Lights and power in the workshop

[Erie Fred]

Cutting in wall box holes today. I want a lot of sockets over this bench space as it will be servicing 4 bench grinders, several mini grinders and whatever else I will be using.

I want them nice and tidy looking so I made a template and put a line on the wall in whiteboard marker.

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I drilled the corners, cut the rough hole out with a jig saw then ran a router around the square to tidy the edges. It took a bit of time to set up but now I can cut a pair of boxes in 10 minutes.

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Boxes fit nice and snug and perfectly lined up along the wall. Gonna put 8 or 10 along this wall I think.

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I see an oscillating tool cutter made for putting in electrical boxes, i don't know if they make them for
your sized box. They just plunge straight in, all in one go.

 

[Pete.]

I see an oscillating tool cutter made for putting in electrical boxes, i don't know if they make them for
your sized box. They just plunge straight in, all in one go.

Yeah they make a lot of smoke cutting through 18mm OSB. Plus I can't warrant the cost for a one-off job.

 

[Pete.]

Sockets all powered up now on the B32. Not done much else Ive been making benches and putting up more wall insulation.

I want to look at the lighting soon. Here's a sketch of the 3 zones I'd like to light up, I'd be grateful if someone could point me at a schematic for the switch layout.

 

[aesmith]

Where are the outside doors? If Zone 1 is your minimal access lighting for the whole length, you'd want that switched by each door, meaning two or more switching. Then Zones 2 and 3 may just need on/off. Or maybe two-way if you're likely to come in one door and out the other. I don't see why they'd need to be separate circuits, as in separate MCBs (or RCBOs).

 

[awemawson]

I have three rows of high level lights - originally fluorescent but now leds - on three 6 amp breakers due to the high load of the old fluorescents. I installed a grid switch by the door in a 3 x 4 mattrix allowing selective lighing all from one point at the door. This way I can easily flip the needed lights on and no more (tight wad mode!)

 

[Pete.]

Where are the outside doors? If Zone 1 is your minimal access lighting for the whole length, you'd want that switched by each door, meaning two or more switching. Then Zones 2 and 3 may just need on/off. Or maybe two-way if you're likely to come in one door and out the other. I don't see why they'd need to be separate circuits, as in separate MCBs (or RCBOs).

It's not the best sketch, the doors are shown opening outwards right next to the light switches.

 

[daedalusminos]

So looks like you have 2 doors, don't you just want two way switching of all zones at each door?

 

[Pete.]

So looks like you have 2 doors, don't you just want two way switching of all zones at each door?

The second door will only ever be opened in the summer when I want some fresh air. If it wasn't for that I would close it off permanently and make use of the extra wall space.

 

[daedalusminos]

OK, but I would seriously re-think all the scenarios, as it's much easier to accommodate now than later, at least a two way zone 3?

If you're just sticking to single way switched then the schematic is just 3 switched circuits, how you wire will depend on physical fittings etc, but typically T&E to light (the L goes to the loop in terminal, N to the bulb), T&E to switch (the N returns as switched live and connects to the bulb live) and then T&E onto the next fitting and so on.

 

[brightspark]

dont bother wiring using the 3 plate switch method its old hat . just run a live and neutral feed in twin and earth to the switches and and a twin and earth switched live with neutral out to the lights looping the cable in between the fittings radial

 

[brightspark]

here https://www.facebook.com/gshelectri...2-plate-method-this-means-ta/363331281002894/

 

[Pete.]

Cheers for that currently it has junction box method and i was struggling to decipher it/ figure out how it could be used in my favour. I'll go for the 3 plate method and put all the switches at the first door.

 

[MetalMonkey]

Cheers for that currently it has junction box method and i was struggling to decipher it/ figure out how it could be used in my favour. I'll go for the 3 plate method and put all the switches at the first door.

You want the two plate method, Pete.
Wired from the switch and then daisy chain each light you want on that circuit - its far easier for the workshop.
Zone two and three rinse and repeat.

That will give you a three way switch by the door that controls your three zones.
If you want to be able to switch a zone from the other end of the building it can be done easily with two way switching but needs to be thought about now before you put in anything.

If your "Zone 1" lighting is just the minimal one, consider putting at least one light in each half of the building, so you have plenty of light to be walking around in. Those cheap round LED bulkhead lights work well for that.
Zone 2 and Zone 3 can then be your actual working light for each half of the building.

Not sure if that helps?

 

[Pete.]

Thanks for that, I uave somw WAGO's so I'll use them to common the neutrals.
I was thinking about all this today and had already decided to run a triple gamg switch instead a double and a single as in my sketch. It'll save me walki g down thw workshop to switch off one set when Im locking up.

 

[Pete.]

I've dragged out my panel lights today. I have 16 lights reclaimed from an office demo strip out and 12 drivers plus 5 battery backups.

I started out by making some hanging clips from ali tig wire



Then used these to hang a panel up which I fitted with a plug just to test it



Here's the drivers and backups. I will probably only use 2 or 3 of the backup units.




Supposedly I just need to run a permanent live to the three backup units then I can switch the lights on and off with the 2 panel switch system?

Question: The drivers have two live inputs L1 and L. The ones that are looped in and out have the wires connected in L1. Just one of them was connnected in and out to L so what's the difference?

I guess I better take this t&e back and get some 3 wire and earth. Might go for 1mm too coz it looks fiddly putting 1.5mm into these plug ends

 

[Robotstar5]

Another option would be to do all your terminations/loops in a Klik socket then just put a flying lead with a Klik plug on each fitting - klik range

 

[cheb]

Is it too late to suggest a small walking in light? A single bulb or three on a separate switch for when you just to nip in and fetch something.

 

[MetalMonkey]

If they are emergency lighting power packs, normally I would expect the L to be the feed for non-maintained and the L1 to be the link out for maintained, or if you want to control it via a switch.

I assume the red battery bit plugs in-between the blue connector and the black driver unit.

You could bench test it to confirm.
With the battery connected in line and just the L, N, E connected it should stay off until you kill the power and then it will turn over to battery (non-maintained).
If you then link L to L1 it should stay on regardless of if the power is on or not (running on battery - maintained).

If that is the case, then you can replace the link with a switch to get it to operate as a light.

Best to work out what you have first because this will change your plan for the design.

Is it too late to suggest a small walking in light? A single bulb or three on a separate switch for when you just to nip in and fetch something.

I think that was his plan for the "Zone 1" unless I've misunderstood.

 

[dobbslc]

If you run a 3 core & earth cable from the switch to each light you can just put the unwanted permanent live into a Wago in the standard fittings, that way you can put the emergency ones anywhere you want or add more later.

 

[MetalMonkey]

If it works they way I suspect you can just park it on the extra L terminal on the connector and it will only be passed through when the emergency is connected - but it needs testing to check.