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Bets solution to resolve hole behind ceiling light

Former Community Member over 4 years ago

Hi

Sorry if this is quite a basic question.

I am trying to work out the best way to fill in a hole behind a ceiling light. The light is mounted direct to the ceiling and has multiple lamps mounted on arms, my guess is it weighs between 1kg and 2kg. There has been a hole made behind the mounting to accommodate the connections which would attract a C2 on an EICR, I am trying to work out how best to resolve this.

I could put a hole in the floor above and mount a box above the fitting, but this feels like a lot of effort if it's not required.

I could use fire retardant sealant but this strikes me as a bit messy and wont be good for future maintenance

I was wondering if I could use a circular dry lining box but I am concerned about its weight bearing ability, the ones I have found are rated at 3Kg which is enough for the light fitting I have but I think BS7671 requires a minimum of 5Kg?

I would like to know what others would do and if there is a recommended solution.

Thanks

Alan

0 mapj1 over 4 years ago

I seem to have misunderstood the OP - do you have a hole you want to fill in because the light is smaller than it is, or are you proposing to make a hole, push some connections in , and then close it again?

If the latter do not underestimate the potential for pre-wired deeboxes pushed into a smaller hole like a string of sausages Two long thin boxes joined by flex may be easier than one larger one

" Dire Risk" is a bit strong for using an inaccessible cavity in the building structure as the enclosure to prevent access to terminals that are already IP20. How can they be touched ?

So long as the wires are not stripped in such a way that live metal is accessible, then there is practically very little risk to dropping the joint into the void.

It's not very elegant, but is quite common behind wall lights and so on - and 'tape' is not really a great solution - either it is safe as it is, or else it needs a real enclosure, tape tends to peel off over time, and is the sort of thing causes trouble later.

M.
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

Thank you. Dee Box will be a great solution, I hadn't thought of them before. ?

I know I am probably being over cautious with this. I am currently going through training as an electrician and doing an exercise to improve some of my previous DIY work as a way to build my knowledge of solutions available in todays market. I think I have reasonable previous experience, previous rewires have passed inspection against 16th edition and I am finding the course is mainly reinforcing existing knowledge but I still have a lot to learn about the most practical ways to do things. I have found books don't help much with practical issues, some you tube channels are great but there are many others where the electricians are not following the regs.

Thank you again for the help

Alan
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0 AJJewsbury over 4 years ago

" Dire Risk"

Was that meant to be "fire risk" - connectors not within an accessory or enclosure formed/completed by non-combustible building material etc. (526.4 as Bod said).

- Andy.
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

yes sorry for the typo
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0 Zoomup over 4 years ago

perspicacious:
There must be millions of decorative luminaires screwed to ceilings with just taped up chock blocks above them in the void. As long as the electrical connections are sound and insulated by a Wago type box or other joint box, the luminaire's base should cover the ceiling hole. All is good.

Sometimes old fashioned choc blocks are smaller than Wago connectors and are better suited to hide in restricted spaces.

Are you proposing to do this work in the mistaken belief that it attracts a code of C2?

526.5?

Regards

BOD

526.5 (iii)

Z.
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0 Former Community Member over 4 years ago

526.5 (iii)

Are you telling us that the sides of the floor joists and underside of the floor boards/sheet and rest of the floor void is non combustible and you'd be happy lifting a floorboard on an EICR and seeing connector blocks in mid air so as to speak and giving "satisfactory" ?

BOD
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0 Zoomup over 4 years ago

perspicacious:
526.5 (iii)

Are you telling us that the sides of the floor joists and underside of the floor boards/sheet and rest of the floor void is non combustible and you'd be happy lifting a floorboard on an EICR and seeing connector blocks in mid air so as to speak and giving "satisfactory" ?

BOD

No. Usually I am able to locate all wiring connections in the base of luminaires between the base and plasterboard ceiling. I don't usually lift floor boards when undertaking inspection and testing before issuing an E.I.C.R. (651.2). My observation about seeing many chock block joints stuffed up in the ceiling void above luminaires is a statement not an approval by me.

You would normally have to apply a blow lamp flame for some time to get wooden ceiling joists to catch fire. I have seen plumbers using a torch flame right next to a wooden joist and it did not catch fire.

Years ago I would climb into dirty, dusty loft spaces to install a new junction box to run just a single heat resistant flex down to a ceiling light below. Back then the lamps (bulbs) ran hot. Downstairs was a bit of a problem and I was forced to hide joints above the light bases under the plasterboard. If there were already choc block joints there I would carefully re-make them off, cover them individually in good quality insulation tape and bung 'em up through the hole in the ceiling. I would not enlarge the hole. I had no trouble at all with that method.......but that was back then. Have you ever come across a new luminaire with a cable entry hole that is too small for all of the three plate lighting cables at a point?

Z.
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Bets solution to resolve hole behind ceiling light

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