- Oct 8, 2014
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- I'm a newbie and always will be. You never know it all.
Ok, not quite Web connections but in this day and age it seems to me that the two are becoming more and more dependent on one another to deliver Smart technology.
I'll start with the background to why I am asking for advice in the first place. I have an old 1940s prefabricated bungalow which I recently purchased from a local housing association under the Right To Buy scheme.
The bungalow is in a very poor state of repair one of the problems being rotten facia boards, asbestos soffits and partial gable end cladding as I'm not getting any younger now (knocking on the door of 70) and we are not awash with resource I decided to tackle this job first, well that's a lie really, in reality I had no choice, No tradesmen wanted the job at at price within my budget and to be honest I don't think they wanted that type of work anyway.
So after advice from a local asbestos removal expert I have removed everything from the back of the property and put new facia boards up ready to clad with UPVC. My thoughts then turned to lighting and security, I have simple access to the loft and soffit area and it would seem stupid not to hide all wiring in the soffit void whilst completing this task.
I am no tradesman (my trade was the long since dead and buried worsted spinning trade) I am however a reasonable DIYer,
I have no spare connection on the consumer unit but one outside light via a pull switch from the kitchen below the loft. I have switched off the circuit breaker and removed the outside light but the wiring is the old UPVC or something similar. I intend to pull a new wire through to the soffit area from the consumer unit and then add around 15 smart (max 18w each) soffit bulbs and my first thought was, do I need a physical switch? most smart bulbs are permanently on a live circuit anyway and in the event of any problems you have the consumer unit circuit breaker? I would also like to add 3 to 4 WIFI cameras powered by usb from the same circuit?
I know you are going to tell me it can't be done, which is why I'm asking in the first place, I don't know! but would like to see what your collective thoughts are
My thoughts are a junction box in the loft immediately above the consumer unit which is central to the whole bungalow then make the first connection to a 13amp switched 2 gang usb unit then connect to the soffit lights and return to junction box (the junction box I think junction box could be omitted and both connections made to the consumer unit with the 2gang usb unit in the loft between? I would then have a short enough run to connect the usb cameras to the usb unit.
This is a solid wall constructed building and anyone who is unfamiliar with this type of construction think "Grimstone Garages" be aware that adding any wiring or sockets to the building although not impossible is extremely difficult and decor distressing
I realise I have now laid myself defenceless to my lack of knowledge but hope that you will be able to come up with a safe viable way of achieving my goal.
Thanks in advance.
Les
I'll start with the background to why I am asking for advice in the first place. I have an old 1940s prefabricated bungalow which I recently purchased from a local housing association under the Right To Buy scheme.
The bungalow is in a very poor state of repair one of the problems being rotten facia boards, asbestos soffits and partial gable end cladding as I'm not getting any younger now (knocking on the door of 70) and we are not awash with resource I decided to tackle this job first, well that's a lie really, in reality I had no choice, No tradesmen wanted the job at at price within my budget and to be honest I don't think they wanted that type of work anyway.
So after advice from a local asbestos removal expert I have removed everything from the back of the property and put new facia boards up ready to clad with UPVC. My thoughts then turned to lighting and security, I have simple access to the loft and soffit area and it would seem stupid not to hide all wiring in the soffit void whilst completing this task.
I am no tradesman (my trade was the long since dead and buried worsted spinning trade) I am however a reasonable DIYer,
I have no spare connection on the consumer unit but one outside light via a pull switch from the kitchen below the loft. I have switched off the circuit breaker and removed the outside light but the wiring is the old UPVC or something similar. I intend to pull a new wire through to the soffit area from the consumer unit and then add around 15 smart (max 18w each) soffit bulbs and my first thought was, do I need a physical switch? most smart bulbs are permanently on a live circuit anyway and in the event of any problems you have the consumer unit circuit breaker? I would also like to add 3 to 4 WIFI cameras powered by usb from the same circuit?
I know you are going to tell me it can't be done, which is why I'm asking in the first place, I don't know! but would like to see what your collective thoughts are
My thoughts are a junction box in the loft immediately above the consumer unit which is central to the whole bungalow then make the first connection to a 13amp switched 2 gang usb unit then connect to the soffit lights and return to junction box (the junction box I think junction box could be omitted and both connections made to the consumer unit with the 2gang usb unit in the loft between? I would then have a short enough run to connect the usb cameras to the usb unit.
This is a solid wall constructed building and anyone who is unfamiliar with this type of construction think "Grimstone Garages" be aware that adding any wiring or sockets to the building although not impossible is extremely difficult and decor distressing
I realise I have now laid myself defenceless to my lack of knowledge but hope that you will be able to come up with a safe viable way of achieving my goal.
Thanks in advance.
Les
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