The Home Improvements Thread (2)

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Koorsblaar said:
Hi all

I'm doing a DIY to install lights down my driveway. I purchased 2.5mm2 twin and earth thinking thicker is better but I've been advised that light circuits can't be done with 2.5mm2, only 1.5mm2. I've already placed it in conduit and buried it, so will be difficult to replace.

Does anyone have a view on the correctness of the statement? I want it to pass CoC later.

Thanks.
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I've run lights on 2.5mm without an issue so not sure where that statement comes from.
 
Koorsblaar said:
Hi all

I'm doing a DIY to install lights down my driveway. I purchased 2.5mm2 twin and earth thinking thicker is better but I've been advised that light circuits can't be done with 2.5mm2, only 1.5mm2. I've already placed it in conduit and buried it, so will be difficult to replace.

Does anyone have a view on the correctness of the statement? I want it to pass CoC later.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Aside from the cost, there is no problem with thicker cable at all, going thinner is obviously not very wise.
Most electricians push for thicker and it gives you options later on.
 
Koorsblaar said:
Hi all

I'm doing a DIY to install lights down my driveway. I purchased 2.5mm2 twin and earth thinking thicker is better but I've been advised that light circuits can't be done with 2.5mm2, only 1.5mm2. I've already placed it in conduit and buried it, so will be difficult to replace.

Does anyone have a view on the correctness of the statement? I want it to pass CoC later.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
I agree with other comments, I just had an electrician agree to me running a 2.5mm t&e to my front gate that will be a mixed circuit for lights and power.

Just make sure all your connections coming out of the ground into your light fittings have proper glands, connectors and insulation on... that's the first thing the sparky will look at.
 
Thanks @ToxicBunny and @Düber

I am of the same view that thicker is better. I see I forgot to say that it is actually an electrician that advise me, so I am confused and trying to read the regs as well. I'm meeting with him again tomorrow as it seems counter-intuitive.

@SAguy , how will you split the line at the gate into lights and plugs? Is it simply splitting it with connectors, or is there more to it?

Thanks.
 
Koorsblaar said:
Thanks @ToxicBunny and @Düber

I am of the same view that thicker is better. I see I forgot to say that it is actually an electrician that advise me, so I am confused and trying to read the regs as well. I'm meeting with him again tomorrow as it seems counter-intuitive.

@SAguy , how will you split the line at the gate into lights and plugs? Is it simply splitting it with connectors, or is there more to it?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Is the plug at the gate for a gate motor or what is it going to be used for? If yes you need to feed to a day night switch or Sonoff type unit to control the lights. If no you can simply put a switch inside the house that controls the plug and lights. You can use connector blocks but I would suggest looking at Wago connectors. The most basic way to wire this is wire from house going to plug, from the back of the plug another line is inserted to the first light and from the first light to the next. Make sure you install a proper waterproof box for the plug and connectors. As for the wire size you can go bigger but not smaller.
 
Koorsblaar said:
Thanks @ToxicBunny and @Düber

I am of the same view that thicker is better. I see I forgot to say that it is actually an electrician that advise me, so I am confused and trying to read the regs as well. I'm meeting with him again tomorrow as it seems counter-intuitive.

@SAguy , how will you split the line at the gate into lights and plugs? Is it simply splitting it with connectors, or is there more to it?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
If there’s one thing I’ve seen over the past few weeks it’s that even electricians don’t agree with each other. It depends on their subjective interpretations of the various wiring codes. I had 3 different ones come to do a CoC on my home solar installation and each one pointed out something the other guy has missed, but was happy with what the previous guy had an issue with.
 
The setup I've discussed with two electricians is:
From DB board > 20A breaker marked as mixed circuit > 2.5mm surfix/t&e in conduit 500mm under ground with warning tape over > weatherproof box at the front gate with two isolator switches next to each other inside the box. One switch is for the gate and the other is for the lights.

The t&e will go into the one isolator switch and just be split across (wired in parallel) to the other one as well.

The lights isolator will always be on, I'll switch the lights on/off with my gate remote and Sonoff basic/mini.
 
Guys, as a rule of thumb how many plugs do you run on a breaker and how many LEDs do you run on a breaker?
 
Getit said:
Guys, as a rule of thumb how many plugs do you run on a breaker and how many LEDs do you run on a breaker?
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Think its 3 plugs per breaker - would be interesting to know if there's a legal requirement - the company that did our kitchen electrics put 7 double plugs (14 total) on a single breaker - and issued a CoC - also no kill switch for the oven. (gas stove)
 
Getit said:
Guys, as a rule of thumb how many plugs do you run on a breaker and how many LEDs do you run on a breaker?
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To my knowledge there is no rule, but I wouldn't go more than 5. Also try separate the areas such as garage, rooms, kitchen, laundry, etc logically.

For lights there used to be a rule of thumb for 12 lights, but that was with incandescent. I have 20 LED downlights on 1 circuit. You could theoretically probably put over 200 LED downlights on a 10A circuit, but what if someone decides to come and put incandescent bulbs in instead.

Disclaimer: Always talk to a licensed electrician
 
Getit said:
Guys, as a rule of thumb how many plugs do you run on a breaker and how many LEDs do you run on a breaker?
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I honestly don't know how my current house passed inspection. I think I'm gonna have hell when I one day sell this joint.

There are 3x 20 amp breakers for the entire house's plugs: 37 in total, most of them double plugs! Two aircons were seemingly spliced into plugs as well, so same circuit as one of those 3x 20 amps. I also have a poolside db supplying a pool filter, outside lights (20 in total) and borehole DB, but have no idea off which circuit this is running as there is no clear breaker on the main DB showing this and it doesn't go off with any of the switches. Unsurprisingly, I have endless tripping. I've actually got a permanent step ladder for resetting trip switches.

I've now had an additional aircon installed so I got my electrician to install 3 separate breakers to their own isolators for each of the aircons. The rest is still a freaking dogshow.

Edit: Everytime my electrician comes here he just shakes his head. I'm amazed he still answers my calls.
 
Getit said:
Guys, as a rule of thumb how many plugs do you run on a breaker and how many LEDs do you run on a breaker?
Click to expand...

It depends on potential load, you can have X amount of plug on a circuit breaker if the load on all of them does not exceed the current on the circuit breaker. I would for the LEDs put it on a smaller breaker as your lights is most probably on a 10 amp circuit breaker currently.
 
ElixirCoder said:
I honestly don't know how my current house passed inspection. I think I'm gonna have hell when I one day sell this joint.

There are 3x 20 amp breakers for the entire house's plugs: 37 in total, most of them double plugs! Two aircons were seemingly spliced into plugs as well, so same circuit as one of those 3x 20 amps. I also have a poolside db supplying a pool filter, outside lights (20 in total) and borehole DB, but have no idea off which circuit this is running as there is no clear breaker on the main DB showing this and it doesn't go off with any of the switches. Unsurprisingly, I have endless tripping. I've actually got a permanent step ladder for resetting trip switches.

I've now had an additional aircon installed so I got my electrician to install 3 separate breakers to their own isolators for each of the aircons. The rest is still a freaking dogshow.

Edit: Everytime my electrician comes here he just shakes his head. I'm amazed he still answers my calls.
Click to expand...

Your outside DB is most probably wired directly from the main switch. The endless tripping is indicating a fault, best to investigate instead on turning the breaker on as your breaker will eventually fuse and allow current to flow through.
 
krieg said:
Your outside DB is most probably wired directly from the main switch. The endless tripping is indicating a fault, best to investigate instead on turning the breaker on as your breaker will eventually fuse and allow current to flow through.
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Could also be the amount of high power items on a single breaker - we have that in the kitchen, can't use the kettle and microwave at the same time.
 
xrapidx said:
Could also be the amount of high power items on a single breaker - we have that in the kitchen, can't use the kettle and microwave at the same time.
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Take the board off and see how many wires goes inside the plug circuit breakers if it's more than two try splitting to new circuit breakers to distribute the load. Microwave and kettle is 12 amps max so there is more load on the same circuit.
 
xrapidx said:
Could also be the amount of high power items on a single breaker - we have that in the kitchen, can't use the kettle and microwave at the same time.
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True, the last place we fully rewired, I asked where the kettle, microwave, washing machine etc will be. Had to split the load so that there wouldn’t be an overload situation.
 
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