Some advice needed

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batista

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Hi guys

To explain at first, ive got dyslexia, so if my spelling is wrong, i appologise.

I am in the middle of renovating my house, and so far i have put joists up for the plasterboard and am about to start the electrical part of it (both wall and ceiling).

Ive left the old (10 years old) cables and points in (lights, plug sockets and light switches) but this is where my problem comes in

My plan is to have spotlights from the ceiling, wall uplighers on the wall and a couple of picture lamps. So thats 3 different light sources in the same room.

I have bought a triple switch, and have all these lights bought and ready for installation but it comes to the work itself.

Now i realise that i need to use a junction box 15amp from the main light (where the rose was in middle of the ceiling) to wire up the transformer for the spotlights and that is already wired up to the switch.

What my question comes in to.

I want to put 4 uplighters on the walls to a new switch (replacing a single with a triple), what sort of cable should i use for this? I assume twin and earth is the correct cable to use however i am not 100%. ANd how would i wire this up. I assume i'd have a line of cable coming from the junction box to wall light 1 and a cable from wall light 1 to the switch? and how do i cable up the other 3 so they all turn on at the same time as the other wall lights?

Any other tips and advice would be greatful too

I realise alot of you will say get a pro in to do the work, however the cost of a sparky to come in to do the job would cost hundreds compared to doing it myself.

I am quite confidant with electricity and such anyway, as i'm an IT tech, so have been working with it for a long time.

 
at the risk of being shot down here, as happens frequently I'll have a stab at your question.

and dont worry about your spelling, its much better than mine when Ive had a few.

and as you seem pretty resigned to doing this work yourself first off a little disclaimer.

I take no responsibility for you or anyone else being electrefried or your house burning down.

from your junction box take a 1.5mm T&E cable(brown and blue) to your switch, from your switch take a 1.5T&E to your 1st light, then from light 1 take a T&E to light 2 etc.

at the switch simply join the Blue cables together and put the brown through the switch.

for the other 2 switch banks simply link the incoming brown to the common terminal of each switch and do as before joining the blues together.

HTH.

remember you really should be getting this work certificated otherwise you could be invalidating your house insurance and therefore have no recompense in case of ANY eventuality whatsoever.

 
Hi guysTo explain at first, ive got dyslexia, so if my spelling is wrong, i appologise.
Hello batista.. welcome to the forum...

Just a quick point first to save you any latter embarrassment..

we are not all GUYS!! there are some are GALS on here as well!! ;)

I am in the middle of renovating my house' date=' and so far i have put joists up for the plasterboard and am about to start the electrical part of it (both wall and ceiling).

Ive left the old (10 years old) cables and points in (lights, plug sockets and light switches) but this is where my problem comes in

[/quote']

There shouldn't be any problems with continuing use of the 10 year old cable..

But there are a few basic checks that should be done when extending circuits...

1) Earth continuity throughout the cable length to all accessory points..

2) Polarity has not been reversed at any stage along the circuit..

3) The overall condition of the cables with an insulation resistance test..

Just because a circuits appears to switch on OK..

it could still have NO earth, Polarity reversed AND damaged insulation.

{problems that I have encountered more than once in the past!}

My plan is to have spotlights from the ceiling' date=' wall uplighers on the wall and a couple of picture lamps. So thats 3 different light sources in the same room.

I have bought a triple switch, and have all these lights bought and ready for installation but it comes to the work itself.

Now i realise that i need to use a junction box 15amp from the main light (where the rose was in middle of the ceiling) to wire up the transformer for the spotlights and that is already wired up to the switch.

What my question comes in to.

I want to put 4 uplighters on the walls to a new switch (replacing a single with a triple), what sort of cable should i use for this? I assume twin and earth is the correct cable to use however i am not 100%. ANd how would i wire this up. I assume i'd have a line of cable coming from the junction box to wall light 1 and a cable from wall light 1 to the switch? and how do i cable up the other 3 so they all turn on at the same time as the other wall lights?

Any other tips and advice would be greatful too

[/quote']

I assume this work is a lounge, judging by the type of lights you are talking about..

Which you can alter and modify yourself quite legally as a DIY..

However a very important piece of advice would be.. to familiarise yourself with the legal aspects of Part P building regs..

i.e Whilst there are some areas of work that are perfectly acceptable for a DIY to undertake. Other areas should be professionally certified tested & notified to LABC.

Either with a registered electrician.. or by you paying your local council to come out and test & verify your work.

These Notifialbe jobs include Bathrooms/Kitchens/Gardens/New CU & New circuits.

I realise alot of you will say get a pro in to do the work' date=' however the cost of a sparky to come in to do the job would cost hundreds compared to doing it myself.

[/quote']

You do need to remember the cost difference is also relative to the fact you are only getting half the job done when doing DIY.

e.g. the professional would provide assurance of compliance with current wiring regs & building regs.

you would have a signed certificate confirming it has all been fully tested for safety..

and you would have recourse to have remedial work put right at no additional cost..

I am quite confidant with electricity and such anyway' date=' as i'm an IT tech, so have been working with it for a long time.[/quote']

Working as an IT tech is a very different ball game to fixed wiring mains supply's..

I have experience in both fields in a professional capacity not just DIY.

The fact that you are asking quite basic questions about lighting circuits,

does actually show that you are not as confident as you say..

However... All that being as it is... Steptoe has provided guidance on wiring your lights.. I would also add these basic principals;-

Lights are wired in parallel with each other via a switch. across the live & neutral conductors.

So every light fitting will need a neutral & earth going to it.

and a live coming via a switch to the other side of the light fitting.

There are several methods of doing this..

which very much depend upon what lights you are fitting some ways are better that others.

The two general methods are

1) looping all the L,N & E's throughout the switch.

2) loop supply's to each light position, then just take a Live & switched live to the switch positions,

(so no Neutrals at the switches at all)

it is quite common to have a mix of methods in the same property..

You also have two or three-way switching which brings a whole bunch of other methods..! :(

Have you checked the fuse rating and loading on the circuit will still be ok with these extra light added on?
 
I`m sorry, but I`m not getting involved in this one at all :(

As my colleagues have noted, Judging by the level of knowledge your post shows, I wuold suggest NOT doing this yourself.

I`m not here to help people do half a job, which may, or may not be safe.

I hope I do not cause offence, as non is intended:)

KME

 
So because this is not in a special location and it's an addition to the existing lighting circuit it's ok to DIY it in reguards to part P BUT should now comply to 17th with RCD etc and that's the part that householder can't do?

Is that what's been said?

 
So because this is not in a special location and it's an addition to the existing lighting circuit it's ok to DIY it in reguards to part P BUT should now comply to 17th with RCD etc and that's the part that householder can't do?Is that what's been said?
ALL wiring alterations should ALWAYS have complied with whatever the current wiring regulation are..

BUT BS7671 IEE wiring regulation are.. (as Steptoe would often remind us)

A NON statutory regulation.. They are Guidance for good practice.. only.

you can choose to ignore them if you are so inclined...

Whereas the Building regulations (Part P, for electrics) ARE a statutory document!

You can also be prosecuted for non compliance with

EAWR

H&SAW etc..

but these only apply to a domestic household whilst a trader is actually carrying out his professional paid work at the premises.

i.e. That home is the TRADERS WORKPLACE..

DIY working in their own home with NO financial reimbursement ONLY comes under the Building Regs!

This is as far as I understand it??? ?:|

 
DIY working in their own home with NO financial reimbursement ONLY comes under the Building Regs!
I'm not saying it's a good idea, but you are saying it's legal if not advisable?

In reguards part P

 
It isn`t a new cct, or CU change; and it isn`t in a "special location (bathroom, kitchen, garden etc.....)

You`ll note "kitchen". 7671 does not class as specloc. Building regs do!

As this would appear to be addition to circuit, in a non-special location, part P does not apply.

 
It isn`t a new cct, or CU change; and it isn`t in a "special location (bathroom, kitchen, garden etc.....)You`ll note "kitchen". 7671 does not class as specloc. Building regs do!

As this would appear to be addition to circuit, in a non-special location, part P does not apply.
You all confused me! I said that in my first post :p

Thanks for clarifying it! :^O

 
I take no responsibility for you or anyone else being electrefried or your house burning down.

That is in the Rules and Regs of this forum. Nor is the forum or I responisble.

 
I take no responsibility for you or anyone else being electrefried or your house burning down.That is in the Rules and Regs of this forum. Nor is the forum or I responisble.
In all seriousness should it say that somewhere? A little disclaimer at the bottom of the page or something? In this day and age of backside covering?

 
In all seriousness should it say that somewhere? A little disclaimer at the bottom of the page or something? In this day and age of backside covering?
I take no-one has actually read the forum's T&C's then?

It says it in there. ;) (as I posted above).

 
I totally understand why a few of you have said i shouldnt do this myself - however with the cost of sparkies, i just dont have that cash. I have looked around and seen it to be around

 

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