multiple downlight connection question

[Engineer54]

Resu Lol i thought you were being nasty when you mentioned choc.box.... but i relaised thats what its called when i saw it on Ebay!...Lol
i think its not that much cheaper going down the choc.box route anyways ... thanks for your advice guys, i'm much more wiser now

I get the impression that your not in the electrical profession. If that is correct, then you have greater things to consider, as all this work would i believe, be notifiable to the LABC under the Part Pee regulations, and that could well cost you a pretty penny too, depending on where you are in the UK!!

 

[HandySparks]

I get the impression that your not in the electrical profession. If that is correct, then you have greater things to consider, as all this work would i believe, be notifiable to the LABC under the Part Pee regulations, and that could well cost you a pretty penny too, depending on where you are in the UK!!

If they're ordinary LV downlights (as opposed to ELV) and not in kitchen or bathroom, then not notifiable.

Nevertheless, the job needs to be done safely and be tested and certified.

 

[Amp David]

And why the hell are you checking materials and prices on eBay?

 

[pappasmurf]

Engineer54/HandySparks no i am not an NIC registered electrician. but i am a qualified CAA Avionics Engineer with a B.eng in Electrical/Electronic Engineering so have a bit of knowledge and experience! i will be getting the works done by a qualified NIC registered electrician but have agreed with him; to save on cost, that i want him to just do one point of light to one switch and i will loop to the rest of the spots (263 in total in the whole house!) myself. he will do the testing and inspection.

oh and the fittings/bulbs will be 240v mains gu10 SMD (Surface Mounted Device) LED bulbs (hardly any heat giving off).

 

[Octopus]

Engineer54/HandySparks no i am not an NIC registered electrician. but i am a qualified CAA Avionics Engineer with a B.eng in Electrical/Electronic Engineering so have a bit of knowledge and experience! i will be getting the works done by a qualified NIC registered electrician but have agreed with him; to save on cost, that i want him to just do one point of light to one switch and i will loop to the rest of the spots (263 in total in the whole house!) myself. he will do the testing and inspection.

oh and the fittings/bulbs will be 240v mains gu10 SMD (Surface Mounted Device) LED bulbs (hardly any heat giving off).

Your NIC chap can't test and sign off your work I'm afraid.

 

[pappasmurf]

he will if he wants to get paid!....lol

 

[Octopus]

he will if he wants to get paid!....lol

He'll only test and sign off the work you agree before he starts and that would be the work he does. Otherwise you may end up in court and having the costs awarded aganst you too.

 

[pappasmurf]

Listen i know NIC electricians who don't even know which direction conventional current flows, or even GCSE basic calculations of OHMS law!.... so looping to a few downlights using the correct fittings and cabling by a competant person as myself should be the last thing on their minds!

 

[HandySparks]

Engineer54/HandySparks no i am not an NIC registered electrician. but i am a qualified CAA Avionics Engineer with a B.eng in Electrical/Electronic Engineering so have a bit of knowledge and experience! i will be getting the works done by a qualified NIC registered electrician but have agreed with him; to save on cost, that i want him to just do one point of light to one switch and i will loop to the rest of the spots (263 in total in the whole house!) myself. he will do the testing and inspection.

oh and the fittings/bulbs will be 240v mains gu10 SMD (Surface Mounted Device) LED bulbs (hardly any heat giving off).

Thanks for that info pappasmurf. By the way, what method of connecting downlights did your electrician recommend that you use when you discussed this work with him?

 

[pappasmurf]

he briefly suggested (as we had tons of things to discuss) enclosed connecting blocks. so i presume he was talking about the chocbox method. but it was just later on that i started to think maybe i should look into this abit more in detail and find out what sort of technology is out there in order for me to achieve this task.

 

[Octopus]

Another ficticious sparky joins the forum!

 

[kingeri]

What this so called 'sparky' of yours is proposing is against the law. Why are you even bothering with a sparky? A man of your caliber and all.

 

[pappasmurf]

kingeri this project is way too big for me to handle all on my own!... + i need a NIC certificate for building control purposes aswell. unfortunately even with my qualification i can't certify the work!

 

[Des 56]

It seems incredible that a person of such talent and self proclaimed status,needs to ask advise of this forum

Yet this person, who who is ignorant of the regulations, unaware of the reason for those regulations,unfamiliar with basic requirements and materials,dismisses the concept of employing a skilled tradesman to carry out work that will now be done illegally,either by corrupt use of an installation certificate or by avoiding Labc charges

This thread is a sad indication of the state of the electrical industry and of Peoples ignorance and/or disregard for the law of the land

 

[Richard Burns]

kingeri this project is way too big for me to handle all on my own!... + i need a NIC certificate for building control purposes aswell. unfortunately even with my qualification i can't certify the work!

The certificate you would need for the installation would be an electrical installation certificate (this is in accordance with BS7671 nothing to do with NICIEC)
In order to comply with the Building regulations the work would need to be notified to building control (either through a self certification scheme member or directly (at a cost) by you) and a Building regulations compliance/completion certificate issued.

For the electrician to sign off for the installation of work you have done as his own is illegal, would generate an invalid certificate and put his registration at risk. If your electrician is prepared to do this then this is up to him but you would need to be aware that if it is discovered building control could be within their rights to ask for the work to be removed.