Adding downlights and keeping the existing pendant - Loop Outs

[dp3]

Hi all, DIY'er here looking for a bit of advice so please go easy on me.

In my dining room there is an existing single pendant and i would like to add 4x downlights. I have looked at the wiring behind the ceiling plate and it is the usual, (Switch Line) (Loop Out x3) (Loop In) the 3x Loop Outs are (Living Room, Extension, Utility Room)

Now i know 3 is a tight squeeze in any light fitment so if i were to add another that would mean 4x Loop Outs, now as far as i can tell this is allowed as the lights are just a radial but please correct me if i am wrong.

My question is so as to accommodate all the existing wires, including the new loop out, could you put them into a maintenance free Junction Box like the Wago 221-4 and then then just have one wire going to your Pendant?


Hope that makes sense.

 

[MDJ]

Hi all, DIY'er here looking for a bit of advice so please go easy on me.

In my dining room there is an existing single pendant and i would like to add 4x downlights. I have looked at the wiring behind the ceiling plate and it is the usual, (Switch Line) (Loop Out x3) (Loop In) the 3x Loop Outs are (Living Room, Extension, Utility Room)

Now i know 3 is a tight squeeze in any light fitment so if i were to add another that would mean 4x Loop Outs, now as far as i can tell this is allowed as the lights are just a radial but please correct me if i am wrong.

My question is so as to accommodate all the existing wires, including the new loop out, could you put them into a maintenance free Junction Box like the Wago 221-4 and then then just have one wire going to your Pendant?


Hope that makes sense.

I did that in my bathroom, however the lights were quite large and the maintenance free box near one of the lights so it was easily got to, and by pulling out a light I could access the JB easily. do you intend to put the JB into the floor where it will not be seen or hidden, or have it close to a light or with a plate so it can be accessed? I am surprised no one has replied to you actually, plenty of domestic sparks on here, so here is a bump for you, I hope you get some replies

 

[dp3]

I did that in my bathroom, however the lights were quite large and the maintenance free box near one of the lights so it was easily got to, and by pulling out a light I could access the JB easily. do you intend to put the JB into the floor where it will not be seen or hidden, or have it close to a light or with a plate so it can be accessed? I am surprised no one has replied to you actually, plenty of domestic sparks on here, so here is a bump for you, I hope you get some replies

The JB which will replace the ceiling plate/rose won't be accessible once the ceiling goes back up which is why i was going to use a Maintenance Free one and just have the single twin and cpc cable coming from the JB to the light fitting.

On the other hand, yes there will be an accessible JB above one of the downlights where my Loop In and S/L meet.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[Rockingit]

As MDJ says, where your existing wiring runs to the pendant, remove it and put it into a maintenance free box instead with a new length of cable to feed the pendant. You can then either piggy back from the pendant to the first downlight or if it makes more sense for cabling run a second new cable from the MF box as a split from the pendant feed. Remember to mark each conductor before you pull it all apart or you won’t have a happy time!

 

[dp3]

As MDJ says, where your existing wiring runs to the pendant, remove it and put it into a maintenance free box instead with a new length of cable to feed the pendant. You can then either piggy back from the pendant to the first downlight or if it makes more sense for cabling run a second new cable from the MF box as a split from the pendant feed. Remember to mark each conductor before you pull it all apart or you won’t have a happy time!

This is exactly what i want to do, but also want to be able to switch the pendant and downlights individually. I just wanted to check that this would be the correct way to do it, from the Maintenance Free JB i will run another cable to the first Downlight and terminate that into JB (Inside this would be my Loop In and Switch Line) this would be the accessible one being above the Downlight.

Thanks for all your replies...

 

[Rockingit]

This is exactly what i want to do, but also want to be able to switch the pendant and downlights individually. I just wanted to check that this would be the correct way to do it, from the Maintenance Free JB i will run another cable to the first Downlight and terminate that into JB (Inside this would be my Loop In and Switch Line) this would be the accessible one being above the Downlight.

Thanks for all your replies...

In which case you don’t necessarily need to run the full loop out to your downlights, just a ‘hot’ cable feed from the new MF to a second MF for this or even straight to the new switch which would be better if you ever wanted to put a dimmer switch in etc.

 

[dp3]

In which case you don’t necessarily need to run the full loop out to your downlights, just a ‘hot’ cable feed from the new MF to a second MF for this or even straight to the new switch which would be better if you ever wanted to put a dimmer switch in etc.

Thank you, it is always good to hear another suggestion