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What is the best way to wire ceiling lights?

Arran Cameron
The ceiling rose junction box with its loop-in wiring is now really showing its age and is no longer a practical (or even safe) installation for most residents who wish to install fancy light fittings. It is still, however, the most common arrangement for new build houses and rewires, probably as the result of the electrician's training and how they consider it to be the norm or they cannot think of (potentially better) alternatives.


So, what is the best way to wire ceiling lights? Should neutral wires be taken to the switches or not?
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    ebee:

    You might run that way as a "one off" situation for power in an oubuilding/small room/large "cupboard" but normally you`d consider seperate ccts fow power an lighting anyway so at least you could plug in table amps if your lighting circuit not working.




    One disadvantage is that if the ring main trips its circuit breaker, or is switched off for maintenance, then the room loses the operation of its ceiling lights. The same thing will happen with separate ring main and lighting circuits supplied by the same RCD if it trips.


    I decided on a separate lighting circuit (with its own RCBO) backed up by a UPS.  






    Also for any more than simple one way switching it gets a bit unweildy




    The disadvantage of a neutral at the wall switch is having to provide a terminal for it unless double pole switches are used where both the live and neutral are switched. Two-way switching can only be accomplished by having a fixed neutral terminal, or with a DPDT switch where the second switch for the neutral has both its outlet terminals connected together so is effectively unused.



     

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  • 0

    ebee:

    You might run that way as a "one off" situation for power in an oubuilding/small room/large "cupboard" but normally you`d consider seperate ccts fow power an lighting anyway so at least you could plug in table amps if your lighting circuit not working.




    One disadvantage is that if the ring main trips its circuit breaker, or is switched off for maintenance, then the room loses the operation of its ceiling lights. The same thing will happen with separate ring main and lighting circuits supplied by the same RCD if it trips.


    I decided on a separate lighting circuit (with its own RCBO) backed up by a UPS.  






    Also for any more than simple one way switching it gets a bit unweildy




    The disadvantage of a neutral at the wall switch is having to provide a terminal for it unless double pole switches are used where both the live and neutral are switched. Two-way switching can only be accomplished by having a fixed neutral terminal, or with a DPDT switch where the second switch for the neutral has both its outlet terminals connected together so is effectively unused.



     

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