osso Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I have bought some Low voltage kitchen lighting, for upper cabinet and under cabinet lighting controlled by two low voltage dimmer switches. Normally I would extend the existing lighting ring main circuit, but here's the problem, I live on a one floor flat, so I am unable to rip the neighbours floorboards up! The easiest option would be to take a spur from the main ring main and create a small spurred lighting circuit using 2.5mm twin and earth cable. see attached image... I am hoping someone on here could tell me if this be a sensible safe approach? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bromy Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 Is this sort of work not frowned upon by building/electrical regulations now (part p) or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osso Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 no rules saying you cant do the work yourself, just needs to be checked and approved by a qualified engineer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 Or pretend it was done prior to the new regs;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osso Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 I've got several meters of old 2.5mm twin and earth bought before the regs took place I am pretty much on the ball when it comes to wiring, but never taken a spur off a ring main to make a switched circuit. So trying to find out whether this is the done thing to do under the circumstances living on a singe floor flat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 I wouldn't worry about the colours as they were selling the new colour cable at least 9mths to a year before the new regs were in place so this is not a guide for whether it was post regs or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osso Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 But I bought 100 meters of 2.5mm (red & black) twin and earth back in 2003 2 years before the regs came in place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 You put in a low rated fuse straight off the spur. Its no biggy really if you consider the fact that all of europe's electric is wired up just like this ie no light circuits separate from ring mains and bugger all fuses. In fact if you are really worried put the fused spur into a socket and put a 3 pin plug onto the light flex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osso Posted December 10, 2007 Author Share Posted December 10, 2007 I was considering putting a 3am fuse off the spur as suggested by the instructions it came with. I was also considering to even convert the suggested radial spurred lighting curcuit into a ring main, and putting a fused FCD before each transformer. but thought that was OTT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerous brain Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 A ring is only required to effectively double the thickness of the cable going to a circuit. On a 3 amp lighting circuit 1.5mm cable is more than sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merckx Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 You put in a low rated fuse straight off the spur. On a 3 amp lighting circuit 1.5mm cable is more than sufficient. Yes, that's all you need to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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