Electricians....question For You?

[MarkBastard]

Good thread.

Even if you don't plan to do the work yourself it can be good to know the reasoning behind these things so that you can make sure the sparky you have hired is doing the right job, or you can estimate how much work there is for a sparky.

I've always wondered a similar thing myself so my bed side table power point comes through a conduit from the corner of the room. I'd rather it be piggy backed off the other bedside table power point so the conduit runs behind the bed where it can't be seen. I always wondered if power points can be piggy backed in this way.

I still don't really know after reading the thread. There's a bit of interesting but slightly off topic information in its place. Going back to the original question, is this a done practise? Are all points supposed to be wired back to the circuit breakers on their own wire?

Also I have 12V lights in my roof and some of the transformers have blown. These are hard wired. It is annoying to think I'll need and electrician to fix this and then more could blow and I'd be up for the cost again. I'd rather wire new ones in myself. But what I'd like to know is if it's possible to have them wired into plugs that sit inside the roof so that they are no longer hard wired. If so do they have to be the regular power point styles ones, or can they be like computer / UPS power cables with female / male ends (so that it's less bulky).

 

[Gout]

I am not a leco but my mate who is wired my house, and there is more than one power point per circuit. ( i dont know the number or limits)

 

[komodo]

I think thats a very good idea Pok!

 

[rclemmett]

Are all points supposed to be wired back to the circuit breakers on their own wire?

no.

is if it's possible to have them wired into plugs that sit inside the roof so that they are no longer hard wired. If so do they have to be the regular power point styles ones, or can they be like computer / UPS power cables with female / male ends (so that it's less bulky).

Yes it is possible, that is how lighting is done in commercial ceilings. They are not regular power points though... They are single outlets without switches.

12V downlights would need to have a lead fitted by an electrician, unless you could find lights with plugs already fitted... I have not seen any, but that is not to say they don't exist

 

[MarkBastard]

12V downlights would need to have a lead fitted by an electrician, unless you could find lights with plugs already fitted... I have not seen any, but that is not to say they don't exist

What I was thinking was if I had a sparkie install these plugs, whenever a transformer blows I could wire up a new transformer myself (like I do with a fridgemate) and just plug it in. I'd be more comfortable doing this than wiring up a 'live' wire.

Or I could take a few transformers down to my brother in laws place who lives an hour from me and get him to wire just those up. He is reluctant to come up here and work for free but if I took a simple job like that down to him he'd do it.

 

[rclemmett]

What I was thinking was if I had a sparkie install these plugs, whenever a transformer blows I could wire up a new transformer myself (like I do with a fridgemate) and just plug it in. I'd be more comfortable doing this than wiring up a 'live' wire.

Or I could take a few transformers down to my brother in laws place who lives an hour from me and get him to wire just those up. He is reluctant to come up here and work for free but if I took a simple job like that down to him he'd do it.

You could do that.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Ok..there no general hard and fast rule to how many power outlets you can have on a circuit, EXCEPT for 15Amp ccts, then you may only have 1

It is up to the electrician to work out how to spread out the GPO"s between CCT' as the max limit is 10Amps. BAsically you dont put Laundries and Kitchens on the same cct, as the total current of the appliances is to great...

Now, back to Polks issue, YES, all he needs to do is run wiring from the existing power point to the new one, simple, and thats what a sparky would do. trust me sparkies are lazy and wont make work for themselves

 

[komodo]

Something like this mark?

as for transformers I believe you can get them with a 240V male plug on them for things like lighing in crystal cabinets etc. I'm 99% sure I've seen them at bunnings possibly as a kit though with light and transformer.

 

[komodo]

I'd be questioning why are you blowing transformers up so regularly?

Stu is on the money but Pok doesnt own the house was more the point I was making.
I am supprised to learn that only one point can be one a 15 amp circuit though! I didnt know that before. Makes sence though.

 

[rclemmett]

Ok..there no general hard and fast rule to how many power outlets you can have on a circuit, EXCEPT for 15Amp ccts, then you may only have 1

Yes there are... That was one of the changes in the new wiring rules.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

ATM I cant find my damn wiring rules book, so i cant quote the exact text

 

[rclemmett]

ATM I cant find my damn wiring rules book, so i cant quote the exact text

Table C8

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

whats it say..

Still cant find my book

 

[MarkBastard]

I'd be questioning why are you blowing transformers up so regularly?

Brand new place (well 1.5 years old now) filled with 12V downlights. Seriously a room that would take 1 normal light takes 4 of these downlights. There must be over 50 in the whole place. Funny thing is I've had as many bulbs blow as I have had transformers blow. There's about 3 transformers that are blown (a working bulb installed on the transformer won't work so I assume the transformer is blown). I've had about 3 bulbs blow in the same time. The bulbs do last a long time but the transformers seem a bit crappy. Perhaps it's the case of them dying early on or lasting a while, like manufacturing faults or something like that, as they all died fairly early on and none have since. Other ones right next to them have been fine.

Just one of those things. Wouldn't be a drama except you shouldn't need a sparkie to affectively change a light bulb :-(

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Are they getting hot ??

 

[rclemmett]

whats it say..

Still cant find my book

I can't paste the table, but...
"Guidance on the loading of points per final subcircuit"
Contribution of each point (A) (sum must not exceed rating of each circuit breaker)
10A single or multiphase socket outlets

Blah, blah, blah....

Each single 10A socket outlet counts toward one amp, a lighting point counts toward half an amp.

ie 2.5mm cable, 16A MCB = 16 Single outlets or 8 double outlets and less if lights are on the circuit.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

HAH...most new houses are built that tight they would flat out have a total of 8 doubles in the house :lol:

 

[fraser_john]

Brand new place (well 1.5 years old now) filled with 12V downlights. Seriously a room that would take 1 normal light takes 4 of these downlights. There must be over 50 in the whole place. Funny thing is I've had as many bulbs blow as I have had transformers blow. There's about 3 transformers that are blown (a working bulb installed on the transformer won't work so I assume the transformer is blown). I've had about 3 bulbs blow in the same time. The bulbs do last a long time but the transformers seem a bit crappy. Perhaps it's the case of them dying early on or lasting a while, like manufacturing faults or something like that, as they all died fairly early on and none have since. Other ones right next to them have been fine.

Just one of those things. Wouldn't be a drama except you shouldn't need a sparkie to affectively change a light bulb :-(

Totally off topic, but because of the power these downlights use (55w + transformer inefficiency) and the fire risk associated with them, we spent $500 and replaced them all with new inserts and compact flourescents (7 watts each). They fit in the same hole and everything. Each compact is equivalent to 75 watts from memory. Our place looks much brighter and we now use a boatload less power.

When pulling the transformers out, some were puffed up and split with burn marks on them!!!! The sooner these shitty lighting systems are banned by code, the better.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I can't paste the table, but...
"Guidance on the loading of points per final subcircuit"
Contribution of each point (A) (sum must not exceed rating of each circuit breaker)
10A single or multiphase socket outlets

Blah, blah, blah....

Each single 10A socket outlet counts toward one amp, a lighting point counts toward half an amp.

ie 2.5mm cable, 16A MCB = 16 Single outlets or 8 double outlets and less if lights are on the circuit.

Yeah I remember something about that, but it isnt absoloute, but you must have a 16Amp breaker on the cct

 

[schooey]

The whole bepuzzlement of all this code and stuff is the average Joe is then free to take his $2.50 down to Bunnings and by a four way powerboad and plub whatever the damn hell he wants into it... Yeah I know I know, user responsibility, but it's still stupid these things are allowed