What is the best way to wire ceiling lights?

Alan Capon:

I agree, looping in to a ceiling rose is by far the most common, and probably the cheapest. I always liked the method in a house I lived in a few years back - two large junction boxes, one for upstairs, one for downstairs. It was easy for decoration, as you could connect two rooms to one lightswitch while you were wall papering. It also gave lots of space for adding additional lights. Its downside was longer cable runs. 


Regards,

Alan. 

This method makes a lot of sense for the wiring of newly-built houses. It involves extra cable but is simpler and less laborious - labour expenses are usually greater than material costs. The whole wiring kit can be delivered almost as a "harness" with cables attached, and  the electrician need simply run the cables to the appropriate lighting points or switches before any plaster is applied to the walls. Make the electrical connections later. (Care needs to be taken of course to run each cable to the  right place, or else you end up with switches controlling lights in the wrong rooms - I have known this to happen.) To wire a new house using loop-in could require wiring accessories to be installed before plastering - not the best way round to do things.


For rewiring of older houses, this method would involve more cabling to be manoeuvred through awkward routes, so the would be little, if any, saving in labour.

Alan Capon:

I agree, looping in to a ceiling rose is by far the most common, and probably the cheapest. I always liked the method in a house I lived in a few years back - two large junction boxes, one for upstairs, one for downstairs. It was easy for decoration, as you could connect two rooms to one lightswitch while you were wall papering. It also gave lots of space for adding additional lights. Its downside was longer cable runs. 


Regards,

Alan. 

This method makes a lot of sense for the wiring of newly-built houses. It involves extra cable but is simpler and less laborious - labour expenses are usually greater than material costs. The whole wiring kit can be delivered almost as a "harness" with cables attached, and  the electrician need simply run the cables to the appropriate lighting points or switches before any plaster is applied to the walls. Make the electrical connections later. (Care needs to be taken of course to run each cable to the  right place, or else you end up with switches controlling lights in the wrong rooms - I have known this to happen.) To wire a new house using loop-in could require wiring accessories to be installed before plastering - not the best way round to do things.


For rewiring of older houses, this method would involve more cabling to be manoeuvred through awkward routes, so the would be little, if any, saving in labour.