Lighting Via Central box

[OWLelectrical]

Just had a call out for a lighting fault. Whilst looking for all the cables as every light and switch had 1 cable I found a junction box with all cables in. How often were houses wired like this as never come across it myself? Well the fault was the Xmas stuff had been dumped on the jb and smashed to pieces. Where could I find a similar box as it was fairly discreet and tidy. Cheers

 

[MDJ]

Please pass me a gun

 

[Engineer54]

Can I just say a flat would normally get 1 JB And a house 2 ( one on each floor ) I.e downstairs usually wired to top of the stairs and upstairs wired to beside loft hatch. Just in case that wasn't clear....

I can't see any advantage of an Octopus or other similar system when still needing to navigate joists and noggins etc under floorboards. A standard wiring system would be just as quick...

 

[Jonny66]

Please pass me a gun

No its too dangerous for you:hurray:

 

[Dcf]

I'm puzzled a bit about this thread.since when was wiring lights to a central joint box an abomination against sparking?
i was brought up on this method for rewires the advantages being a lot less cabling to pull down lath and plaster walls and easier termination of switches etc.
try getting 4 twins in a plaster depth box and you will see what I mean.
it was a far better method than looping everything at a ceiling rose in my book.

 

[OWLelectrical]

Sorry gents what did I start

 

[Dcf]

Ha ha here comes the instigator!
if you need a replacement joint box.ashley j701 is the modern version of the rb4 that was smashed

 

[MDJ]

I'm puzzled a bit about this thread.since when was wiring lights to a central joint box an abomination against sparking?
i was brought up on this method for rewires the advantages being a lot less cabling to pull down lath and plaster walls and easier termination of switches etc.
try getting 4 twins in a plaster depth box and you will see what I mean.
it was a far better method than looping everything at a ceiling rose in my book.

I disagree and quite frankly I am appalled, in 30 years in this trade on site and working with hundreds of electricians I have never known this new wonderful method of running a twin from the DB to a Joint box and individual twins to all lights and switches conbined with 3 cores to make a 20-30 cable huge joint, is this what our trade has come to? no wonder it is on it's knees, the standards are now at an all time low obviously, I can imagine the guys I got trained with reading this, bloody pathetic, although it may not be dangerous if the right materials are used and the huge JB fitted in a accessible place, it is still crap IMO.

 

[Engineer54]

I'm puzzled a bit about this thread.since when was wiring lights to a central joint box an abomination against sparking?
i was brought up on this method for rewires the advantages being a lot less cabling to pull down lath and plaster walls and easier termination of switches etc.
try getting 4 twins in a plaster depth box and you will see what I mean.
it was a far better method than looping everything at a ceiling rose in my book.

Well for a start you shouldn't be pulling 4 T&E's into a plaster depth box in the first place!!

Why would you consider it better in a domestic house, than a tried and proven system. I doubt very much you would save that much cable if any, under a floorboard/floor sheeting situation.

 

[MDJ]

At last someone with a Brain, thank God

 

[OWLelectrical]

Cheers

 

[OWLelectrical]

Cheers

 

[Dcf]

Well for a start you shouldn't be pulling 4 T&E's into a plaster depth box in the first place!!

Why would you consider it better in a domestic house, than a tried and proven system. I doubt very much you would save that much cable if any, under a floorboard/floor sheeting situation.

I would say if anything the loop in method was devised to save cable ,just a pest to connect really never liked it for that fact.
in my neck of the woods a 1930- 50 house would originally be done in steel conduit
1960s would be trs and early twin and earth using the joint box method
1970-80s would be twin and earth using joint box or loop in method
90s to present looped at switches
hardly a new fangled method
suppose it depends on the area you are in what methods are employed

 

[MDJ]

1970-80s would be twin and earth using joint box

Not around here, 3 plate method here, never used a Joint box myself except for downlighters and even then it was only 2 cables, only in the kitchen would we wire to the switch instead of the light first, then just a switch pair around the downlights, in the house 3 plate, a proper Job, no 20 wire huge Joint box job in glos I have ever seen.

 

[kingeri]

Around my way a lot of houses were wired using a completely seperate Neutral in single&earth , JBs all over the shop, no logical use of red and black singles. Very hard to fault find and trace where everything is. My own house has a big horrible JB on each floor with cables coming out all over the place. It's much easier to have all connections in the switches and light fittings in my opinion!

 

[Dcf]

Around my way a lot of houses were wired using a completely seperate Neutral in single&earth , JBs all over the shop, no logical use of red and black singles. Very hard to fault find and trace where everything is. My own house has a big horrible JB on each floor with cables coming out all over the place. It's much easier to have all connections in the switches and light fittings in my opinion!

Kinda like conduit wiring minus the conduit! With the neutrals looped at the lights and the feeds looped at the switches?
only seen it twice in 25 years usually wired in a spider fashion and not a clip in sight
another method again as rare as a joint box in gloucester