Diy Lighting Safety

[TammyLiz]

OK I'm planning on making a little diy light fixture to put compact flourescent screw in bulbs. It will be made of wood, and I'm wondering how safe that is? The bulb will be pretty close to the wood. The fixture I got has the screws exposed where you attach the wires at the base of the bulbs. I was thinking to put caps on the wires and stuff them in around the base of the bulb. The fixture will be mounted under the counter encased in a wood box I'm making with the bottom of the fixture about 6 inches above the top of the water, and it will have a diffusor so it won't be getting any condensation in it. Safe or unsafe?

 

[dgwebster]

if its flourescent gas tube, you are safe, they give off a very low heat, but still make some vents!!.

if its a filament bulb these get very hot.

I personally went with white cold cathode - gives a more "daylight" look, is low voltage and as the name suggests - cold.

I also mixed in a blue tube and a siwtch to the power for night effects

 

[BHornsey]

Hi.

A low voltage lamp would be your only option.

Under UK regs (Part P of building regs and 16th amendment to IEEE regs) any mains electrical equipment must be suitable for use and have an IP rating. There is now very little electrical work you can undertake yourself. Work on kitchens and bathrooms is expressly forbidden as these locations involve water risks.

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

Hi.

A low voltage lamp would be your only option.

Under UK regs (Part P of building regs and 16th amendment to IEEE regs) any mains electrical equipment must be suitable for use and have an IP rating. There is now very little electrical work you can undertake yourself. Work on kitchens and bathrooms is expressly forbidden as these locations involve water risks.

They don't live in the UK though

 

[TammyLiz]

I don't think we in the US are forbidden to do electrical work in the kitchen, but there are regulations. This light, though, isn't really installed into the electrical system of the house, it will be mounted under the cabinet and then plugged into the outlet. I put it together and wired it yesterday. I'll take a picture to see what you guys think.

 

[dgwebster]

dammit that was going to be my point.

IIRC these regulations for the uk apply to building electricals. There is nothing to stop someone building a lamp from a plug, fuse, wire and bulb holder thingy (forget the name of them) and plugging it into an existing outlet in a kitchen. However, you cannot wire a new mains gang socket or light fixture yourself. unless you are a fully qualified electrician or have the work inspected and quality assured by a qualified leccy man before making it live.

the joys of having a buildings inspector for an uncle and a sparky for a father.

and in truth - you can do anything you want, just might have trouble claiming on insurance in the event of any problems or selling the house on.

 

[BHornsey]

[/quote]
They don't live in the UK though
[/quote]

Doh !!

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah on this side of the pond we won't make a law like that... Instead we'll leave it open ended and then let blood sucking scum, I mean lawyers, wrongfully sue people for someone else's mistake. Totally different system

 

[BHornsey]

Yeah on this side of the pond we won't make a law like that... Instead we'll leave it open ended and then let blood sucking scum, I mean lawyers, wrongfully sue people for someone else's mistake. Totally different system

Yeah, I was thinking that. Mind you, I think we're following you down the same road,
'Where there's blame, there's a claim (and a lawyer!!)

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, but don't you guys at least have to pay the expense of the winning lawyer if you loose a lawsuit? We dont even have that kind of deterent here. For crying out loud, someone is suing McDonalds because he's fat... Anyway, I sidetrack and digress, my apologies.

 

[dgwebster]

depends upon how insistent you are. there are many companys in the UK now offering a "no win - no fee" policy along with "100% of compensation" - i.e. they add their charges on top of what you are awarded. But im going to presume that they scrutinise a case to assess chances of winning in order to minimise risk. if you get rejected from these companies but still persist you would need to pay your own lawyer. but then, depending upon your wages you can apply for legal aid.

there was a company like that i used to see and advert for on the way home from work. it said "if you have had an accident at work, call now!!"

I was trying to persuede somone to phone up in a shaky voice and tell them they had an accident at work... they pissed their pants.

I totally vote for a common sennse law in order to stop all this. things like "I was working on an exposed live wire and they gave me the wrong type of ladder (metal one, puts it against wire, bzzzzt gets electrocuted.)

Im sorry, but this persons job is working with electricity. anybody who works with the stuff should know NOT TO PLACE A METAL LADDER AGAINST A LIVE WIRE and his COMMON SENSE should have told him not to do it, stop the job and go back to his bosses for a wooden ladder. i mean really.

or there is the one that happened in america - "I slipped in mcdonalds where the floor was wet (no wet floor sign) breaking my arm, I got $16,000 compensation." FFS SHE MADE THE FLOOR WET BY POURING HER DRINK OVER HER CHEATING HUSBANDS HEAD AND IMMEDIATELY STOOD UP TO STORM OFF.

It was HER fault the floor was wet, she hadn't informed a member of staff yet and was fully aware that bit of floor would be wet, COMMON SENSE tells her to be a bit more careful.

sorry this is a sore spot, if there is anything that is a bigger leaching bast..... than these lawyers, its the people making claims in the first place.

there are genuine cases, but come on really. get a grip and a spine mr judge and say NO.

 

[BHornsey]

Wow, I think we got way off the 'Whaddya think of my light' thread !

Gotta agree with what you say though.

 

[SkiFletch]

Heh, yeah sorry about that kinda got off track

Tammy, did you get the work done?

 

[BHornsey]

dammit that was going to be my point.

IIRC these regulations for the uk apply to building electricals. There is nothing to stop someone building a lamp from a plug, fuse, wire and bulb holder thingy (forget the name of them) and plugging it into an existing outlet in a kitchen. However, you cannot wire a new mains gang socket or light fixture yourself. unless you are a fully qualified electrician or have the work inspected and quality assured by a qualified leccy man before making it live.

the joys of having a buildings inspector for an uncle and a sparky for a father.

and in truth - you can do anything you want, just might have trouble claiming on insurance in the event of any problems or selling the house on.

Now, back to the original point! What I originally intended was that electrical equipment sold in the UK must be fit for purpose (I didn't realise you were in the USA!). UK equipment is sold with an IP rating (e.g. my aquarium heater's rating is IP67: sealed against all dust and fluid immersion to 1 metre).

If a fire or an injury occurs you would be in an awkward position with insurance companys or (back to where the thread diverted !!) the ambulance chasing vampires, er lawyers.

BrianH

 

[TammyLiz]

Heh, yeah sorry about that kinda got off track

Tammy, did you get the work done?

Well, sort of. It works but I'm not really happy with it. I am easily distracted and got involved in working on another tank. Let me go take a picture of it and we'll see what you guys think. Hold on.