[EvB]

Hello everyone,

I've not posted here before but am looking for some help with wiring a
ceiling light. I have a strange situation where the mains wire on the
lighting cirucit for this particular fitting comes along the top of
the ceiling - i.e. the wire is visible and is fixed to the ceiling by
cable tacks. The exiting pendant light fitting was bodged so that the
wire could enter the fitting from the side rather than from behind
(through the ceiling) as would normally be the case.

Unfortunately the pendant and fitting were damaged when we moved a
large item into the house recently and they need to be replaced. I
don't want to bodge it again and was wondering if anybody knows of a
suitable lamp for use on a domestic lighting circuit which can take a
mains cable coming in from the side? I hope people can understand
what I mean. I have phoned Screwfix and they only have light fittings
that are designed to be wired from the back, thus fitting flush to the
ceiling.

Any help would be much appreciated.

[[email protected]]

Unless for some reason you cannot gain access to the roofspace above,
changing it to the conventional above ceiling wiring arrangement would
sound the easiest thing to do.

If it must remain as the current arrangement, a small circular disc of
wood behind the ceiling fitting (with a suitable hole drilled in the
side) and painted the same colour as the ceiling would be a simple
solution.

Any surface-mount cable should be in trunking to comply with wiring
regs of course.

[TheScullster]

wrote

Any surface-mount cable should be in trunking to comply with wiring
regs of course.

Is that strictly the case here?
The OP says that the cable is clipped to the ceiling.
If this is the only exposed bit of cable, isn't the ceiling the least likely
place for something to get damaged and therefore not requiring mechanical
protection? (Yes I know it would be more aesthetically pleasing to have
white trunking rather than grey T&E across the ceiling).

Phil

[Ed Sirett]

On Wed, 04 Jul 2007 14:57:57 +0000, wrote:

Unless for some reason you cannot gain access to the roofspace above,
changing it to the conventional above ceiling wiring arrangement would
sound the easiest thing to do.

If it must remain as the current arrangement, a small circular disc of
wood behind the ceiling fitting (with a suitable hole drilled in the
side) and painted the same colour as the ceiling would be a simple
solution.

Any surface-mount cable should be in trunking to comply with wiring
regs of course.

Which reg is that.
PVC Sheathed cables _require_ no further mechanical protection in the
domestic environmment. They are often clipped direct in lofts, cupboards
and out buildings.
Trucking is a way of making a neater installation.


--
Ed Sirett - Property maintainer and registered gas fitter.
The FAQ for uk.diy is at http://www.diyfaq.org.uk
Gas fitting FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFitting.html
Sealed CH FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/SealedCH.html
Choosing a Boiler FAQ http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/BoilerChoice.html
Gas Fitting Standards Docs he http://www.makewrite.demon.co.uk/GasFittingStandards

[[email protected]]

On 4 Jul, 14:50, EvB wrote:
Hello everyone,

I've not posted here before but am looking for some help with wiring a
ceiling light. I have a strange situation where the mains wire on the
lighting cirucit for this particular fitting comes along the top of
the ceiling - i.e. the wire is visible and is fixed to the ceiling by
cable tacks. The exiting pendant light fitting was bodged so that the
wire could enter the fitting from the side rather than from behind
(through the ceiling) as would normally be the case.

Unfortunately the pendant and fitting were damaged when we moved a
large item into the house recently and they need to be replaced. I
don't want to bodge it again and was wondering if anybody knows of a
suitable lamp for use on a domestic lighting circuit which can take a
mains cable coming in from the side? I hope people can understand
what I mean. I have phoned Screwfix and they only have light fittings
that are designed to be wired from the back, thus fitting flush to the
ceiling.

Any help would be much appreciated.

The simplest solution is to poke a 10mm hole in the PB right next to
the ceiling rose, so the cable goes behind (above) the rose. Moving
the cable to above the ceiling wouild be much nicer though.


NT