Lighting wireing

[Sarah and Ian]

Hello all

 

Finally got some 12v lights to replace the rather large ones that I keep banging my head on!!

 

I attempted to fit them at the weekend. Unscrewed one and there is a large connector block underneath which has 2 cables which are quite large presume these are from the battery and the others going to the next light. Now here lies my problem the new lights do no have sufficient space to have the connector block tucked inside them. I am wary about trying to make the whole any bigger for fear of damaging the wires inside. I was thinking of cutting another block of wood to drill a bigger whole through the middle so that the connector block can be hidden. Just wary it might look unsitely. Any one else encountered this problem or does anyone have any ideas.

 

Many thanks

 

Ian of Ian and Sarah

[ChrisPy]

replace the connector with a choc-block?

[Sarah and Ian]

replace the connector with a choc-block?

 

Hi chris what do they look like??

[johnjo]

Hi chris what do they look like??

 

Like this, [Link]

Edited January 10, 2010 by johnjo

[Sarah and Ian]

Like this, [Link]

 

 

Apologies did not realise they were called Block Choc connectors. Thats what was behind the light i removed. The new lights are smaller and so there is not that much room behind them to fit the block into it.

[johnjo]

Apologies did not realise they were called Block Choc connectors. Thats what was behind the light i removed. The new lights are smaller and so there is not that much room behind them to fit the block into it.

 

 

Why do you need to fit them inside the light, can't you run wires from inside the fitting to the existing block?

[Robbo]

Apologies did not realise they were called Block Choc connectors. Thats what was behind the light i removed. The new lights are smaller and so there is not that much room behind them to fit the block into it.

 

What about using spade connectors?

[ITAfloat]

If the wires stick through the panel then have the chock block attached, then see if you have clearence behind the panel to have the chock block located there (make the hole bigger?). Just make sure there are no stray strands of wire and it's safe to do so. You'll of course have to screw the new wires in first or you'll just loose the block in the panel

 

I've made a ring spacer from oak to hide the blocks and sink the lights on two center light fittings. adds 20mm, but you can make them from whatever you need.

 

ITA

[Sarah and Ian]

If the wires stick through the panel then have the chock block attached, then see if you have clearence behind the panel to have the chock block located there (make the hole bigger?). Just make sure there are no stray strands of wire and it's safe to do so. You'll of course have to screw the new wires in first or you'll just loose the block in the panel

 

I've made a ring spacer from oak to hide the blocks and sink the lights on two center light fittings. adds 20mm, but you can make them from whatever you need.

 

ITA

 

Yes I've thought about making the whole bigger but am scared I might damage the cables behind the pannel. I thought about doing the same ring thing so I can hide the block underneath and keep the cables out of sight.

 

I am intrigued about these spade connectors what are they like???

[Robbo]

I am intrigued about these spade connectors what are they like???

 

You'll have seen em...

 

Edit to say, I got wrong; I should have said blade connectors - bottom row of pic, the spade connectors are on the top row.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Robbo

[johnjo]

Yes I've thought about making the whole bigger but am scared I might damage the cables behind the pannel. I thought about doing the same ring thing so I can hide the block underneath and keep the cables out of sight.

 

I am intrigued about these spade connectors what are they like???

 

 

Like these. [Link]

 

Edit. Oops, too slow.

Edited January 10, 2010 by johnjo

[Yoda]

If the wires stick through the panel then have the chock block attached, then see if you have clearence behind the panel to have the chock block located there (make the hole bigger?). Just make sure there are no stray strands of wire and it's safe to do so. You'll of course have to screw the new wires in first or you'll just loose the block in the panel

 

I've made a ring spacer from oak to hide the blocks and sink the lights on two center light fittings. adds 20mm, but you can make them from whatever you need.

 

ITA

 

You could use wooden curtain rings available everywhere.

[springy]

Problem with spade connectors - OP originally said that incoming wiring was thick - probably

deliberate to reduce voltage drop - thick cables may well be too thick for normal spade

connectors & hence chocolate blocks have been used. It's also easier to do three connections

(incoming feed, wires to light fitting and link to next light fitting) in a choc block.

 

springy

[DHutch]

Spade/blade connectors looks like this and are crimped on (see also crimp terminal) and therefore potentially less bulky than screw locked chocolate block type connectors. You do however then need a crimp tool

- Cheap pressed crimp tools avalable for about £6, better quality rachet ones for for about £30 if you doing a lot.

- The color coordinated in size of wire the accept, blue red and yellow, and also available fully partially or un insulated.

 

 

You may then be able to say use a large fully isulated female conector and crimp both incomming and out going cables in one crimp, then use a male conector crimped to the light fitting plugged into that. Then the light can be removed if it fails too.

Could also prehaps use a med or large sized crimp cable joiner (just two crimp ends back to back) to join the main two cables and slide the feed to the light in with one if its relatively small. Bit messy but maybe slightly smaller overall. You can also get piggyback conectors that allow three spade connectors (one male one female and one piggy) to be joined.

 

 

Daniel

[johnjo]

Spade/blade connectors looks like this and are crimped on (see also crimp terminal) and therefore potentially less bulky than screw locked chocolate block type connectors. You do however then need a crimp tool

- Cheap pressed crimp tools avalable for about £6, better quality rachet ones for for about £30 if you doing a lot.

- The color coordinated in size of wire the accept, blue red and yellow, and also available fully partially or un insulated.

 

 

You may then be able to say use a large fully isulated female conector and crimp both incomming and out going cables in one crimp, then use a male conector crimped to the light fitting plugged into that. Then the light can be removed if it fails too.

Could also prehaps use a med or large sized crimp cable joiner (just two crimp ends back to back) to join the main two cables and slide the feed to the light in with one if its relatively small. Bit messy but maybe slightly smaller overall. You can also get piggyback conectors that allow three spade connectors (one male one female and one piggy) to be joined.

 

 

Daniel

 

 

Prone to failure where the two spades meet [on the bend]

 

Still don't understand why you can't tuck the connector to the side between the roof & ceiling. If the existing connector is too high/thick you could use one with a lower profile and if the cables are too thick to fit more than one in each connection you could use links along the opposite side, it would just be longer.

[DHutch]

Prone to failure where the two spades meet [on the bend]

I can see it could happen, although ive not noticed that first hand yet, old landrovers use them a lot and although most of the rest of elec systems fall apart ive not noticed the failure.

- Maybe the newer ones are of poorer quality?

 

 

As said though, the other option is certainly to (with care) cut a hole large enough that the connector can live between the lining out and the steel work, with the fitting masking the hole. Just make sure its insulated.

 

 

Daniel

[Robbo]

Problem with spade connectors - OP originally said that incoming wiring was thick - probably

deliberate to reduce voltage drop - thick cables may well be too thick for normal spade

connectors & hence chocolate blocks have been used. It's also easier to do three connections

(incoming feed, wires to light fitting and link to next light fitting) in a choc block.

 

The yellow one's take a cable from 4 - 6mm, and you can get piggyback connectors like .

 

Although the blade solution will be thinner in space taken up, it would be a lot wider than a choc block.

 

Edit to add site of list of blade connectors; http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-...blades.php#stat

Edited January 10, 2010 by Robbo

[OldGoldy]

Hello all

 

Finally got some 12v lights to replace the rather large ones that I keep banging my head on!!

 

I attempted to fit them at the weekend. Unscrewed one and there is a large connector block underneath which has 2 cables which are quite large presume these are from the battery and the others going to the next light. Now here lies my problem the new lights do no have sufficient space to have the connector block tucked inside them. I am wary about trying to make the whole any bigger for fear of damaging the wires inside. I was thinking of cutting another block of wood to drill a bigger whole through the middle so that the connector block can be hidden. Just wary it might look unsitely. Any one else encountered this problem or does anyone have any ideas.

 

Many thanks

 

Ian of Ian and Sarah

 

Any chance of a photo, so we can see/understand the problem better, and hopefully come up with a solution?

[Sarah and Ian]

Any chance of a photo, so we can see/understand the problem better, and hopefully come up with a solution?

Dave will not be on the boat again until the weekend.

 

Basicaly the Choc Block is on the boat side of the panneling as opposed to be between the pannel and the insulation side. The lights I have boughts casing where it afixes to the wall is not as deep as the ones that I have removed so the choc bloc is prevenitng the light being screwed back to the wall flush. I am wary about cutting the the whole bigger for fear of damaging the cables. behind the panelling.

 

Hope this explains it better.

[ChrisPy]

I am wary about cutting the the whole bigger for fear of damaging the cables behind the panelling.

sometimes you just have to be bold ....................

[rjs]

If the chock box is too thick, would it help to cut it in half so that they can be layed on their sides separately within the space available?

 

Richard

[T.A]

If the chock box is too thick, would it help to cut it in half so that they can be layed on their sides separately within the space available?

 

Richard

Just to clarify what Richard is saying if your connector block is 3 way then between each way there is usually a fixing hole if you cut down through these holes using a stanley knife then you can lay each individual connector on it's side this may be the best solution!

[Sarah and Ian]

Just to clarify what Richard is saying if your connector block is 3 way then between each way there is usually a fixing hole if you cut down through these holes using a stanley knife then you can lay each individual connector on it's side this may be the best solution!

 

 

Many thanks I will have look this weekend when I go to the boat. If I cut them in Half I might be able to feed on of the blocks into the hole.

[soldthehouse]

Dave will not be on the boat again until the weekend.

 

Basicaly the Choc Block is on the boat side of the panneling as opposed to be between the pannel and the insulation side. The lights I have boughts casing where it afixes to the wall is not as deep as the ones that I have removed so the choc bloc is prevenitng the light being screwed back to the wall flush. I am wary about cutting the the whole bigger for fear of damaging the cables. behind the panelling.

 

Hope this explains it better.

I would have thought you could get a hold of the edge of the hole with some ordinary pliers and nibble away at the panneling till you could see the lie of the land underneath, it shouldnt be too difficult to determine the path of the wires on the backside.

[Sarah and Ian]

Thanks for all the advice.

 

Lights are now fixed in situ. I manage to split the block and with some carefully tapping with a chisel made the hole bigger so that I Can push one of the blocks in.

 

The great news is I no longer bang my head on the lights when walking through the boat!!