I have a built-in wardrobe set that I want to illuminate inside with some mains powered led lights.
Within the wardrobe there's a double socket...
Thinking spur off the socket to a fcu then upto lights all in discrete surface clipped t&e (or maybe in plastic conduit?), junction boxes for all connections, 3amp fuse in fcu...
Does that sound proper enough?
Any tips or gotchas?
TIA
Jim K
We got some battery operated leds iwth built in motion detectors. Very handy for odd things like that
Microswitch to turn the light on when you open the door. We put them in all our cupboards here - great!
Jonathan
Make sure they are positioned so there's no way clothing can get anywhere near them.
Faced with a similar situation: my wardrobes weren't fitted to the room ceiling (sloping!) so I simply ran flex from the socket, behind the nearest wardrobe, onto the "roof" of the run of wardrobes. There the mains was looped into door-operated switches on the "ceiling" of each wardrobe, to the PSUs on the "roof".
The lights are LED tapes. They're stuck to the inside surface of 15mm L-shaped mouldings, which in turn are pinned to the inside of the wardrobes. That results in good illumination with the LEDs actually out of sight to avoid glare.
In the hanging space, the mouldings are on the sides near the door hinges. In another location with full-depth shelves, the mouldings are on the doors, near the swinging ends. In yet another location with internal drawers, the mouldings are placed below the lip of each drawer.
I can take photos if you're interested.
Not especially subtle light but quite bright considering, Lidl have 2 for £10.
Ikea has led strip lamps called "Striberg", put one in my kitchen cupboard, works a treat, can set it to come on when door is opened (has sensor built in. do have to get extra bits of wiring and stuff to go with it.
Further on with this now, and a refinement brings a quandary :-
Mains is spurred from an existing double socket, through a new 3A fcu, 1.5mm T&E cable in conduit to switch position.
It has been decreed that two switches controlling two independent sets of lights are required...
So what's best practice to cable this lot up?
I can imagine a 6way junction box, with mains in, two switch wires, and two cables out 1 to each set of lights, like a loopin lighting setup; Or A deep backbox behind the double switch with choc blok connectors doing the job of the junction box. Mains in, 2 switched feeds out to the lights...
Last one sounds neater but less "proper"...
What would you do and why?
TIA
Jim K
Rather than a deep backbox, get a double backbox (not double size, but one that takes two single plates). Drill a hole between the two halves and put the choc blocks in one half with a blank plate on it. Less squashed and easier to work with.
Here (on 'page' 53):
/> A deep backbox behind the double switch with choc blok connectors doing
Rather than a deep backbox, get a double backbox (not double size, but one that takes two single plates). Drill a hole between the two halves and put the choc blocks in one half with a blank plate on it. Less squashed and easier to work with./Q
Mmm spose so, but there'd only be 3 neutrals to join w choc blok, & 3 earths via the patress earth terminal I'd expect?
Jim K
3 x 1.5 T&E cables behind a 2g light switch in a 25mm backbox with the neutrals in a piece of choc bloc is normal these days (the youngsters have no idea what loop in wiring at a light is).
Loads of space for all the cables.
Thanks all
Jim K
Oops meant to ask, I've got loads of white 3 core 1mm flex, is using this allowable?
Thinking for the feeds from switches to and between the light fittings?
Or should it be T&E throughout?
TIA
Jim K
Flex in conduit is fine.
/Flex in conduit is fine. /Q
Thanks Adam.
So to confirm, surface fixed flex isn't allowed?
Would T&E have to be in conduit too? Or can that be surface fixed?
TIA
Jim K
Both can be surface fixed. It is generally not considered a good idea to bury flex directly in plaster like you can with T&E.
Thanks again
Jim K
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