Hi guys please could you help me differentiate between the different types of down lights available for my bathroom ceiling. Im just about to put in a false ceiling so getting the wiring sorted for the lights now would obviously be a sensible way forward, 1) Trying to weigh up whats the reason why people use the low voltage against the mains voltage? 2) Do bathroom ceiling lights HAVE to be fire rated or can you use regular downlights? Thank for your time reagrds, Jonny
Hello greeny It really depends on how high your ceiling is. Most bathrooms have a zone 1 and a zone 2. Generally all lights must be IP rated if in a zone. 12V is chosen for added safety. These days LED is getting more popular because of the huge energy savings. They don't have to fire-rated unless your ceiling is part of a fire rated regime in the house. So in summary, use IP44 downlights of any type in zone 2. The best on the market if you can afford them are JCC7 LED. They meet all standards and are IP65 so can be mounted above a shower. IP65 zone 1. Regards
Thank you for your quick response. Think im going to go with the LEDs. How are the downlights wired? Are they wired from one downlight to another from the main feed, or are all the downlights wired to a choc box with the main feed in and switch out? regards and again thanks for your help!
When wiring a number of lights I find it is far easier to take a live feed and neutral in to the switch, and a switched live and neutral out of the switch and loop to each light fitting. You shouldn't need any junction boxes at all. Just join the neutral wires in the switch with a connector block, put the live feed in to the COM or L1 and the switched live out in to L2.
Thank you again for your reply, massive help, one last thing, what do I do with the earth wire when I'm looping from light to light. Is it as simple as to put a connector block on the end and tape up? cheers again for your help!
Good quality light fittings should have a means of securing the earth wires as well as the switched live and neutral. If they are class 2 fittings (no earth required) then yes just join the earths in a connector block.
Hi 'unphased', the project is goin ok although had to leave it for a while to concentrate on the kitchen. Back in the bathroom now, just bought a 3 pole fan isolator,where does this need to sit in the wiring diagram? Thanks for your help!!!
Hi greeny. A three pole fan isolator is used for timer fans and is used in the feed to the fan. It isolates permanent live (needed for the timer), switched live (needed to activate the fan) and neutral. The most popular way of wiring a timer fan is to have it switched with the lights but some people prefer to have independent operation. Fan manufacturers will often stipulate a 3A fused spur as well. Correct way to do the lighting and fan would be to make the bathroom all come on from the spur. The spur would then provide the 3A specified by the fan manufacturer and LED lights will use very small current so a 3A will be more than adequate. Switched spur to light switch then 3-core to fan and 2-core to lights. A jb will help to ease wiring made from a single surface patress, 15A connector block and a blanking plate.
Thanks for the reply, see if iv got ya ha here. Main supply to switch, then from switch T&E to first LED then loop to next LED etc Also from switch, 3 - core to Fan Isolator, then 3 - core to Fan.
This may suit you better because you can use 3-core and 2-core wires. The other alternative requires single core which you may not have. The jb is made up from a single surface patress, a 15A connector block and a blanking plate/lid. You could use a 20A 4-terminal jb but its more fiddly. Easier to use the made up one. Regards
There is a live feed direct to the fan and switched live to the fan from the light switch. I think I have shown the correct wiring unless you can see a mistake?
Hi mate yes that looks okay. What did you use to create that lovely drawing? Makes mine look like kiddy scribble.
Up ... was thinking that you wanted the 3 pole to operate the fan as a seperate entity. Apologies. But i think the degree in tech drawing was wasted ! RS