Ceiling light

Hello everyone,

I've not posted here before but am looking for some help with wiring a ceiling light. I have a strange situation where the mains wire on the lighting cirucit for this particular fitting comes along the top of the ceiling - i.e. the wire is visible and is fixed to the ceiling by cable tacks. The exiting pendant light fitting was bodged so that the wire could enter the fitting from the side rather than from behind (through the ceiling) as would normally be the case.

Unfortunately the pendant and fitting were damaged when we moved a large item into the house recently and they need to be replaced. I don't want to bodge it again and was wondering if anybody knows of a suitable lamp for use on a domestic lighting circuit which can take a mains cable coming in from the side? I hope people can understand what I mean. I have phoned Screwfix and they only have light fittings that are designed to be wired from the back, thus fitting flush to the ceiling.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Reply to
EvB
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Unless for some reason you cannot gain access to the roofspace above, changing it to the conventional above ceiling wiring arrangement would sound the easiest thing to do.

If it must remain as the current arrangement, a small circular disc of wood behind the ceiling fitting (with a suitable hole drilled in the side) and painted the same colour as the ceiling would be a simple solution.

Any surface-mount cable should be in trunking to comply with wiring regs of course.

Reply to
dom

wrote

Is that strictly the case here? The OP says that the cable is clipped to the ceiling. If this is the only exposed bit of cable, isn't the ceiling the least likely place for something to get damaged and therefore not requiring mechanical protection? (Yes I know it would be more aesthetically pleasing to have white trunking rather than grey T&E across the ceiling).

Phil

Reply to
TheScullster

You can use a plastic 20mm conduit end box, screw it to the joists, and most luminaires and ceiling roses will be able to be mounted on the 2" holes.

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also do a Ceiling Rose Adapter for surface wiring, but it's more expensive

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the outer sheath of the fixed wiring runs right inside the conduit end box and the cable is clipped so it can't be pulled out.

B&Q have them in white; larger electrical wholesalers will have a choice of white or black which may be more appropriate in an older property.

The plastic box won't support very heavy luminaires. You can also get them in steel, but (a) they must be earthed, amd (b) the screwed cable entry must be bushed.

Provided the cable is visible and not subject to mechanical damage it does not need trunking.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

Which reg is that. PVC Sheathed cables _require_ no further mechanical protection in the domestic environmment. They are often clipped direct in lofts, cupboards and out buildings. Trucking is a way of making a neater installation.

Reply to
Ed Sirett

The simplest solution is to poke a 10mm hole in the PB right next to the ceiling rose, so the cable goes behind (above) the rose. Moving the cable to above the ceiling wouild be much nicer though.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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