How to shorten light fitting on ceiling?

Kimberley

Nile

...........and they all lived happily ever after.


Don't you just love a happy ending.:D

cheekymole

just shows how helpful MSE really is and how much money did you save?

YorkshireBoy

As an electrical engineer, can I just add a couple of points...

Two posters suggested safety precautions...

"Firstly turn the electricity off, double check that you have done so"

"Make sure, doubly sure, that the power is definitely off before you start"


The correct safety advice for this kind of work of course is always...

"Turn the electricity supply off at the main switch on the fusebox/consumer unit".

Let me explain...if the property's lighting circuit is wired using the "loop in/loop out" wiring method, then even if the light is turned off at the wall switch, and the light is off, there are still LIVE terminals in the ceiling rose.

It might be pedantic, but all the good luck messages and "happily ever after" comments wouldn't have helped the OP if she had simply switched off at the wall switch before starting work.

Kimberley

hmm yeah but to be honest it's common sense to turn off at the mains..all i needed was how to shorten the fitting, but after doing it today and looking under the Rose, it's exactly like how a plug is fitted..:) I guess if i'd have looked before coming on here, i would have sussed it out myself

JimArnold

As Yorkshire boy pointed out you can't be too pedantic with electricity
It's not exactly the same as a plug due to the looped lighting circuit which means that even with the WALL switch off there is a live terminal. Hence the need to specify the MAIN switch at the consumer unit.

I assume you put it back the way it was - most ceiling roses have a plastic lug which the wire wraps around to make sure the fitting weight isn't on the screw terminals.

Actually I would have shortened the wire at the other end esp if you have old fashioned bulbs - it's a bit more fiddly because you have to do it in situ. But the insulation on the last few inches of flex often becomes a bit inflexible due to the heat from the bulb and removing that is a good idea.

90%+ of electrical work is no more complex than rewiring a plug - in fact it could be argued that replacing a socket is easier - because you are working with cable rather than flex.

Kimberley

Well i presume i've done it right, the lights are on

Hopefully it's done ok

YorkshireBoy

Kimberley wrote:

hmm yeah but to be honest it's common sense to turn off at the mains..all i needed was how to shorten the fitting, but after doing it today and looking under the Rose, it's exactly like how a plug is fitted..:) I guess if i'd have looked before coming on here, i would have sussed it out myself

My comments were not aimed at you Kimberly, as you've survived the experience - due in no small part to your "common sense". Maybe the "good luck" messages gave you confidence. My comments were aimed at people who give electrical "advice" on this forum, in the hope that they would modify this advice to include my suggested phrase.

Whilst you may have common sense in abundance, there are others who are not so fortunate...

Several years ago, and following the deaths of 2 council house tenants in separate incidents, our local council's property division changed the specification of their house rewiring contracts. They now wire their properties in such a way that there is only a live wire at the fitting if the light is on.

The two individuals suffered fatal electric shocks whilst changing light fittings at their homes - very similar work to that which you have just undertaken.

They failed to isolate at the main switch, and simply switched the light fitting off at the wall switch. They then exposed themselves to the "looped live" in the fitting being removed. One died in front of his children and the other was found by his wife a few hours later.

I hope you, and others, can now see why I raised this issue.


Edited to add: JimArnold's 3rd paragraph is very good advice to others considering similar work.

santana-mx3

JimArnold wrote:

Actually I would have shortened the wire at the other end esp if you have old fashioned bulbs - it's a bit more fiddly because you have to do it in situ.

Just started reading this thread and was wondering why no-one had suggested this (until your post) .... but I suppose you answer that yourself by saying that it's a bit more fiddly because you have to do it in situ.

Shortening the cable at the lampholder end also means you don't have to mess with the wiring in the ceiling rose so there's less to go wrong.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

Kimberley

YorkshireBoy wrote:

My comments were not aimed at you Kimberly, as you've survived the experience - due in no small part to your "common sense". Maybe the "good luck" messages gave you confidence. My comments were aimed at people who give electrical "advice" on this forum, in the hope that they would modify this advice to include my suggested phrase.

Whilst you may have common sense in abundance, there are others who are not so fortunate...

Several years ago, and following the deaths of 2 council house tenants in separate incidents, our local council's property division changed the specification of their house rewiring contracts. They now wire their properties in such a way that there is only a live wire at the fitting if the light is on.

The two individuals suffered fatal electric shocks whilst changing light fittings at their homes - very similar work to that which you have just undertaken.

They failed to isolate at the main switch, and simply switched the light fitting off at the wall switch. They then exposed themselves to the "looped live" in the fitting being removed. One died in front of his children and the other was found by his wife a few hours later.

I hope you, and others, can now see why I raised this issue.


Edited to add: JimArnold's 3rd paragraph is very good advice to others considering similar work.