# Garage Lighting



## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

I'm after a safe way of fitting another light into my garage. It's 7m long and has a fluorescent tube light at one end, nothing at the other so it gets pretty dark. 

I'm not after detailing in there but I want to be able see to build my kit car and also work on cars with the front end pulled inside. The property is a Forces Quarter so there is no chance of getting an extra light fitted by Amey, its hard enough getting something broken sorted as it is!

So, is it possible and safe to fit another fluorescent tube running off the same switch/wiring? Is it getting beyond the amateur level doing so or are we talking getting a lecky in?

Cheers, James


----------



## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Ignore all that, the consumer unit is a crossed out, poorly labeled mess, some cables are clipped neatly to the walls, some are in trunking and neat and some are all over. Not worth the risk for me! 
A better solution is probably going to be a decent plug in light of some sort that I can hang up and move under/in cars when required.


----------



## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

unless you are comfortable flicking the BIG switch and turning Everything off Before starting,, And checking it Really is off *leave the lights ON, so the Big switch turns All the lights off,, 
you could pop to screwfix/similar, buy a 5foot LED batten light, a Few feet of cable and a plug with a 2A fuse and have a "led batten work light" ,, fix it to the roof and cable clips to get the wire to the plug socket


----------



## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

andy__d said:


> unless you are comfortable flicking the BIG switch and turning Everything off Before starting,, And checking it Really is off *leave the lights ON, so the Big switch turns All the lights off,,
> you could pop to screwfix/similar, buy a 5foot LED batten light, a Few feet of cable and a plug with a 2A fuse and have a "led batten work light" ,, fix it to the roof and cable clips to get the wire to the plug socket


Yeah, I've had a poke around and that's the route I'll be going down! It's frightening the mess that's there, but having stood next to one of the contracted leckies Carillon used in the past I'm not surprised, 3 times I told him the shower was live and 3 times he told me it wasn't because he turned it off at the wall. It was live!


----------



## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

whats more shocking is he has gained Qualifications to do that,,, 

does sound like a long lead and 2a plug = The safe option

Amey proof, Carillon proof ,,,


----------



## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Think, if the wiring is in such a poor state, I'd be going with Andy's suggestion of wiring one in via a plug or getting a free standing / re-chargable one at a push - but i think you'll find a ceiling / wall mounted ones to be much better than a free standing one for what you're after, when building the kit car, you'll need to be able to get round it easily - you will put that floor light in the wrong place


----------



## andy__d (Jun 27, 2018)

Andyblue said:


> Think, if the wiring is in such a poor state, I'd be going with Andy's suggestion of wiring one in via a plug or getting a free standing / re-chargable one at a push - but i think you'll find a ceiling / wall mounted ones to be much better than a free standing one for what you're after, when building the kit car, you'll need to be able to get round it easily - you will put that floor light in the wrong place


you did it as well with the floor light,,, 
did you also find out it was in the wrong spot while on your back under the car?


----------



## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

andy__d said:


> you did it as well with the floor light,,,
> did you also find out it was in the wrong spot while on your back under the car?


Oh yes and when you think it's okay and safety out the way - you'll forget about it and it'll get kicked as you move around


----------



## Andy from Sandy (May 6, 2011)

My garage has a proper ceiling joisted out for a loft space above. With a single light I would go into the loft space and using a proper lighting junction box cut the wire where it drops down to the existing light.

You now put the power into the junction box, the wire down to the existing light into the junction box and a new length of wire that you run down to the new light.

Not a complicated job at all.

There should be no need to be messing with the wiring by the fuse box or consumer unit.

Start with the light on and find the switch in the fuse box / consumer unit that turns it off before starting obviously.


----------



## Sh1ner (May 19, 2012)

You could just run a new cable, live neutral and earth, from the terminals in the old fitting to the corresponding terminals in the new fitting.
No need for anything else unless you want it switched independently of the other one.


----------



## BigJimmyBovine (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks for the further advice but I think I'm going to just go with something portable that plugs in as suggested. If it was my house I'd have some thing proper sorted out, but then I'd also sort out the mess that's already there too!


----------



## mar00 (Jun 24, 2018)

as above, just make sure you connect to the live coming from the switch the switch could black with red tape,


----------



## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Sh1ner said:


> You could just run a new cable, live neutral and earth, from the terminals in the old fitting to the corresponding terminals in the new fitting.
> No need for anything else unless you want it switched independently of the other one.


That is what I would do.


----------

