Wago Lighting Connectors

[seanf]

I've been working on swapping some lights in our new house from standard ceiling roses to something nicer. I've hit a problem in our hallway though. It has two lights controlled by three switches, each light having 2 x live, 2 x neutral and 2 x earth wires. The light we want to put up has the tiniest of choc box connectors and I am struggling to fit two of any of the cables (e.g. both lives) securely in place. There is plenty of space inside the light fitting so I am thinking I could instead use these Wago lighting connectors for this and get rid of the choc box. I would need to strip back a little insulation on the wiring in the light - it has crimped (?) stranded wires - to make the correct length. Any thoughts or advice please?

Thanks

Sean

 

[HOJ]

Ideal for your purpose

 

[Spectric]

Chocolate block is historical like ring mains, WAGO connectors are great for many electrical connections and the ones you link to are fine for your lights. With two lights controlled by three switchs means you have a pair of one pole two way switches and an intermediate switch so make sure if you disconnect anything to take notes/pictures as this type of switching catchs many out.

 

[seanf]

Thank you very much both

@Spectric Interesting to see your comments. When I unscrewed the ceiling rose cover this is what I found:

… so the wires coming from the ceiling are just paired together and the single live and neutral from the bulb wire (excuse the layman’s terms, my electric knowledge is all from IT experience). I was thinking I would need three of the Wago connectors: live, earth and neutral grouped together in each connector and then connected to the matching wire on the light. Is that not right?

Thanks

Sean

 

[HOJ]

Ideal, The switch wiring should/will run directly between the switches and not via the light fitting, I would suggest the other light (you've not shown of the 2) will only have 1 set of brown & Blue wires of the fixed wiring coming in, as its should be the end of the run.

Just knock the MCB of though please before you mess, but if you have an RCD on the back of that though you might knock it out if you splash the wires.

 

[seanf]

Brilliant, thank you so much again. I just looked at the second light and you are, of course, absolutely right about the wiring there:

I will pick up some of the connectors I linked tomorrow. I assume there is no issue in using the same connectors for both lights? I can always buy the two way ones as well if needed, but these aren’t in stock locally at the moment

Also, I will take note of your warning. I always try to do anything like this as carefully as possible, no point taking risks just to save some money

Sean

 

[Spectric]

What you have in a std lighting circuit where the ceiling roses are the interconnects is your live, earth and neutral loop through all the circuits roses. From the rose a live is taken down to the switch and back up to the rose, often in blue but must be sleeved to show live. This switched live has its own two pair connector block where the other side is your light which connects from here to neutral. In your photo this is not the case and the three brown wires are the switched lives. If you are fitting a new light that does away with this rose and light pendant then just replicate the wires, two blues on one side of the wago and your light on the other single exit side, same for the browns and CPC's .

 

[seanf]

Thank you for the detail. I'm pleased we have a simpler setup!

Sean

 

[scholar]

Wago connectors are great, but they all need to be in an enclosure. Wago do one for these 224 lighting connectors “Wago Light” see here Reliable Solutions for Many Sectors and Industries | WAGO I haven‘t used these particular ones, but other Wago boxes i have used are pretty chunky.

Another option is Quickwire - see here I like the look of these and intend to go round and replace all my lighting junction boxes with them - these do not need an enclosure as all exposed cables remain double insulated.

Cheers

 

[Spectric]

All electrical connections should be in an enclosure, but providing the connectors are all within the light fitting base and not shoved up above the ceiling then this is the enclosure. One thing that should be pointed out is that the CPC's looped through the original rose, if this new light fitting has any conductive parts then the CPC needs to also be connected to the light, this can easily be determined if the new light fitting has a green CPC wire or just live & neutral. My most used Wago's are 222's and they also come with support brackets and enclosures. Wago ABOX 221 IP65 32A 5-Terminal Weatherproof Outdoor Junction Box 110 x 110 x 67mm

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

@seanf I will pick up some of the connectors I linked tomorrow. I assume there is no issue in using the same connectors for both lights? I can always buy the two way ones as well if needed, but these aren’t in stock locally at the moment

You can alway use 3 way connectors in place of 2 way if yo can't readily get them: just leave on 'bay' open.
Please remember to turn the power off.

 

[pe2dave]

All electrical connections should be in an enclosure, but providing the connectors are all within the light fitting base and not shoved up above the ceiling then this is the enclosure. One thing that should be pointed out is that the CPC's looped through the original rose, if this new light fitting has any conductive parts then the CPC needs to also be connected to the light, this can easily be determined if the new light fitting has a green CPC wire or just live & neutral. My most used Wago's are 222's and they also come with support brackets and enclosures. Wago ABOX 221 IP65 32A 5-Terminal Weatherproof Outdoor Junction Box 110 x 110 x 67mm

Reduce the TLA's please @Spectric - meaningless to me.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Wagos are excellent. On numerous occasions I put my arm under the floor trying to trace wires and pipes, it wasn't until I pulled the basement ceilings down I realised there was not one single junction box with its cover in place, they were all open.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Reduce the TLA's please @Spectric - meaningless to me.

I had to google TLA - meaningless to me.

 

[MorrisWoodman12]

@pe2dave CPC = circuit protective conductor. That is earth to you and me.
TLA three letter abbreviation
Have fun
Martin

 

[TomGW]

Reduce the TLA's please @Spectric - meaningless to me.

TLA ??

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Wiki actually gives TLA as three letter acronym - one of which of course CPC isn't. By the bye.

 

[John Brown]

Wiki actually gives TLA as three letter acronym - one of which of course CPC isn't. By the bye.

I never found a definitive answer as to whether an acronym needs to be pronounceable or not. I was always in the yes camp, but have read/seen clever folks saying no.

 

[seanf]

Thank you very much for your help everybody. I have just put the first of the hallway lights up. The Wago connectors are a dream to use, so simple and I think I’ll use them for every light I am fitting rather than just the hallway ones where I had the problem

Sean

 

[pe2dave]

(if you have room) I think those quickwire connectors are a) news to me, b) another bit of magic to aid connections.
I wonder how / if the regs cover them when not within a 'container'