Where to mount LED driver for ceiling mounted light strip

[markharro]

I am about to plasterboard the ceiling and need to work out how I can make the driver accessible from below in case it fails. From memory I think our electrician had allowed for it to be placed close to where the wiring for our smoke detector will come through the ceiling.......but now I dont understand this logic because the hole for the wiring will not be large enough in diameter to pull through a driver down the line......so I am puzzled about what he was getting on about.

 

I think in another room he mentioned putting the driver near a downlight - that I can see more sense with as the downlight can be taken out and the hole diameter will be wide enough to pull the driver through. I guess with this option you would just need to take care to leave enough slack in the cabling and some way to make sure that the cable passed right above the hole for the downlight.

 

Are there any better options? ie can you get circular plugs the diameter of a downlight that you can fit as a simple access panel? 

[-rick-]

35 minutes ago, markharro said:

I dont understand this logic because the hole for the wiring will not be large enough in diameter to pull through a driver down the line......so I am puzzled about what he was getting on about.

 

Why not? Good smoke detectors come with a fairly large base that can be fitted over a larger hole without issue (or over a recessed junction box)

[markharro]

Ah of course I see the point now - I guess I will need to check I can make the hole large enough to pull the driver through but still be able to screw the detector base onto the PB!

[crispy_wafer]

Aico are about 150mm Dia, so a 50-60mm hole for hiding/retrieving a driver should give you room for fitting the smoke alarm base, if you cant use the manufacturers holes then I doubt you’ll get shot for making your own fixing holes.

Edited 5 hours ago by crispy_wafer

[joth]

The problem with both proposals is in a few year's time good luck finding it if there's a fault, let alone if there's a new home owner.

Personally my preference is to put them all in a somewhat central location per floor, e.g. next to the consumer unit or in a cupboard with (above) ufh manifold, next to the network panel, or something like that, depends on the floor layout. (In my own projects they go in the home automation control panel, of course).

 

People often worry about voltage drop on long lines, but upsizing cable to 1.5mm2 and always use 24V rather than 12V strip. In practice if thought out a bit the cable run will likely be under 10m anyway.

 

You can put isolator switches in that same place for things that don't have any more obvious locations. Just makes it all a bit more maintainable. 

[Spinny]

So if you are fitting fire rated downlights in the ceiling would a smoke alarm with say an 80mm circular hole above not breach fire requirements ? Or can you get fire rated recessed smokes ? Most smokes would fit onto the p/board with just wires poking through a 10mm hole ?

 

I am fitting LED strip into rooflights and have run cable from the strip location through the ceiling void to a nearby utility room cupboard where I will site the transformers and controllers for ease of access and maintenance. I put flexible conduit through the ceiling and ran the cable through that with a spare cable. So could all be replaced too if ever necessary. Using 24V strip to reduce voltage drop.

 

For LED strip to shelves have fixed open trunking behind plasterboard so holes can be drilled into it at shelf heights to run cable behind p/board to transformer/controllers mounted in cupboard below.

[Spinny]

PS Being a nice fellow with lots of build photos I plan to create a folder of photos and drawings to help any future owner with maintenance needs understand how cables and pipes have been run and where conduit runs have been put in through floor and ceiling voids. Also creating a floor hatch. Hopefully will help someone avoid drilling into underfloor heating pipes etc after I am dead and gone.

 

Interestingly my architects SOW specified M&E design and install documentation was to be provided. But maybe doubtful whether some plumbers & sparkies can even write tbh. Has anyone ever obtained such documentation from a builder or tradesperson ?

[-rick-]

3 hours ago, joth said:

Personally my preference is to put them all in a somewhat central location per floor, e.g. next to the consumer unit or in a cupboard with (above) ufh manifold, next to the network panel, or something like that, depends on the floor layout. (In my own projects they go in the home automation control panel, of course).

 

Agree this is preferable, especially if doing lots of lights like this. In the case of only one or two light strips in the whole house then maybe it makes more sense to keep it local.

 

2 hours ago, Spinny said:

So if you are fitting fire rated downlights in the ceiling would a smoke alarm with say an 80mm circular hole above not breach fire requirements ?

 

Yes. Not something I thought about earlier given the electrician apparently planned it this way (and you'd expect them to be aware of requirements).