View Single Post
  #1   Report Post  
 
Posts: n/a
Default Use of connector strips query

I've browsed the group for a while, and am looking for advice on the
use (or misuse) of connector strips in domestic lighting. We recently
had a flat rewired and various types of LV lighting put in throughout.
In most cases the electrician used junction boxes to wire the prewrired
transformers onto the lighting circuits, with those being fed from
about 25 dimmers in several DIN boxes located mostly in the loft.
Generally the guys would make a hole in the ceiling, wire the JB, and
then feed the JB, transformer and finally the fitting into the ceiling.
However, some fittings are small and a JB wouldn't go through the hole,
and access wasn't necessarily possible from above. In this case they
used 3 poles from a suitably rated connector strip, wrapped the strip
in tape for insulation, and finally fed everything through the hole as
before. Although fine for insulation, does this contravene the regs,
and if so, how should one wire this to comply given the access
restrictions from above/below?

Also, with regards to access of junction boxes. In this property,
almost all JB's are accessible via the loft, but a few are beneath a
floor above. Of those, some can be popped down if the light fitting is
removed, but if this isn't possible, is it mandatory that permanent
access be provided somehow from above? This would require a hatch
somewhere, but wouldn't be great in some types of flooring, and could
be impossible if the floor above was tiled, had underfloor heating etc.
Longer cable runs to JB's that are located at an accessible point
should be possible in that case (but maybe not always), but with even
more complicated and obscure wiring as a result. Using a connector
strip would then seem the better solution as bringing a light down from
the ceiling would be possible, albeit not ideal, and would give more
logical and straightforward wiring.

Advice, ideas and rules and regs welcome.