Kitchen recessed downlights

[burnside43]

Hi,

I just want to get a little advise from you guys - I am an amateur but have wired in lights etc around the farm but they have all had earths etc I am about to installed 6 recessed downlights in my kitchen (not in the ceiling but in the pelmet) the down lights are class II double insulated and dont have an earth terminal. I have some spare slots in my consumer unit and instead of linking in from an existing lighting circuit in my attic (its a bungalow) I intend using a spare 6A MCB in my consumer unit I was going to run T&E to the switch which I will locate to the underside of one of the wooden cupboards and then use the T&E to connect the 6 downlights.

question is

• firstly I intend to connect the earth from the consumer unit to the switch but am I right? is it necessary if the lights dont need an earth?
• Second as I intend using T&E to run from the switch to the lights (I have a roll so might as well use) should I just cut the earth back and use only the live and neutral to connect into the switch and to the lights or do I need to still connect the earth and simply have the earth put into a dead end (lego block) at each light?

Thanks in advance

 

[burnside43]

Hello,

Sorry for causing such an argument! I have now connected up the circuit and the lights are working fine so thanks. Just picking up on one or two points it was not my intention to ever devalue the training that goes into becoming an electrician Oracle so if thats the impression I gave Im sorry. But Rockingit touched on a valid point "that a job HAS to be done by someone who can tick the boxes on the scam online system" earlier this year I got a quote for changing my comsumer box, I went to a qualified electrician who does alot of work in this part of Northern Ireland and was quoted £600 to change a comsumer box they claimed it would take a full days work and 2 men to complete the job, now while I'm no expert that was extreemly excessive to me. In the end I got a few other quotes and got a fully qualified guy from the forum to do the job which took 2 hours and cost £200 that was including the new consumer box and In the previous house we built the fully qualified electrician employed by the builder managed to cross wire one of our lights a lovely surprise ! - my point is that just as Rockingit said just because some one is qualified doesnt give an automatic guarantee that the work will be done to an acceptable standard or that they are not ripping you off I'm not making a genralisation about all electricians there are alot of very good ones out there but if I do the work (and I appreciate I cant do it all) I know I dont take risks if in doubt I will always call in an expert.

 

[mpspark]

A consumer unit change in 2 hours... I may be wrong (I'm still learning) but doesn't the installation need an initial inspection, then testing when doing this?

 

[burnside43]

mpspark he called on one day took a look at what was involved came on the day fitted a new consumer box the actual fitting only took 2 hours fair enough he tested after but it was no where near the 1 day that the other firm quoted. and a fraction of the price and most other quotes were in or around this level, maybe I'm totally wrong but how can there be such a difference in price and time to do the same job plus a job which was supposedly going to take 2 guys to do?

 

[mpspark]

I would be surprised if it really needed 2 guys to work for a day to do this, however I'm equally surprised your guy managed it on his own in just 2 hours. I can't see how he was able to complete the necessary certificates correctly afterwards unless he also gave the installation a cursory glance at least! He must be very quick to do it in 2 hours imho.

 

[a1guvner]

mpspark he called on one day took a look at what was involved came on the day fitted a new consumer box the actual fitting only took 2 hours fair enough he tested after but it was no where near the 1 day that the other firm quoted. and a fraction of the price and most other quotes were in or around this level, maybe I'm totally wrong but how can there be such a difference in price and time to do the same job plus a job which was supposedly going to take 2 guys to do?

I would recommend you get quotes that actually detail the actual works they are going to undertake, someone might pick up on bonding upgrades, new rods , loaded board with RCBO's ect, then you will be able to do a proper analysis and quantify what you are getting for your money and weed out who is taking the ****