• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
DIY Doctor
MENUMENU
  • DIY Doctor menu logo
  • Home
  • DIY Projects
    • All Projects
    • Brick, Block, Marsonary and Concrete
    • Damp, Condensation, Rot and Woodworm
    • Doors, Windows and Conservatories
    • Electrical
    • Fencing, Decking, Paving and Patios
    • Floors, Walls, Ceilings and Lofts
    • Garages, Sheds and Outbuildings
    • Gardening and Landscaping
    • General Building, Self Build and Renovation
    • General Repairs and Cleaning
    • Green Living and Eco DIY
    • Ground work, Foundations and Drainage
    • Heating, Central Heating and Boilers
    • Joinery and Carpentry
    • Materials, Fixings and Fixing
    • Painting, Decorating and Finishing
    • Planning Regs, Project Management and Safety
    • Plastering, Plasterboard and Rendering
    • Plumbing
    • Roofing and Gutters
    • Tiling and Tiles
    • Tools, Appliances and Access
    • DIY Tips
  • UK DIY Forums
  • DIY Videos
    • Bathroom DIY Videos
    • Building Foundation Videos
    • Building Videos
    • Carpentry and Woodworking Videos
    • Damp and Damproofing Videos
    • Decorating Videos
    • Electrical Videos
    • Fitting Blinds Videos
    • Flooring Videos
    • Gardening Videos
    • Green and Eco Friendly Videos
    • Hand and Power Tools Videos
    • Heating and Central Heating Videos
    • Kitchen Videos
    • Plastering and Drylining Videos
    • Plumbing Videos
    • Security Videos
  • Find Tradesmen
    • Find a Tradesman
    • Contract Download
    • Working with Tradesmen - Ultimate Guide
    • Home Improver Protection
    • Price Doctor
  • Tool Store
    • Tool Store
    • Bookstore
    • Tool Reviews and Product Reviews
  • Blog
    • Blog
    • DIY Competitions
  • About us
    • About DIY Doctor
    • What we do
    • Trade Shows and Exhibitions
    • Master Classes
    • Contact Us

Home > DIY How To Projects and Tutorial Guides > Electrical Lighting Circuit – How to Wire a Light

Electrical Lighting Circuit – How to Wire a Light

This project is sponsored by Quickwire

Information on wiring a lighting circuit. How to wire a light in a house and wire a lighting circuit safely. This project covers two of the most popular lighting circuits that are used and how you should wire them into your own home.

Don't want to do this job yourself? Let us help you find a tradesman local to you

TwitterFacebookPin ItBuffer
Project MenuProject Menu
  • How to Tutorial
  • Video
  • Find Tradesmen
  • Help

Warning: To complete electrical works you must comply with Electrical Regulations – Click here for more information.

Please also see our project on the New Wiring and Cable Colours.

Part P of the new building regulations could involve a check on any additional circuitry by qualified electricians when you sell your home.

This can affect your sale, you could be breaking the law and your house insurance may not be valid. Please be absolutely sure you know what you are doing and get all of your work checked by a qualified electrician.

To understand fully how a lighting circuit works you need to understand about the principle of switching. This can be seen in our lights and switches project

There are two types of popular lighting circuit. The first one, shown below, takes power from the consumer unit to the first ceiling rose. It is then taken from the ceiling rose, through the switch and back to the ceiling rose where it then carries on to the next ceiling rose.

This carries on until it is looped all round the house and is called the loop circuit or system. You can understand more about the ceiling rose and switch connections in our lights and switches project

Type one lighting circuit

Type one lighting circuit

The second system in popular use is the junction box circuit or system. Power is taken from the consumer unit to the first junction box. The live is interrupted by the switch wiring and the circuit is carried on to the next junction box. A cable is run from the junction box to the light, usually via a ceiling rose.

Type two lighting circuit

Type two lighting circuit

Usually 1mm sq. cable will be used for lighting. A lighting circuit can serve up to 12 x 100W bulbs. Using 1mm cable is allowed for up to 95meters of circuit length. This does not include the light switches which should be wired in switch wire which contains 2 red cores.

If you have longer lengths to cover, 1.5mm squared cable can be used and the maximum length allowed using this is 110m.

To avoid the house being in total darkness if a fuse should blow or trip, lighting circuits are split into upstairs and downstairs. If a cartridge fuse is used it should be rated at 5amps, if an MCB is used it should be rated at 6amps.

Please also check the rules very carefully for ring mains and radial circuits. You are limited in the length of cable you are allowed to use in both circuits and long spurs could make you exceed the limit.

If this is the case you are asking the circuit to use much more energy than the circuit is designed for. More energy = more heat and cables can catch fire. Part P of the new building regulations could involve a check on any additional circuitry by qualified electricians when you sell your home. This can affect your sale, you could be breaking the law and your house insurance may not be valid. Please be absolutely sure you know what you are doing and get all of your work checked by a qualified electrician.

All project content written and produced by Mike Edwards, founder of DIY Doctor and industry expert in building technology.

TwitterFacebookPin ItBuffer

Video

Back to the Top

Find a Reliable Local Tradesman

Back to the Top
Don't fancy doing this project yourself? We work with the industries best to ensure that we recommend only reliable and trustworthy tradesmen.
Let DIY Doctor help you find a tradesman

Find a tradesman now!


More Help

Back to the Top
Related Projects That May Help You:
  • How to Build a Ceiling Light Box to Improve and Update your Kitchen Lighting
  • Low Voltage Lighting – Using and Choosing Low Voltage Lighting and Extra Low Voltage Lighting
  • Garden and Outdoor Lighting
  • Electrical Radial Circuit Wiring Including the Size of Cable and MCB That Should be Used
  • Safety Zones to Know About When Running Electrical Cable in Walls and Under Floor Boards
  • How to Install Downlights or Recessed Spotlights in Your Ceiling
  • What is an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) and When Should You Get One? – Including Who Can Carry out an Electrical Inspection and Produce the Report
Give us Some Feedback!
Was this page useful:
We read and respond to all feedback by email. To allow us to do so you will be added to our email list, however you can unsubscribe at any time using the links at the bottom of any of our emails. Find out more in our privacy policy. Any DIY questions should be posted to our Forum
Sign me up to the DIY Doctor Newsletter:

Primary Sidebar

DIY Doctor deal of the week

DIY Utility Kit:

Build your own work bench!

RRP Price: £49.99

Special Price: £39.95

Get it here now

See our other deals now!

Master Basic DIY - By DIY Doctor

Our Book - Master Basic DIY

Grab your copy now for all the DIY help you need right at your finger tips!

Buy it Here!

Signup for our Newsletter

Keep up to date with our DIY projects, tips and latest deals

Sign Me Up!

Our Sponsors

Find out about advertising on DIY Doctor

Advert

Other Similar Projects
  • How To Wire In A Radial Circuit
  • How To Install Outdoor Lighting In Your Garden
  • How To Improve And Update Your Kitchen Lighting
  • What At The Advantages Of Low Voltage Lighting?
  • Safety Zones To Know About When Running Electrical Cable In Walls And Under Floor Boards

Footer

DIY Doctor

Site Menu

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Media/Press
  • Community Work
  • DIY Projects
  • DIY Videos
  • Superstore
  • DIY Tips
  • DIY Suppliers
  • UK DIY Forum
  • DIY Webinars

Other Stuff

  • Advertise
  • Competitions
  • T and Cs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • NHIC
  • Sitemap

DIY Doctor Social Channels

Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Follow us on YouTube
Follow us on Pinterest
Follow us on Tumblr

DIY Doctor are members of:

© DIY Doctor Ltd 2021 All Rights Reserved