Wall lighting cables

[Jothetaxi]

Electricians had used these thick cables for all our wall lights, with double cables in parts too.
We have concerns about whether these will be ok to fit into the back plates of wall lights.
 

Do you think these will be ok? Can the cable be stripped back making it easier to connect? 
 

Electricians have temporarily attached pendant fittings hanging off the walls. 
 

Thanks 

Edited 18 hours ago by Jothetaxi

[ProDave]

That is pretty standard.  I would use 1mm cable in that situation, though some electricians seem stuck in wanting to use 1.5mm and not open to reason.

 

Of course you can strip the cables back to terminate them.  But it looks to me like that is a plasterboard wall? If so leave some of the cable and push the spare back into the wall.  You will thank me in 10 years when you want different wall lights and you need a bit more cable.

 

Choose your lights carefully some can be a mare to fit more than one cable and keeping things neat and tidy is usually the key to getting everything to fit.  If the lights are class 2 / double insulated, often they are the hardest to terminate as they require the connections to be contained inside a usually too small plastic box.  Class 1 (those that need an earth) are often very much easier to connect and less demanding.

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

I would use 1mm cable in that situation, though some electricians seem stuck in wanting to use 1.5mm and not open to reason.

Yup. Just had one job where an ‘accidental’ electrician was on site and ran 1.5’s to every light fitting in the vaulted ceiling, with between zero and 25mm max service void to work to. In pairs too….
 

Cock.

 

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Choose your lights carefully some can be a mare to fit more than one cable and keeping things neat and tidy is usually the key to getting everything to fit.  If the lights are class 2 / double insulated, often they are the hardest to terminate as they require the connections to be contained inside a usually too small plastic box.  Class 1 (those that need an earth) are often very much easier to connect and less demanding.

Exactly this. I’d started in earnest fitting the T&E into a JB at each light location and then taking 0.75mm flex (x1) to where each light would be, but this wasn’t copied by said cock.

 

Some just make life so bloody difficult for either themselves or the next poor bastard, it’s just crazy.

 

@Jothetaxi, if there’s a void just make these off together with Wago’s, put a whip of tape around them, and push that back into the void with a short piece of flex used to connect into the light fitting; unless the fittings you choose having flying leads, and then they just go into the Wagos directly. 

[ProDave]

If you have a proper void behind, AND if you have large enough wall lights, you can sink a round (conduit box sized) dry lining box into the plasterboard to accommodate a junction to flex.  And check before cutting any holes, if you have said your prayers, you will find the fixing centres of the wall light match the round conduit box screw spacing.

[Mike]

27 minutes ago, ProDave said:

if you have said your prayers, you will find the fixing centres of the wall light match the round conduit box screw spacing.

If you know beforehand that they won't align, then go for an architrave back box instead, screwing the light to the plasterboard either side (though the light still needs to be big enough to hide the box); I've always used them.

[Jothetaxi]

Thanks everyone. Really appreciate the replies.
We’ve had no end of issues with the electricians so thought it wise to just check.