Super_Paulie Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 the missus has decided that having the option to plug in LED lighting along our exposed steel beam would be a nice idea. However im a bit stumped on how to achieve this as to get a socket within the flange of the beam seems impossible to do and keep the socket in a wiring zone, see attached. The only way seems to be having another socket horizontal to this one further along the wall but that doesnt sound great. I can come down from above but i wouldnt be able to get past the top flange of the beam. The dotted lines are the concealed steel post and the other end the beam rests of a brick/concrete pad stone, the wall to be clad with brick slips. Does anyone have any bright ideas on how i can achieve this, as im a bit stumped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markc Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 In this instance some leeway normal. Anyone working around that socket would (should) see that it’s an odd ball and additional care needed if drilling holes etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 How far have you got with your wiring? Call me OCD but where are you going to put the transformer and how are you going to switch it on!? ?if it were me I would prefer a switch on the wall, next to the main lights and the transformer hidden somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 18 minutes ago, joe90 said: How far have you got with your wiring? Call me OCD but where are you going to put the transformer and how are you going to switch it on!? ?if it were me I would prefer a switch on the wall, next to the main lights and the transformer hidden somewhere. Yep like this. we have a big beam in the ceiling with track lights supposed to go on it. the wires are all in behind the plasterboard going back to a switch, if you never do it the wires are there waiting, for when you do do it. get rid of that socket and have the light feed behind that bit of wall, when you do it you can cut in a surface plate with an access hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Paulie Posted February 13 Author Share Posted February 13 so far there is zero wiring, so everything is still on the table. The idea of the socket was to plug in whatever, LED strip, fairly lights, i dont know, and have it controlled via a smart socket rather than having a physical switch. We have a lot of smart control in the house and this was just an addition i said id look into. Its just to be used on rare occasions/events/ id image (not at all). But yeah, looking at it a socket up there would be troublesome if the smart ever packs in. So a light switch below, that would create a zone as well, and an exit above with a transformer sat on the beam. I guess that would make the device (whatever it is) not really transferable to some other latest gimmick she likes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Paulie Posted February 13 Author Share Posted February 13 i guess this would be more accurate, but without a switch directly below it then id be out of zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETC Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Nice plant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 If you have smart controls for lighting then just run a light feed back to the main light control station and leave it dormant, if you want it drill a 20mm hole in the plasterboard and fish it out with a coat hanger. run a 5 core cable in case you go coloured lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Paulie Posted February 13 Author Share Posted February 13 The problem with all of the ideas is that my wiring will be out of zone to get within the flange of the beam. I'd have to go down (or up) and then sideways towards the web. Going out of zone is surely a no-no but I can't see a way around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted February 13 Share Posted February 13 Either put a false plate below or above the beam (to create a zone) or put the cable in a steel conduit and bury it in the wall 🤷♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russell griffiths Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 12 hours ago, Super_Paulie said: The problem with all of the ideas is that my wiring will be out of zone to get within the flange of the beam. I'd have to go down (or up) and then sideways towards the web. Going out of zone is surely a no-no but I can't see a way around it. AFAIK as soon as your cables leave the lighting control unit they will be in low voltage, so it’s nice to comply with safe zones, but not always practical, so it goes out the window a bit. also the ceiling above the beam is a safe zone , so as long as your 50mm in from the face it’s safe so the only bit not in a safe zone is the 200mm from the ceiling to the bottom of the steel, if somebody can see the lights on the beam and a cable entering the wall, they would need to be pretty stupid to drill in that area. and if they did it’s a 12 volt cable anyway. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super_Paulie Posted February 14 Author Share Posted February 14 I wonder how the zones work around a beam like this... Might have to do some research on that one as I guess anything within 150mm from the ceiling and the wall is technically a zone. But where does that leave under the beam as it just ends rather than continue down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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