you feeding the supply to this part of the circuit?
Are any cables to be buried within walls/ceilings?
And how are you feeding the supply to this part of the circuit?
Are any cables to be buried within walls/ceilings?
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Yes all six to run from the one switch. At the moment the wiring is done from the fuse box to the switch, and from the switch up to the ceiling. There was two lights fitted but wires were twisted together and bodged so ive removed them, and replaced the wiring from the switch to the ceiling with a new length. The lights are single fittimgs, 5 foot in length
So best method would be to have the supply as it is. You can either use single pole or double pole switch.
Single pole would require connect the supply neutral to the load (lights) neutral via a connection block within the switch enclosure.
The supply line (or live) conductor would be terminated to the com/L of switch and the load line would be terminated at L1 of switch.
The load cable from the switch, would then go to each light in turn.
At the fitting connect line to live terminal and neutral to neutral terminal, do this repeatedly between each light, so light 1-5 will have two line and two neutrals at each terminal, light 6 just the one.
You will also require to terminate a continuous CPC (earth), from CU-switch-light (1-6).
BS7671 (wiring regs) would recommend that prior to putting the circuit in to service, that inspection and testing is undertaken.
If a double pole switch was to be used, then instead of use of connector for neutral at the switch, the supply and load would be connected across the appropriate switch terminals.
Single pole would require connect the supply neutral to the load (lights) neutral via a connection block within the switch enclosure.
The supply line (or live) conductor would be terminated to the com/L of switch and the load line would be terminated at L1 of switch.
The load cable from the switch, would then go to each light in turn.
At the fitting connect line to live terminal and neutral to neutral terminal, do this repeatedly between each light, so light 1-5 will have two line and two neutrals at each terminal, light 6 just the one.
You will also require to terminate a continuous CPC (earth), from CU-switch-light (1-6).
BS7671 (wiring regs) would recommend that prior to putting the circuit in to service, that inspection and testing is undertaken.
If a double pole switch was to be used, then instead of use of connector for neutral at the switch, the supply and load would be connected across the appropriate switch terminals.
Thanks for your help so far, below is a photo of the old light fitting. You can see the two lots of live and negatives twisted together. One of each of those ran to the second light fitting. Obvioisly I am using new cables, but should I still wire the lights up the same way, throughout all six fittings?
Don't twist the conductors together but like my previous post you will have as your picture, two conductors for line, neutral and CPC at five of the fittings, the 6th fitting will only have one of each.
They are neutrals, not negatives. You can only have negatives with a DC supply.
Yes, that's what they normally look like.
It is bad practise to twist conductors together, you will have no problem terminating untwisted conductors in to the connection blocks. Standard cable's CSA for lighting (in a domestic), would be either 1.00mm2 T&E or 1.5mm2 T&E.
It is bad practise to twist conductors together, you will have no problem terminating untwisted conductors in to the connection blocks. Standard cable's CSA for lighting (in a domestic), would be either 1.00mm2 T&E or 1.5mm2 T&E.
Make sure your new wires dont go too near or over that White rectangular thing in your picture, they get very hot and will damage the wires
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