Removing ceiling light

Grouchy

I have a ceiling light fixture in a hallway that I want to remove and effectively just do a small filler plaster job over the small hole in the ceiling so completely removed - the glass shade has been broken and is irreplaceable. It matches another in the hallway so no possibility of just putting another fixture. Anyway, for such a small job I'd rather not get an electrician.


I've had a quick look and it seems a standard ceiling connection. All it seems I have to do is unscrew the current flush ceiling bulb fixture (it is aluminium I think) and then disconnect the wires which come through the ceiling. Then blank off the wires and shove them into the ceiling void. This is the tricky bit. I've looked online and it seems I need terminals for each of the two wires.



Is this safely doable for the average handy homeowner? And what terminal things would be best?


Thanks for any help.

Le_Kirk

You cannot just put the cables into a terminal block as there may be linked neutrals and lives which, if disconnected, will prevent other lights on the same circuit working.

Ectophile

It's common for the live, neutral and earth wires to be looped from one light fitting to the next. So all the lights on one floor will be on one circuit. If you just disconnect all the wires, then any lights further down the cable run wouldn't work any more.


If that is the case, you will need to use some form of terminals to link the incoming and outgoing wires.


If the joint is going to be plastered over and hidden, then screw terminal blocks shouldn't be used. The screws can work loose over time, and it's impossible for anyone to find them again. Instead "maintenance free" terminals should be used. The best known brand of these are Wago terminals.

Grouchy

Thanks Ectophile, your explanation is useful and I understand basically how things work. Not sure if I will wait until I have a few things electrical to call in an electrician to deal with this at the same time.


Thanks

z1a

Why don't you just buy another matching pair?

Risteard

I'm afraid it's not sensible to attempt this if you don't know what you are doing, which is clear from your posts. There are numerous other considerations which others have failed to mention, including the fact that connections must be enclosed and strain relief should also be provided.

An Electrician is frankly the only sensible answer to your problem.

ed110220

I would check how many wires there are to the light fitting. Older systems usually used a different method in which there was only one cable to the light fitting and one to the switch, connected at a junction box, typically in the loft or above the ceiling. If that's the case (the fitting just has a live, neutral and earth) then they can simply be disconnected (appropriately and safely of course).

Jonesya

If you no longer want a light there, probably the easiest option is to leave the ceiling rose with the cable terminals on the ceiling, but disconnect and remove the pendant drop. The terminals remain accessible for maintenance, and it allows you or any future owner to easily fit a light there if you want in the future.

To be safe, block the cable entry hole in the rose.

Dan-Dan

Risteard wrote: »

I'm afraid it's not sensible to attempt this if you don't know what you are doing, which is clear from your posts. There are numerous other considerations which others have failed to mention, including the fact that connections must be enclosed and strain relief should also be provided.

An Electrician is frankly the only sensible answer to your problem.

plus 100

If you dont know what you are doing and you seem fuzzy at best, you can do a lot of harm `blanking off` cables and such like as some intsalls are a right hotchpotch created over years of different owners

Grouchy

Thanks for all input, I'll wait till I have a few electrical jobs that need doing and get an electrician in as I'd rather a proper job and not too confident myself with electrical stuff.


Cheers