Advice needed on new light fittings

[davidjones89]

Been to a job today to install 2 huge blinglight light fittings that look very expensive, not the kind you see in B&q etc.
First light installed with no problems, glad to get it up om the ceiling because it looked like the slightest wrong move and something would break or fall off.
The second light is even bigger, but to my surprise quite easy to assemble and fix into the joist. Issue with this fitting is that it has 4 arms attached to a centre colum, off each arm there are 3 light fittings so 3 cables coming into the middle which adds up to 6 conductors, times this by the 4 arms plus one exta light in the middle of the fitting and you get a hell of a lot of conductors arriving at the bottom of the fitting. All of these conductors have to be connected to 1 live conductor making its way through the middle of the light and 1 neutral. All the conductors are aluminion stranded and in a clear insulation.
not much space to do all these connections but just about possible with the right connectors.
This is the million dollar question ! Any suggestions would be grateful, instructions hint on wire nuts, but I would be putting 5 in each one on the last count

 

[Richard Burns]

Is this in the UK, aluminium stranded sounds very unlikely and totally unsuitable for a light fitting.
Depending on space in the fitting and at the bottom of the fitting then I would be trying to stagger the connections so you daisy chain connectors up through
the fitting.
I am quite surprised that they fitting is not supplied with suitable connectors for the arms.
Terminal block with linked terminals to spread the conductors out sounds the easiest, if you have more room then push fit or lever action connectors again linked together.
I would not use wire nuts personally, though lighting manufacturers seem to do so, but they also use crimp connectors.

 

[davidjones89]

Is this in the UK, aluminium stranded sounds very unlikely and totally unsuitable for a light fitting.
Depending on space in the fitting and at the bottom of the fitting then I would be trying to stagger the connections so you daisy chain connectors up through
the fitting.
I am quite surprised that they fitting is not supplied with suitable connectors for the arms.
Terminal block with linked terminals to spread the conductors out sounds the easiest, if you have more room then push fit or lever action connectors again linked together.
I would not use wire nuts personally, though lighting manufacturers seem to do so, but they also use crimp connectors.

Yes Uk, lady I'm installing it for is of Morocon descent and certainly likes splashing the cash. Light fittings from what I understand have been bought on-line and are very well built and very heavy. Absolutely over the top for her rooms but if that what she wants so be it. Made in China from what I gather on instructions, but these seem to be more concerned in building up the fitting and hanging all the blingy bits to it. No technical phone numbers on instructions with regards to electrics. The conductors are aluminium and in clear insulation, the kind you see on led xmas lights !!
i'm going to try wago 5 lever conectors, and see if I can cram them all in, 24 wires to sort in total

 

[davesparks]

The clear insulated stuff in light fittings is normally tinned copper.

Make a soldered joint with suitable heat shrink insulation.

 

[polo1]

This is likely to be tinned copper strands? I had a similar issue recently and the Wago lever connectors got me out of jail!
Oops, Dave beat me to it.

 

[amlu]

wagos and a mate to hold it up when you connect the wires.

 

[Engineer54]

Definitely tinned copper conductors and not AU conductors!! I'm pretty sure that all internal light fitting connections should have been made by the manufacturer to conform to a BS. Generally a light fitting of any type should only need a L, N , and E (if not a class 2 fitting) into a manufactures provided connection point!!...

But then i've just noticed you did say this fitting has been bought online, so anything goes!! lol!!

 

[shanky887614]

Is this in the UK, aluminium stranded sounds very unlikely and totally unsuitable for a light fitting.
Depending on space in the fitting and at the bottom of the fitting then I would be trying to stagger the connections so you daisy chain connectors up through
the fitting.
I am quite surprised that they fitting is not supplied with suitable connectors for the arms.
Terminal block with linked terminals to spread the conductors out sounds the easiest, if you have more room then push fit or lever action connectors again linked together.
I would not use wire nuts personally, though lighting manufacturers seem to do so, but they also use crimp connectors.

wago lever connectors would work best.

they are all linked so it makes it easier than linking connector strip

 

[timo1]

These Wagos are brilliant. They save loads of space.

 

[davesparks]

But you can only use them with solid cores

 

[shanky887614]

But you can only use them with solid cores

these work on stranded

 

[davesparks]

Yes I know, but the ones Timo pictured don't, they are only good for solid not even coarse stranded

 

[telectrix]

they're fine on 7 strand. just no good with fine strand flex.

 

[davesparks]

they're fine on 7 strand. just no good with fine strand flex.

Unless they've changed them now the instructions say solid only. The ones pictured above are the new slimmer push fits, they are much smaller but only suitable for solid cores.
The previous chunkier push fits are good for the coarse stranded stuff like singles, SWA etc