Kitchen lights on ring circuit

[antgel]

Hi all,

I'm rewiring lighting in my kitchen. The light switch is a 2-gang. One switch switches the ceiling lights. The other switched the under cupboard lights. I want to:

1. Move the under cupboard lights to the other side of the kitchen.
2. Have them switched by a switch just above the work surface, not the wall switch. Given all this, and the fact that the intended destination for the lights is near the mains ring, am I allowed to wire the under-cupboard lights from a FCU wired into the ring, rather than having to extend the lighting circuit?

Antony

[Chipmunk]

Sounds perfectly ok to me, and sensible... if you lose a circuit, the entire kitchen doesn't get blacked out, which could be dangerous. I don't think there is any hard and fast rule, but your plan sounds like the best one in this case.

One suggestion I WOULD make is to make the 'switch just above the work surface' the FCU. That way anyone else working on the circuit later will *know* it's fed from an alternate circuit and the lighting breaker won't turn it off:-)

[antgel]

That was my intention, more for convenience than anything, but I take your point on board. I assume I can just daisy-chain the lights from the FCU?

Antony

[Chipmunk]

So long as the method you use is approved for that fixture by the manufacturer, and complies with the wiring regulations.

Just be sure to provide adequate mechanical protection for the wiring that will be close to the work surface.

*Disclaimer* Adding electrical accessories in a kitchen comes under the scope of part P now, and would technically require you to notify your plans to the local building people.

[Ellis Greensitt]

What you are suggesting is fine but this work does fall under Part P of the building regs and thus notifiable to the LABC, you will also need to be competent to test your handywork and produce a minor works certificate. This may mean is is more practical to get a part p approved electrician to do the work and test for you.

[chris French]

In message , Ellis Greensitt writes

Or it may mean it's more practical to ignore Part P and just do it anyway.

[Christian McArdle]

Nah. That's the LA's job, although if you happen to do it for them, they might not bother to make an inspection visit.

Christian.