# Forum Home Renovation Lighting  Hanging fluoros

## dutchroll

OK sparkies etc, 
So I'm going to hang my shed fluoros (as it's a big shed - 4m eaves) down a little. My sparky reckons to just buy a drum of that chain they sell at the electrical wholesalers and use that. Are there any other techniques you would recommend for any particular reason? Rods maybe? Or are those chains just the go? I would assume probably bolting them to the purlins might be a more solid installation, but if there's a way of tek-screwing something, I'll do that  :Biggrin:  
The battens are just the standard double interior ones, with wire cages rather than diffusers. 
Just as an aside (he'll probably tell me anyway, but I thought I'd get ahead), would you end up running the wire from the purlins down one of the chains/rods at one end of the fitting to the 20mm entrance there, or dangling down from the centre  and using the 25mm entrance? Or dealer's choice? 
**none of this install is "live" and all work will be checked by my sparky for AS3000 compliance when he comes out next, and prior to terminations.

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## Bros

> Just as an aside (he'll probably tell me anyway, but I thought I'd get ahead), would you end up running the wire from the purlins down one of the chains/rods at one end of the fitting to the 20mm entrance there, or dangling down from the centre  and using the 25mm entrance? Or dealer's choice?

  Like everything a lot of different ways depending on the installation and cable. If using 1.5mm cable and the drop is not to long say .5m you could run it anywhere but the preferred option would be via the chain and cable tie the cable to the chain.

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## chalkyt

I agree with Bros. Chains are easier to get/adjust to the right length (just loop over the purlins or whatever and fix together with gutter bolts and nuts). just cable tie the cable to the chains and make sure that you pop a grommet into the cable cutout in the metal fitting. Chains make it a lot easier to remove the fluoro for repairs, repositioning, replacement etc.

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## dutchroll

Yeah cool, sounds good. I've bought a bucket of chain from the wholesaler and am in the process of hanging them. I'll cable-tie the 1.5mm wire down the closest end to where the wire run is in the roof. 
One problem - some weeks ago I pre-installed the "loop" cable for the 2nd light in one pair, but at the time hadn't counted on hanging the fluoros. So you know what that means....."missed it by _that_ much"!  :Redface:  Tomorrow's job is cutting it down off the cable tray and re-running a new one - this time with plenty of length spare at the light end! Fortunately I have an outside light run to do for which the short cable should be a good length from the switch. 
You live and learn! I'm too embarrassed to tell my sparky right now, but I'll probably spill the beans next time he's round to check.  :Biggrin:

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## greenhj

if you mean you didnt leave enough cable to run down the chain to the suspended lights, you have the option of using a "ceiling rose" over the loop of cable you do have and cable tie some flexible cord down the chain to the fitting (bung a gland in the end of the fitting)
Looks nicer than horrible TPS though it adds a bit of cost.

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## dutchroll

Nah all sorted. It was on cable tray anyway. I just cut it down & re-ran a good length. Cost me a few more cable ties and a bit of labour but that's nothing compared to the 200m of lighting and power cable I've run around this shed! I've used the cut down 1.5mm 2C&E cable elsewhere on another light circuit. 
I've cable tied the TPS pretty neatly to the chains and double-side taped it along the top of the battens to where it enters at the centre. It all actually looks pretty good now, bearing in mind that each batten is nearly 4m high off the floor anyway. Even the wife gave it her tick of "neatness" approval, and that's a pretty big yardstick to measure by! Everything's ready for my sparky to terminate at the switchboard now. He can do the light switches too. They confuse the crap out of me with the multiple incoming & outgoing cables. I've just labelled the cables "to rcd", "to light 1", "to light 2" etc and left them hanging out there.

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