Wiring of the future

[DJCC27]

Hi, have a new house. Seems much old wiring. Lighting and ring main all in 2.5 cable. Many junction boxes and so on. Recently an electrician put in a fused spur for the boiler which I had moved. He ran the supply to the spur up a floor to a junction box and from there back down to the fusebox which is 20 cm away through a wall. My question (one of them) is as I now have exclusively LED lighting what cable can be used for the lighting circuit? Would have guessed bell wire would do. Also, if one lighting circuit for each floor can the loft lights be incorporated into the first floor circuit? And do the lights in my workshop (40 metres away connected by external cable to a sub fuse box) need a lighting circuit separate from the ring main for the sockets?

 

[littlespark]

Can’t use bell wire for lights. Minimum 1.0mm for fixed wiring within the property.

Loft lights can be linked into the first floor if you want. Unless it’s a loft conversion with habitable rooms, then I might use a separate circuit, but no requirement to.

The lighting in the shed can either be on its own circuit, or from a 3A fused outlet on the same circuit as the sockets. Can you determine how the shed is supplied? Is it already a spur from the house rfc, or on its own radial circuit from the board?

 

[Avo Mk8]

Can’t use bell wire for lights. Minimum 1.0mm for fixed wiring within the property.

Also (assuming OP means for mains wiring) needs to be both insulated and sheathed, which bell wire isn't!

 

[DJCC27]

The connection from the house to the workshop is from a 40 amp fuse (I think) in the household fusebox to a sub fusebox in the workshop. There are lights and sockets in the workshop. I have not checked to see if there is a light circuit and a ring main.
Thanks for the info about 1mm minimum cable.

 

[DJCC27]

Can’t use bell wire for lights. Minimum 1.0mm for fixed wiring within the property.

Loft lights can be linked into the first floor if you want. Unless it’s a loft conversion with habitable rooms, then I might use a separate circuit, but no requirement to.

The lighting in the shed can either be on its own circuit, or from a 3A fused outlet on the same circuit as the sockets. Can you determine how the shed is supplied? Is it already a spur from the house rfc, or on its own radial circuit from the board?

The connection from the house to the workshop is from a 40 amp fuse (I think) in the household fusebox to a sub fusebox in the workshop. There are lights and sockets in the workshop. I have not checked to see if there is a light circuit and a ring main.

 

[littlespark]

The other difference is that mains wiring needs an earth wire at every point in the circuit even if it’s not used with plastic switches etc.

We call it a cpc…. A circuit protective conductor. It protects the whole circuit.

 

[DJCC27]

The other difference is that mains wiring needs an earth wire at every point in the circuit even if it’s not used with plastic switches etc.

We call it a cpc…. A circuit protective conductor. It protects the whole circuit.

Thanks again. There is earth wire all over the place and almost every radiator has an earth attached. I will examine what I have in the workshop so that I know a bit better what I am asking.

 

[littlespark]

Ah, now earth wires on radiators are not an earth wire, they are called a bonding conductor.


Yes. It’s very confusing.

 

[DJCC27]

Ah, now earth wires on radiators are not an earth wire, they are called a bonding conductor.


Yes. It’s very confusing.

Thanks again. I think I am slowly learning, but not at all certain that this is the case!