How To Run A Lighting Circuit

This drawing shows the wiring for adding a new light and switch with the fixture coming first in the circuit.

How to run a lighting circuit. A single 5 6 amp circuit can cope with up to twelve 100 watt lamps it is usual in a multi storey house to have at least one lighting circuit for each floor even if the number of lamps are less than 12 on each level. Wiring a new light and switch loop from an outlet. The same principals apply to all 110v circuits and slightly modified instructions can be used for 240v circuits. Each house should ideally have at least two lighting circuits.

Type one lighting circuit. Tools materials required to run a new circuit wire strippers. Light pendants are mostly used in domestic environments but the principle of wiring is similar to all types of light fittings. Running a new electric circuit is a pretty simple task that can be accomplished with a little bit of effort care and the right tools.

The neutral from the source is connected directly to the neutral terminal on the light and the source hot is spliced with the white loop wire. Each protected by a 5 amp fuse or 6 amp trip in the consumer unit. New cable is run from the receptacle to the new fixture location and a switch loop cable is run from there to the new switch location. This circuit is wired with a 2 wire cable running from the light to the switch location.

This fuse size allows bulbs with a maximum combined wattage of 1150 watts 5 amps x 230 volts or 1380 watts 6 amps x 230 volts to be run off the circuit. The white wire is marked black on both ends to identify it as hot. Running a series circuit helps to provide the same amount of current to each led. A cable is run from the junction box to the light usually via a ceiling rose.

Power is taken from the consumer unit to the first junction box. The first thing to do is to run a length of cable from the supply distribution board to the light itself. The second system in popular use is the junction box circuit or system. A lighting circuit is protected by a 5 or 6 amp fuse or circuit breaker.

The requirements of a lighting application often dictate what type of circuit can be used but if given the choice the most efficient way to run high power leds is using a series circuit with a constant current led driver. At sw1 it is connected to one of the terminals. Choose a place for the fixture install an electrical box and run a cable between the new fixture and the existing one. An end of run fixture is one that goes after the existing fixture in the circuit.