Discuss Flex and push-fit connectors (mostly in lights) in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

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Some of the terminals on these light fittings are very small indeed. I fitted a new one yesterday, an Ikea one which was, surprisingly, well thought out for a change, but the screw terminals are tiny.
Removing the old light I could see it was wire as follows: (This is in Spain)
1. Two wires coming out of the wall, with not much length to them.
 
Just fitted an Ikea wall light yesterday, and it wasn't as rubbish as I'd expected. Well thought out from an installation viewpoint, and it's one of those so-called double insulated ones. Inspection shows it's a good effort and I cant really envisage anything going wrong in normal use. Just as well, as the lighting circuit has no cpc...
However, the screw terminals are tiny. The original wall light is ceramic lantern-style, and I believe it has been installed for over 20 years. The original was connected as follows:
1. Two cables coming out hole in wall, with not much length on them.
2. Choc-block connectors from those wires feeding bell-wire
3. The bell wire is connected to a metal lampholder which simply sits in the bottom of the lantern
4. The lampholder is secured in place and "insulated" by clever use of bubble-wrap and double-sided sticky tape...

Anyway, those tiny terminals...
The circuit is wired in stranded singles, black and blue (It's in Spain) and weirdly the two cables are of different gauges...the smaller one just fitted into the terminal, the larger one was very tricky, but tight twisting and pliers eventually got it fitted. I'd have preferred to extend the original cables with something more suitable, but there's nowhere to put the extra cabling as the fitting has no room and you can't push extra cable back into the wall unless you bash a hole into the concrete wall.

I presume that when the original circuit was installed, the different gauge wires were just what they had on the van....
 
Uninsulated ferrules should work fine, if they work fine on ceiling roses and pendants, they should work here, failing that go for pin ferrules as they'll give a small 'pin' area to go into the connector itself.
 
should not use ferrules on spring clamps. only use ferrules if fine stranded wire is under a screw.
 
27 posts over fitting a stranded wire to a connector, a connector which will accept this type of wire. Unbelievable no wonder this country is the way it is?
29 now.
 
can we now go on to discuss why builders and plumbers should not do electricalwork, or don't trust a fork lift driver to lift you up to the high bays. that's usually good for a laugh.
 
Surely it males it no difference to a solid conductor at this point and, being uninsulated, has minimal plastic/shoulder to obstruct insertion?
That was my thinking. If properly crimped then i don't see how it's different to using a solid core since that's essentially what we've made it by using the ferrule.
 
As an apprentice i guess i'll ask my questions elsewhere in future ?‍♂️
don't take some of the posts too seriously. each one of us has our own ideals. but basically, back to subject, ferriules are designed to be used under screw terminals, stopping the fine stranded cables squirting out to the sides and making a poor connection.
 
don't take some of the posts too seriously. each one of us has our own ideals. but basically, back to subject, ferriules are designed to be used under screw terminals, stopping the fine stranded cables squirting out to the sides and making a poor connection.
I get that but what about Lister's point? I too don't see a reason that a ferrule couldn't be used (providing they could physically fit in) - done properly it would be mechanically sound and lead to a much better connection, no?
 
27 posts over fitting a stranded wire to a connector, a connector which will accept this type of wire. Unbelievable no wonder this country is the way it is?
Wind you neck in ya miserable git.

These things vary in quality a lot.

I've had some that are like playing whack-a-mole, you sick the live in, the earth pops out, you stick it back in and out pops the neutral. You perform the same rigmarole a few times before going postal, ripping the damn thing down and setting off to force feed it to the trade counter monkey that told you these were "top quality".

..better now, thanks.
 
Tiny update...fitted the remaining 3 wall lights today. Not black and blue wires, but blue and grey...changes within the same room, and yellow flexible conduit visible... Line is still heavier gauge than neutral, but there is a looped cpc in green/yellow (and white paint) so maybe the first one had a cpc after all, buried in the wall. I'm not taking it off to find out.
The bubble-wrap insulation is evident around the metal lampholders, but who knew it could take the heat from filament bulbs? Oh well, job done...
 

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