Mixing Two-Core and Three-Core ?

[darkgr33n]

Hi All

I have a plastic outside bulkhead light that lights my driveway, which is wired with two-core flex, directly into a standard plug, which in turn is plugged into one of those plug-in timers.

I have just purchased a metal outdoor porch light, and isn't double-insulated, so I need to use three-core flex, but want it to run off of the same plug-in timer.

What are my options ?

Can I just wire both two-core and three-core into the same plug ?

Or should I grab a junction-box that has Live/Neutral/Earth, and wire both into that, and then three-core into the plug ?

Or is all of the above a complete bodge ?!

Any advice would be appreciated.

All the best and Seasons Greetings!

Thanks

Paul

 

[ericmark]

These will allow you to connect two cables into one plug

 

[sparkwright]

you could use a junction box if you can ensure the cables are securely clamped ie cord grips/flex glands/cable clips etc.

or you could get a separate plug-in timer.

or you could seek further advice about hardwiring the lights in properly and permanantly.

 

[darkgr33n]

thanks for your quick reply - i didn't know such a thing existed, sounds perfect. I was going to just stuff both into a normal plug, but this seems much neater [and probably safer?]

cheers

 

[darkgr33n]

you could use a junction box if you can ensure the cables are securely clamped ie cord grips/flex glands/cable clips etc.

or you could get a separate plug-in timer.

or you could seek further advice about hardwiring the lights in properly and permanantly.

thanks for that. I do have a two-pin junction box at the moment, just to extend my two-core cable, but if I can use a three-core one [if i can clear enough snow away from the garage, i may have one] for both two-core and three-core, then that may be the best option as I really want them on the same timer circuit [to come on when it gets dark etc]. or use ericmarks suggestion.

cheers

 

[AndyPRK]

doesn't look neater to me

 

[darkgr33n]

doesn't look neater to me

safer perhaps ? not sure what the officiall take is on more than one light run from one plug ? I've done it over the years without incident, but I may have just been lucky...

 

[flameport]

Can I just wire both two-core and three-core into the same plug ?

No, as the flex grip won't work properly. You can put 2 flexes of the same size into some plugs, provided that the flex grip will hold both of them securely.
(If its a bar type flex grip, the two flexes must go side by side, not one on top of the other).

The real answer is to permanently wire these lights to a timer, and not to use a plug at all.

 

[darkgr33n]

thanks for the flexgrip stuff. its important, i know, as an electrician rewired our boiler and the plug burnt out 'cause the neutral wasn't tight enough.

The real answer is to permanently wire these lights to a timer, and not to use a plug at all.

i didn't realise you could get timer's like that. mine's the plug-in time, where you plug into the timer, which plus into the mains. I'll check out the bay and see what hardwired timer's are out there. assume they can take more than one input.

thanks

 

[Hibbo]

Erm, why not just put a plug on your new light and use a double-adapter to plug them both in to your timer?