Hi,
I am trying to decide whether to put all my additional and current
kitchen lights on a new or existing circuit.

Currently from fuse box one wire goes to a box under floor where
terminal blocks are connected to 6 other wires. All reds together, all
blacks together, all earths together. Each wire comes from the box to
a switch for each room and one wire from switch to light.
It is a flat with no ceiling acess, hence I guess reason for this
wiring set up.

Q1 ) If I wanted to add more lights to this circuit I am not sure any
more wires could be fitted into these terminal blocks.
Could I use something other than terminal blocks to connect all the
wires and add in additional ones?

Q2) Circuit is currently on a 16A MCB, should I down rate to a 10A or
6A MCB.


Q3) If I go for all on one circuit I think load would be OK on a 6A
MCB details below

Lighting will be :-

Bedroom 1 - 100W (Standard 60W Bulb)
Bedroom 2 - 100W (Standard 60W Bulb)
Hall - 250W Spot Fitting
Bathroom - 200W not deffo, but allowing 200W for 4 spotlights.
(currenlty a large flourscent strip)
Kitchen 200W Halogen spot fitting
Recess in kitchen 200W (4 * 50W mains downlights)
Under counter 56W (4*18W flourescent)
Lounge 150W

Total = 1256W - well within a 6A MCB rating.
Q4) So new or use existing circuit?

Advice please :-)

Thank you

inNeedofHelp wrote:
Hi,
I am trying to decide whether to put all my additional and current
kitchen lights on a new or existing circuit.

Currently from fuse box one wire goes to a box under floor where
terminal blocks are connected to 6 other wires. All reds together,
all
blacks together, all earths together. Each wire comes from the box to
a switch for each room and one wire from switch to light.
It is a flat with no ceiling acess, hence I guess reason for this
wiring set up.

Q1 ) If I wanted to add more lights to this circuit I am not sure any
more wires could be fitted into these terminal blocks.

you have 7 wires, any of which can take a junction box.

Could I use something other than terminal blocks to connect all the
wires and add in additional ones?

Q2) Circuit is currently on a 16A MCB, should I down rate to a 10A or
6A MCB.

According to 16th edn regs yes.


Q3) If I go for all on one circuit I think load would be OK on a 6A
MCB details below

Lighting will be :-

Bedroom 1 - 100W (Standard 60W Bulb)
Bedroom 2 - 100W (Standard 60W Bulb)
Hall - 250W Spot Fitting
Bathroom - 200W not deffo, but allowing 200W for 4 spotlights.
(currenlty a large flourscent strip)
Kitchen 200W Halogen spot fitting
Recess in kitchen 200W (4 * 50W mains downlights)
Under counter 56W (4*18W flourescent)
Lounge 150W

Total = 1256W - well within a 6A MCB rating.
Q4) So new or use existing circuit?

Advice please :-)

Thank you

upto you. 2nd circuit has the advantage that any fault or trip wont
take all th lights out.

Nt

Q1 ) If I wanted to add more lights to this circuit I am not sure any
more wires could be fitted into these terminal blocks.

You can insert another terminal block on any of the cables and split off
there.

Q2) Circuit is currently on a 16A MCB, should I down rate to a 10A or
6A MCB.

Yes. Most lighting equipment is designed for 10A circuits. However, some
(such as SES/SBC lampholders) must be fused at 6A or below.

Q4) So new or use existing circuit?

It is just about OK to use the existing circuit on a 6A MCB. However, it
would be safer to split into two. Because of the way it has been wired, it
would be easy to divide the circuits up and assign each fitting to an MCB,
especially if there is spare room on the consumer unit.

I prefer to assign pseudo randomly, so that in the event of one circuit
tripping, a nearby light will work. This is much safer when the bulbs blow.
In the kitchen, have the alcove downlighters off a different circuit to the
main lighting. Ensure that the lighting circuits are suitably labelled at
the consumer unit.

Remember far more people are killed or injured by falls (possibly caused by
sudden lighting failure) than are electrocuted.

Christian.

Christian McArdle wrote:

Remember far more people are killed or injured by falls (possibly caused by
sudden lighting failure) than are electrocuted.

On a related subject, is it permissible to power a couple of wall lights
by taking a spur off of the ring main ? Does the spur need a 6A fuse or
MCB if 1.0mm T+E is used to feed the lamps ?

--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply

On a related subject, is it permissible to power a couple of wall lights
by taking a spur off of the ring main ? Does the spur need a 6A fuse or
MCB if 1.0mm T+E is used to feed the lamps ?

Use a 3A fuse in an FCU. 1mm T&E is fine.

Christian.

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message . net...
Q1 ) If I wanted to add more lights to this circuit I am not sure any
more wires could be fitted into these terminal blocks.

You can insert another terminal block on any of the cables and split off
there.

Q2) Circuit is currently on a 16A MCB, should I down rate to a 10A or
6A MCB.

Yes. Most lighting equipment is designed for 10A circuits. However, some
(such as SES/SBC lampholders) must be fused at 6A or below.

Q4) So new or use existing circuit?

It is just about OK to use the existing circuit on a 6A MCB. However, it
would be safer to split into two. Because of the way it has been wired, it
would be easy to divide the circuits up and assign each fitting to an MCB,
especially if there is spare room on the consumer unit.

I prefer to assign pseudo randomly, so that in the event of one circuit
tripping, a nearby light will work. This is much safer when the bulbs blow.
In the kitchen, have the alcove downlighters off a different circuit to the
main lighting. Ensure that the lighting circuits are suitably labelled at
the consumer unit.

Remember far more people are killed or injured by falls (possibly caused by
sudden lighting failure) than are electrocuted.

Christian.


Hi Christian,
Thanks again, for another concise answer to my questions. That has
been a great help. Going to stick with splitting into 2 circuits. Then
as you say if one circuit trips there are still some lights availble.
A random selection of lights of each circuit, that is a great idea.

For safety sake, I will make them both 6A so if any SES/SBC
lampholders were fitted it would be safe. If I have 2 circuits that is
more than enough to carry the load.

Thank you :-)