Bought a new spotlight ...

john_white

and need some advice.

Basically the old ceiling rose has 3 blocks, this I understand. Trouble is there are 3 black wires needing to go to one terminal in the new light, 4 red wires which have nowhere to go on the new light, 4 earths again 1 termianl on the new light, and finally, 1 more wire, black with a red sheath to go to 1 terminal on the new light. Basically 3 holes 12 wires, no chance.

Can i just buy some new 5 amp connector strips wire up the same as the current rose then run a piece of cable from my new connector strips to the connector strip in the new light?

If so is 5 amp OK, and what thickness cable should I get.

Thanks.

muckybutt

In other words bodge it !

by all means get a bigger connector block for the fitting but dont do as you said above its a bodge.

If you dont know what you are doing then leave it to a properly trained sparky who will do it correctly.

john_white

it's not really a bodge though is it. The old fitting has 10 fittings and the new one 3. So the bodge would be putting all 12 wires into 3 connectors.

I could just put extra connectors in.

A sparky would charge £1000+ for this job as they start trying to replace consummer units etc.

southcoastrgi

oh dear someone else who thinks all trades are just out to rip them off

Alias_Omega

Ideal situation you would lift the floor boards above, install a 20 amp Junction box as it will have enough terminals to terminate correctly. Then run a 1.00mm T&E from the junction box down to the new light fitting.

However, i have also seen "choc blocks" used to replace the ceiling rose, where they have been squeezed under the new light fitting, with the blue/brown of the new fitting straight into the neutral block (black wires) and into the switched live (black with red markings). What usually happens is that there is not enough space, so the person fitting the unit wedges them all underneath and uses the screws to compress the wires. Not good..

Though i have to repeat the comments above, should really get a professional tradesman to carry out the work. Though this does not stop B&Q/Wickes/Homebase/Wilkinsons from selling electrical items..


(PS - Dont forget the Yellow/Green electrical sleeving)

muckybutt

john_white wrote: »

A sparky would charge £1000+ for this job as they start trying to replace consummer units etc.

Get real !!!

Alias_Omega

^^ Minimum call-out charge.

I would expect it to be no more than £35, as usually this includes 30mins FOC.

It's amazing the amount of repeat work you can pick up from such a small job like this.

"I was thinking about having a socket put in here.." etc..

john_white

southcoastrgi wrote: »

oh dear someone else who thinks all trades are just out to rip them off

Not at all, I have Gas safe engineer out next week to service the boiler.

So that means I do not think all trades are there to rip people off.

From MY experience of looking at other work in MY current home sparkies seem to want to change stuff that is fine.

john_white

Oh - and I took the light and a picture to an electrical supplier this morning and they said I just need more connector strips as the current fitting has 3 blocks (3+3+2) and the new fitting 2 (1+1).

Should have posted a pic I guess.

Thanks for the replies

john_white

I ended up basically recreating the rose inside the new light. The biggest issue by far was the earth.

The new light has 2 metal parts, the earth runs between both and the main part also has a metal prong and it took hours to get it all in.

It all works but, I will be taking it down as I want to wrap the connector strips in insulation tape.

It turns out 3 of the 4 earth wires were not in the terminal. They were a squeeze to get in and I want to make sure they are still altogether. If not can the earths be seperated somehow?

Does cripping the wires make life easier?

Hintza

Sounds like a rewire of the house is needed in the long term.