I have redecorated a bedroom and removed a hideous old wall light from
one of the alcoves. I've put some shelving and a wall-mounted desk in
the alcove, and I'd like to use the wall-light wiring to provide a
small fluorescent strip under the bottom shelf as a desklamp (eg
http://xsls.com/?701 ).

At the moment the wall-light wiring just emerges from the plaster on
the wall. What I plan to do is to put a standard electrical pattress
box into the wall to accommodate the wiring (plus a terminal block)
and to have the flex to the striplight emerge from a flex outlet. The
flex outlet will be hidden behind books on the shelves, so it won't
look too funny having it halfway up the wall.

Two questions.

Is this an acceptable way to do this.

And have I dreampt up the idea of a flex outlet (ie a single-gang
white plate with a hole in the middle, not part of a FCU). TLC have
something called flex outlets ( http://xsls.com/?700 )but they look
suspiciously like blanking plates to me (no hole).

Many thanks,

Martin

In article ,
(Martin Pentreath) writes:
I have redecorated a bedroom and removed a hideous old wall light from
one of the alcoves. I've put some shelving and a wall-mounted desk in
the alcove, and I'd like to use the wall-light wiring to provide a
small fluorescent strip under the bottom shelf as a desklamp (eg
http://xsls.com/?701 ).

At the moment the wall-light wiring just emerges from the plaster on
the wall. What I plan to do is to put a standard electrical pattress
box into the wall to accommodate the wiring (plus a terminal block)
and to have the flex to the striplight emerge from a flex outlet. The
flex outlet will be hidden behind books on the shelves, so it won't
look too funny having it halfway up the wall.

Two questions.

Is this an acceptable way to do this.

Yes, although that makes the light part of your fixed wiring installation.

I would use a connector instead. The options a
Klik connector - available for alcatrave patress box or BESA (circular) box;
2A BS546 round pin plug and socket (socket must be shuttered);
Clock connector.

And have I dreampt up the idea of a flex outlet (ie a single-gang
white plate with a hole in the middle, not part of a FCU). TLC have
something called flex outlets ( http://xsls.com/?700 )but they look
suspiciously like blanking plates to me (no hole).

Hole may be in the edge, and/or need to be punched out.

--
Andrew Gabriel

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 20:15:08 UTC, (Martin
Pentreath) wrote:

And have I dreampt up the idea of a flex outlet (ie a single-gang
white plate with a hole in the middle, not part of a FCU).

I'd be asking what the rating of the circuit protection (i.e. MCB) is.
Whatever it's rated at, you need your flex to be able to carry a
comparable current safely. If it can't, you need an FCU. If it's
actually off a power circuit, you're looking at 32A flex, or so....

--
Bob Eager
rde at tavi.co.uk
PC Server 325*4; PS/2s 9585, 8595, 9595*2, 8580*3,
P70...

snip

And have I dreampt up the idea of a flex outlet (ie a single-gang
white plate with a hole in the middle, not part of a FCU). TLC have
something called flex outlets ( http://xsls.com/?700 )but they look
suspiciously like blanking plates to me (no hole).

It may have a punch-out on the inside of the plate

--
Jet

On Fri, 19 Sep 2003 21:45:44 GMT, "Jet"
wrote:

snip

And have I dreampt up the idea of a flex outlet (ie a single-gang
white plate with a hole in the middle, not part of a FCU). TLC have
something called flex outlets ( http://xsls.com/?700 )but they look
suspiciously like blanking plates to me (no hole).

It may have a punch-out on the inside of the plate

These are similar to the FCUs.

There's a knockout on the bottom edge near the left, and the flex will
dress down the wall from there.





..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

"Martin Pentreath" wrote
| At the moment the wall-light wiring just emerges from the plaster
| on the wall. What I plan to do is to put a standard electrical
| pattress box into the wall to accommodate the wiring (plus a
| terminal block) and to have the flex to the striplight emerge
| from a flex outlet.
| Is this an acceptable way to do this.

Yes, provided this is off the lighting circuit and a fuse isn't required.

| And have I dreampt up the idea of a flex outlet (ie a single-gang
| white plate with a hole in the middle, not part of a FCU). TLC have
| something called flex outlets ( http://xsls.com/?700 )but they look
| suspiciously like blanking plates to me (no hole).

You mean
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK1090.html

The TLC product URLs are usually short enough to post directly. On this
style the flex outlet is on the lower edge, so the flex comes down
vertically against the wall, rather than out the front. The Contactum style
appears similar.

Perhaps the out the front style have been discontinued because the flex got
squashed. For FCUs, the down the wall style means the flex outlet can be
included as a breakout on the edge of the faceplate instead of having to
keep flex and non-flex versions.

If there is any possibility that whatever the light is on could be moved,
you could use a 5A plug and socket combination using

plug http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLPT5.html
socket http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK2891.html
or http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK771.html

Owain

In article ,
(Andrew Gabriel) writes:

I would use a connector instead. The options a
Klik connector - available for alcatrave patress box or BESA (circular) box;
^^^^^^^^^
or even 'architrave' ;-)

2A BS546 round pin plug and socket (socket must be shuttered);
Clock connector.

--
Andrew Gabriel

On 20 Sep 2003 00:02:49 GMT, (Andrew
Gabriel) wrote:

In article ,
(Andrew Gabriel) writes:

I would use a connector instead. The options a
Klik connector - available for alcatrave patress box or BESA (circular) box;
^^^^^^^^^
or even 'architrave' ;-)


Been working too hard? Freudian slip for Alcatraz? ;-)




..andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl