Shed lighting Q for the sparkys

I want to put in four strip lights (two either side of the shed) and individually control them from one four way switch. I want individual control of the lights so the interior doesn’t turn into Blackpool Illuminations.

I’m thinking wiring each light individually back to the switch but can’t work out what the best way is to connect everything up to the incoming supply from the CU.

I’m not sure if there would be sufficient room in the switch box to wire everything back out and a junction box seems an unnecessary complication?

This is a brand new install and I don’t have any parts yet. I want to do all the prep and initial fixing myself and will get a sparks to OK it once complete.

Any thoughts from the STW experts?

Cheers

Mike

A deep moulded double backbox would give room for the cabling to be terminated and one feed in/four switched ways out.
I would probably run it off a 10 amp mcb as if all four lights are switched at once the inrush may trip a 6 amp mcb.
MK do 10 amp rated light switches, but each individual switch would never exceed 6 amps in normal operation.

Sorry but it sounds to me that you do not know what you are doing hence your post.
This is a part p reportable job
If in doubt do not ” have a play” and get the job done by somebody who actually knows what they are doing.
Get it wrong and nuff said reall

Get it wrong and

….. you might blow a fuse.

It’s actually quite hard to kill yourself with mains (although a few people manage it). E.g. the argument for the whole Part P farce was it might save 5 lives a year in the whole of the UK – total overkill.

NB This is from someone who shoved his finger into a mains socket at the age of 3 (burning the end of it off) and has been playing with electrics ever since.

I want to do all the prep and initial fixing myself and will get a sparks to OK it once complete

maybe ask the sparky who will be signing it off, what he will require you to install for him to sign off….

I wish my shed was big enough for 4 sets of lights.

Saladdodger

I’m aware this is a reportable job and that I’m not a sparks.

Much as I’d love to have someone come in and do the whole job in one go, this needs to be done in phases. I very much doubt I’ll get any interest from someone to pop in for an hour here and there as that’s not an efficient way to run a business.

Not including the updating at the house end, I have a shopping list of at least £600 of items to buy, and the small matter of digging a 40m trench to bury the 4mm 3 core swa that will go to the shed.

if you get it wrong you may well burn your shed down and melt your bikes.

I agree with the part p comments I am an industrial electrician with no need or desire to do domestic work, but I cannot now do my own place . Yes folk have had a shock and walked away as I have.

BUT has any of the stw exspurts ever been to test a house where a toddler never saw her first birthday because someone thought it was right to save a few quid alas I have and I admit I cried all day thinking of that kid.

I did the strip lights in my last shed.

If you can count to 13, aren’t blue/brown colourblind and can opperate a screwdriver you can probably wire up some light fittings.

“E.g. the argument for the whole Part P farce was it might save 5 lives a year in the whole of the UK – total overkill. “

excluding scotland 😉

wired my sheds up the other week when i was home.

M1kea , iam sorry but i have to side with saladdogger on this one , it seems to me that you lack even a basic knowledge of domestic electrics and for that reason iam out. Get a professional in or at least someone who has a clue out how to begin wiring lights up. I don’t mind giving advice out , but i always need to feel the person has good basic understanding of what they are doing.
Ive been an electrician for 15 yrs and ive seen some right bodge jobs . Yes it is very unlikely you will kill yourself , but i have a scar , damaged nerve and restricted movement in my hand after it went wrong . Plus sheds tend to burn quite well !!
Cheers
Chris
p.s. you don’t need a 10amp mcb , four stip lights in a shed wont trip a 6amp mcb !

cyclistm – Member

I wish my shed was big enough for 4 sets of lights.

Shed envy 😛

Mind you I turned it into a MDF dust bowl yesterday, which was nice :roll:.

SD. In the scheme of things, the electrics I’ve roughed out for the shed will be superior to our house. And that’s a house that has two separate socket circuits per room. I might even get the house CU replaced for one with RCBOs.

Teaandtoast

Quite agree with your point of view. I’m roughing out the shopping list, which I’ll verify again with people in the know, before 1st fixing stuff. By that I’m talking about laying the cables but NOT connecting anything up.

After which I’ll get someone who does this for a living to properly OK it all.

Oh and I’ve had someone confirm junction boxes are the way to go with the actual wiring as opposed to trying to cram everything into tiny surface boxes.

Finally, I’m going to Visio diagram all of this for my own peace of mind.

Any light switch you buy will almost certainly have a wiring diagram inside it.
You want a basic radial circuit, just like the lighting circuit on one floor of a typical domestic property.
6A MCB will be fine – in-rush current isn’t really an issue with lighting – especially if you are using tubes/low energy lamps.
I have a book called ‘the Electricians guide to the 17th edition wiring regs’ which tells you all you need to know.

If you speak to a sparky before you start, tell him what you plan to do, and follow the book to the letter, he should be able to sign it off no problem.

I’m about to do the same – I’ve got a shed + a garage to wire up with lights/sockets/outside lights – they will get signed off when I’ve done by a friendly local sparky.

Why wire them up to operate separately? The more light the better.

I’ve got 6 tubes in my garage, all working through one switch. I really notice it when one tube is out.

It’s just a normal lighting circuit.

From http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:lighting_circuit_layouts%5Blist%5D

You will run a 2/3 core flex from each fitting into the 4 gang switch, and you should oversleeve the blacks with red sleeving as both will be live. (like the kitchen switch wires)