What is the best way to wire ceiling lights?

Chris Pearson:


I think that all of this suggests that looping in at the rose (or hole in the ceiling) is not the best solution. Within a reasonable period, it is likely that a householder will wish to change the lamp-fittings, so make it easy!

The loop-in topology dates from the early 20th century where it competed with (and still competes with) a radial topology. In some buildings a hybrid loop-in and radial topology is used as it best suits the layout of the rooms or if extensions to the original wiring have been added at a later date.


Most houses wired during the early to mid 20th century used a separate ceiling rose to connect and support the light fitting, and a circular junction box installed in the ceiling cavity for the connection to the wall switch regardless of whether a loop-in or radial topology was used. This schematic continues to be used right up to today with ceiling rose junction boxes and Surewire light and switch junction boxes. The method of bringing neutral wires to the wall switches is a different schematic. Circular junction boxes are still manufactured using a design virtually unchanged since the 1920s (possibly earlier) but no longer meet the wiring regs for installation in difficult to access places or under floorboards.


The invention of the 3 plate ceiling rose junction box is lost in time but once it became popular it cemented in place the loop-in topology as standard for new builds and rewires as a radial topology was difficult to implement without a separate junction box. I'm unsure whether the inventor of the ceiling rose junction box ever thought that residents may wish to replace them with a fancy light fitting or a decorative ceiling rose in the future leaving them with the challenge of how to replicate the interconnections. I was verbally informed that ceiling rose junction boxes became mass produced in the mid 20th century primarily for use in council housing but (unexpectedly?) became the norm for private housing by the 1970s, although I'm unsure how true this statement is.


An uncommon arrangement is to have a ceiling rose junction box mounted in a location other than a ceiling. Some houses have ceiling rose junction boxes installed in the ceiling cavity with a length of flex connected to the light fitting or a second ceiling rose mounted on the ceiling. This no longer meets the wiring regs due to screw terminals although it is acceptable for use with a suspended ceiling if the panels can easily be removed in order to access the ceiling rose junction box.

Chris Pearson:


I think that all of this suggests that looping in at the rose (or hole in the ceiling) is not the best solution. Within a reasonable period, it is likely that a householder will wish to change the lamp-fittings, so make it easy!

The loop-in topology dates from the early 20th century where it competed with (and still competes with) a radial topology. In some buildings a hybrid loop-in and radial topology is used as it best suits the layout of the rooms or if extensions to the original wiring have been added at a later date.


Most houses wired during the early to mid 20th century used a separate ceiling rose to connect and support the light fitting, and a circular junction box installed in the ceiling cavity for the connection to the wall switch regardless of whether a loop-in or radial topology was used. This schematic continues to be used right up to today with ceiling rose junction boxes and Surewire light and switch junction boxes. The method of bringing neutral wires to the wall switches is a different schematic. Circular junction boxes are still manufactured using a design virtually unchanged since the 1920s (possibly earlier) but no longer meet the wiring regs for installation in difficult to access places or under floorboards.


The invention of the 3 plate ceiling rose junction box is lost in time but once it became popular it cemented in place the loop-in topology as standard for new builds and rewires as a radial topology was difficult to implement without a separate junction box. I'm unsure whether the inventor of the ceiling rose junction box ever thought that residents may wish to replace them with a fancy light fitting or a decorative ceiling rose in the future leaving them with the challenge of how to replicate the interconnections. I was verbally informed that ceiling rose junction boxes became mass produced in the mid 20th century primarily for use in council housing but (unexpectedly?) became the norm for private housing by the 1970s, although I'm unsure how true this statement is.


An uncommon arrangement is to have a ceiling rose junction box mounted in a location other than a ceiling. Some houses have ceiling rose junction boxes installed in the ceiling cavity with a length of flex connected to the light fitting or a second ceiling rose mounted on the ceiling. This no longer meets the wiring regs due to screw terminals although it is acceptable for use with a suspended ceiling if the panels can easily be removed in order to access the ceiling rose junction box.