Need help wiring Lighting Circuits

[nlbhoy]

Hey Folks,

I'm a second year apprentice and I'm left on a job and were wiring a large flat, and I've been
left on the job myself. I come from a Industrial background so I'm not all that familiar with domestic
circuits, plus I've just started my second year at college.

So here's my problem the flat requires 2 lighting circuits, which will be done by the loop in method
and there will be single gang switches and 2 way switches and Intermediate switches, throughout,
this may be a stupid question but please understand I've been flung in at the deepend and have
never done this type of work yet.

I no all the lights loop together and I no how to connect up the 2 way switches and Intermediates,
but how are the loops at the lights connected? , like if there is 3 lights off one switch then I loop to
another 3 lights thats switch by 2 way, how would the cables be connected at the celing rose?
is it permanent feeds that are looped from each light point?

could some one please explain?

Thanks

~nlbhoy

 

[nickblake]

Basically looped feed are in and out then the switch ,then from the switch live and neutral of the ceiling rose to each light you want from that switch all paralled

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Hi mate,
I think as a second year apprentice without any experience of this sort of installation it is utterly unreasonable of your employer to dump you on your own to get on with it. If I was the client I would be less than happy if I thought I was paying for a qualified sparky only to find an unsupervised and inexperienced apprentice has carried out the entire job.
I'm sure you are an extremly competant apprentice,and there comes a point where all apprentices have to be left to get on with it.....but that is after they have shown their ability on the sort of installation they are going to be left on.

 

[ezzzekiel]

got to agree - if you dont know then you dont know, that is why you are training, ask them to show you one first.

if youre having a few lights come on from one switch then just daisy chain them from the first light

 

[SirKit Breaker]

Nick is right, but as you are finding your feet so to speak his post may not be in depth enough for you to understand. I will try and simplify it for you.

There are several methods to install lighting circuits. This is the easiest and most common way in my experience.

Loop in loop out method.

Start at CU, run T&E cable from CU to first light point, and then to next one and so on until you reach the last point on the circuit, you have now installed a radial circuit. At each point you will have 2 cables, and the last point will have 1.

Take another T&E from each light point to the switchbox, this will give you 3 cables at each point and 2 at the last one.

In the ceiling rose you will have a 3 rail terminal box. Terminal 1 will have 2 terminals and the pendant will be connected to it using the live cable. Terminal 2 in the centre will have 3 terminals and nothing connected. Terminal 3 will have 3 terminals and the pendant neutral will be connected to it.

Connect your switch cable after sleeving the blue in brown, blue to pendant live, brown to terminal 3 centre terminal block. Connect the 2 remaining T&E cables neutral to neutral, live to centre terminals next to live from your switch cable. repeat this process for all your lights on the circuit. You will then have a loop lighting circuit, and if you wire the switches with the brown at the C or top terminal and the blue (sleeved brown) at L1 then all your switches will work the right way up. I will leave it to you to wire the 2 way and intermediates as you say your are OK with it.

Before anyone slates me, I have omitted the CPC for clarity.

Cheers..........Howard