Multiple lighting pendants from one feed

[Sagly]

I have a Victorian house with the usual messed up wiring from decades of patching and adding to. The kitchen is in an extension at the rear. There is a single lighting cable supplying the kitchen (not a ring main). Can I run 5 pendants from this cable in series through one light switch?

 

[Simonslimline]

I have a Victorian house with the usual messed up wiring from decades of patching and adding to. The kitchen is in an extension at the rear. There is a single lighting cable supplying the kitchen (not a ring main). Can I run 5 pendants from this cable in series through one light switch?

Going on what you have written above, i would strongly advise getting a local electrician to come and assess the situation and go from there.

It is nothing more than guess work otherwise.

 

[davesparks]

I should hope there is not a ring main feeding the lights!

If the wiring is in that much of a mess then it would be far better to get that checked out and made safe as necessary before thinking about making alterations to the existing circuits

 

[Pete999]

I should hope there is not a ring main feeding the lights!

If the wiring is in that much of a mess then it would be far better to get that checked out and made safe as necessary before thinking about making alterations to the existing circuits

Could be a ring main feeding the lights, or are you on about a RFC

 

[Sagly]

It's the principle of running 5 pendants in series controlled by one switch that I want to check. I have wired them together directly with the switch cable going to the first ceiling rose. I thought afterwards that it might be better to have the switch cable running to a junction box and then to each light in series. Would that be more acceptable?

 

[Octopus]

5 pendants on one switch. How big is the room?

You haven't stated what the current load is on the circuit, nor the load you want to add!

 

[HandySparks]

Can I run 5 pendants from this cable in series through one light switch?

Probably.

 

[telectrix]

i'd not wire them in series. they'll be dimmer than me, pete999 and geordiespark put together.

 

[Richard Burns]

It is important to be aware of the correct wiring arrangements and terminology to ensure that the correct information is provided.
To connect five pendant light fittings with a maximum of 100W lamp fitted to each pendant would be a load of about 2A and standard light switches are rated to 10A (though they would not really like to run at ten amps).
The wiring for the lights would be a parallel arrangement, Light 1 live to Light 2 live to Light 3 live etc and Light 1 neutral to Light 2 neutral to Light 3 neutral etc. not a series arrangement of Light 1 live to Light 2 neutral...

 

[Sagly]

Thanks Richard, yes I have wired them in parallel (every day is a school day) so from your explanation the switch would be working at capacity with 5 no. 100W bulbs in the light fittings. Is there any other way to switch them without loading the switch so much?

 

[telectrix]

no. your 5 x 100watt lamps total just over 2A, so the switch will not be overloaded.

 

[Sagly]

That's all good then.

 

[telectrix]

hopefully.