Junction Boxes

[The Medway Handyman]

Hi All

A customer I was working for last week wants me to go back & move a light fitting in their bungalow. Only needs to be moved by about 4 ft.

Haven't looked at the ceiling rose yet (very high ceiling), but whilst in the loft I had a look at the 'back' of it and saw 4 x 1.5mm cables going to it. None of them are long enough to reach the new location.

One must be the power in, one the power out and one the switch - but what about number 4? As far as I can see it's the second from last light in the building. It's all fairly new wiring as it's in an extension built a few years ago.

I'll need to mark & note the way the cables are connected and fit a junction box, but what type? 4 or 6 terminal? And would I be better off with a 20 or 30 amp to give more room for all those cables?

[dcbwhaley]

You don't say wether the switching is one way or two way. If it is two way then you could have two triple&earth cables to the switches and some choc-block in the rose to connect the strappers. That will need a six terminal box

If it is one way then there could be one power in and two power outs. That would need a four terminal box.

[Andy Hall]

Two way switch or wiring to another lamp fitting?

The challenge is going to be the number of wires. Ceiling roses often have 4 or 6 way terminal strips to accommodate everything.

One solution is to use a wiring connection unit of the type used for CH controls

These are a 10 way 15A terminal strip in a box

e.g.

£3 a pound or so more expensive than one of the round JBs but negligible in the context of the job.

Another is to go for crimping. Obtain a suitable empty box and make crimp joints inside it.

For fiddly lighting wiring jobs, I think the wiring centre idea works well. You know you will have enough terminals and can just run a length of cable from the original position to the new fitting position and not need to change anything else.

[Andrew Mawson]

whilst in

Could the 'extra' wire feed a second ceiling rose that comes on at the same time (ie two lights)

AWEM

[Andrew Gabriel]

I would get 4 and 6 terminal JB's, and use whichever is best. I always use 20A JB for lighting, as it's so much easier to get multiple conductors into the larger terminals.

[John Rumm]

Could be power out to another light - remember that loop in wiring does not require a sequential daisy chain - you can take a feed to aother lighting point at any place that is convienient.

I would get one of the MK 4 terminal boxes. They have 4 individual screew terminals on each of the four terminal blocks.

[Andy Wade]

Two outgoing feeds to other lights is another possibility.

[zikkimalambo]

Another couple of thoughts which might work depending on the customer and the location.

1. Leave the existing rose where it is and use it as the juntion box.

1. As above, but have a light from the existing and the new (might suit them, might not).

2. Use the existing rose as in 1, but move it above the ceiling and make good where it was. Not sure if this is kosher, you's prolly have to close off the hole the wire used to come through at least.