5 cables into one don't go?

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

Hi, hopefully you can help.

I am installing 5 external floodlights in the garden. The units have a 1.5 mtr cable with a 13amp plug. I am fitting these around some new decking and the cables are to short. So i want to join them all up using 121 cable connectors to extend the cable a cpl of mtr's. to a single junction box and have one cable coming out of the box. and run them from a single cable with a 13amp plug into an external socket. Now i cant seem to find something that will join all these wires into a single wire for the plug.
Can i put 4 lives twisted together into a single block and the 4 neutral and then 4 earths, then just put the plug wires into the block. Do i just need a bigger size block to fit all 4 cables into one hole?.

There does not seem to be a block where the live wires etc are all joined.
Attached a layout and explanation

Strima · Jul 23, 2021

Wagos in the junction box: Wago 221 Series 32A 5-Way Lever Connector 25 Pack - https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-221-series-32a-5-way-lever-connector-25-pack/5201r

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

Strima said:
Wagos in the junction box: Wago 221 Series 32A 5-Way Lever Connector 25 Pack - https://www.screwfix.com/p/wago-221-series-32a-5-way-lever-connector-25-pack/5201r

Thanks Strima, but where does the single wire going out go? Ah, maybe it doesn't matter, if the other holes are filled with the live cable, are they all connected with a internal metal strip? If so i just need to buy 4 of those blocks?...hmm no that wont work, as there are only 3 wires for the plug.

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

Updated the drawing for the block a sit only showed 3 block, should be 4, sorry

pc1966 · Jul 23, 2021

Each of the 5-way Wago blocks takes 5 conductors and they are all connected together by the terminal. So one Wago for L, another for N, a 3rd for E, etc.

Wago also do an 8-way, but the push-in style (773 series) are not suitable for fine stranded wire as you might have for light flex, also they are a bit of a pain to get the wire back out if you made a mistake.

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

pc1966 said:
Each of the 5-way Wago blocks takes 5 conductors and they are all connected together by the terminal. So one Wago for L, another for N, a 3rd for E, etc.

Wago also do an 8-way, but the push-in style (773 series) are not suitable for fine stranded wire as you might have for light flex, also they are a bit of a pain to get the wire back out if you made a mistake.

Thanks PC1966 but 4 (lights, 3 wires each light) going in so 4 blocks is fine, but only 1 plug (3 wires) coming out? leaves a block with nothing coming out.

Unless i put the wires from the 4th light into the other 3 blocks, means the holes the wire goes into will have two wires in one hole?

pc1966 · Jul 23, 2021

DeanUK said:
Thanks PC1966 but 4 (lights, 3 wires each light) going in so 4 blocks is fine, but only 1 plug (3 wires) coming out? leaves a block with nothing coming out.

Unless i put the wires from the 4th light into the other 3 blocks, means the holes the wire goes into will have two wires in one hole?

I'm not sure I understand.

If you have 4 lights and 2 other cables (supply in, and out to rest of lights) you need 6-way, so daisy chain pairs of 5-way to get 8 usable ways per conductor.

ipf · Jul 23, 2021

pc1966 said:
I'm not sure I understand.

If you have 4 lights and 2 other cables (supply in, and out to rest of lights) you need 6-way, so daisy chain pairs of 5-way to get 8 usable ways per conductor.

Seems like Friday night is musical chairs night.......

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

Like this

[ElectriciansForums.net] 5 cables into one don't go?

ipf · Jul 23, 2021

DeanUK said:
Like thisView attachment 87945

That's cr&p.
One core per lever........and that twisting belongs on the dancefloor.

Read and understand previous comments...'5 way'.

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

Here's pic

pc1966 · Jul 23, 2021

DeanUK said:
Here's pic

So at junction box 1 you have 5 sets of 3-core cables, so you need 3 sets of 5-way terminals, one per core.

At junction box 2 you have 3 sets of 3-core cable, but as you bought a box of 5-way Wagos you again use 3 * 5-way there.

Simplez!

DeanUK · Jul 23, 2021

pc1966 said:
So at junction box 1 you have 5 sets of 3-core cables, so you need 3 sets of 5-way terminals, one per core.

At junction box 2 you have 3 sets of 3-core cable, but as you bought a box of 5-way Wagos you again use 3 * 5-way there.

Simplez!

FFS! of course!.... I have been over thinking it, getting stressed and doubting myself....Thanks mate, that should do it.

I went to two electrical suppliers today, for advice on what to buy and how to join it all together, neither of them knew how to do it, they just said were not electricians, we just sell the stuff