Double insulated lighting design

[Dartlec]

Another replacement lighting job - another crappy double insulated white box to grapple with.

Even with luck - there being only one cable at each point, it was still far too much hassle but I have it a go just on principle to give them a chance. Usually I dispose of them immediately and go with Wagos and SA tape.

Even then I still ended up using some SA tape to finish the job to my satisfaction.

So does anyone think these are a good way to solve a problem that doesn't need to exist if they just provided an earthing screw.

I guess the factory that has sold a million of these to every damn light manufacturer thinks they are great....

 

[littlespark]

They do away with an earth point to cater for lighting circuits that don't have a cpc.

In that situation, you can use plastic fittings or double insulated.


Agree that those silly white boxes are totally useless

 

[loz2754]

I think the idea is a good one but the method of executing it is terrible, as the tiny box is barely big enough for even 1 cable.

I have resorted to terminating the circuit wires in a box above the ceiling and just dropping one cable down to the light.

The problem with attempting to change the light fitting from Class II to Class I is that you would then have to certify that it is Class I at every exposed part. That wouldn't really be a problem on the light shown in the OP, but could be a problem with a larger light with many parts, some insulated, some exposed.

 

[123]

The wee white boxes are absolutely shocking, it's ridiculous!

 

[pirate]

2 days ago I replaced a client's ceiling light in the kitchen. The existing was a huge, shiny chrome thingy with 6 swivelling shades with LED G9 bulbs...actually ok if you like "boudoir"...
I took it down, expecting typical crap...but, tbh, it was a well built light with a proper earth tag and double insulated cables and all joints wrapped in another layer of insulation, so pretty good imho.
The replacement was large diameter Sylvania thing from screwfix...I opened it up expecting crap, but no...all 3 terminals present, decent size push-fit/lever and though metal base to ceiling the shade is polycarbonate as you would expect. It took less than 5 minutes to centre it and connect, the light output is great and switchable colour wise and frankly I was impressed. I had recently replaced all her worktop fluorescents with Robus Spear switchable colour and this latest luminaire matches the colour of those. They also were just so easy to install. Isn't it great when a job just goes well?

 

[freddo]

I guess the factory that has sold a million of these to every damn light manufacturer thinks they are great....

Probably the cheapest design available! The luxury model has 3 terminals, don't see that one often. I still have nightmares about one job using lots of lights of a similar design, but these lights there was only just enough room in the housing to jam the connector thing without a supply cable. I'd expected problems so wired all 15 lights with just one cable going to each light. I still struggled. The next issue was the screws to fix the light back to the wall went through the front of the fitting, past the wiring, through the plastic back plate thing and then into the wall. The small cable entry hole was millimetres away from the fixing point. It was total guesswork where the screw went. One screw caught the live wire between the box and the lamp holder. I am so glad I insulation tested the wiring to all the light fittings, or that light would have been live when powered. With no earth connection and a dry wall the RCD wouldn't have tripped, and the fault wouldn't be found during normal insulation testing.

I should have learned from another experience, that time I ditched the 'double insulated' connector box, used standard screw terminals and connected the earth to the metal light. Similar, screw damaging insulation in tiny stupidly cramped wiring space, this time found during standard new circuit dead testing.

I simply refuse to fit lights of a similar design now, the risks just seem too high.