Interior lights and wiring advice

[steve yates]

2 questions here;
1) As part of a full electrical refit, I need new lighting for the saloon, vberth and heads. Its a completely fresh slate.
Obviously led is the way to go, I am looking at these for reading


and these for cabin lights,

Any better ideas? Interested in what other folk have done when setting up afresh. Anything to watch out for?
There will be 2 reading lights in vberth and 2 in saloon, to p &s. 1 overhead light in v berth and heads and 2 in the saloon.

2) Is about the wiring, I am easily confused trying to figure this out. My switch panel will have two breaker panels on it, I’m thinking wire the reading lights to one and the saloon lights to the other, if I ever bugger a panel at least there will still be lighting from the the other one. My question is whats the best way to wire all the reading lights together into the switch panel, and all the overhead lights together into the switch panel, I am assuming spade connectors would be best for this in case one had to be replaced? Also I want to be sure they are all off when I flip the switch at the panel before going for a pint, even if the lampswitch itself is still on in the forepeak say, hence wanting them all switched at the panel.

Thanks.

 

[Stemar]

I'm not familiar with your cabin lights, but we have a couple of reading lights similar to yours above our bed. They work well, and the USB charger works, but doesn't have a huge output.

As for the wiring, each set of lights needs to be wired in parallel. Ours are wired into a switch and that is fed from the domestic master switch, meaning we can switch on one of the saloon lights, then just hit the one switch as we leave, and the saloon light will come on when we turn it back on when we get back.

If you're using two breakers, there's an argument for having half the saloon lights and half the cabin lights on one , and the rest on the other so, if one trips, you've still got half the lights. How you do that would obviously depend on your layout.

 

[Tranona]

There is no fixed rule, but having 2 switched circuits for general lighting and reading lights makes sense. However mine are all on the same circuit and breaker because that was how it was originally wired and a massive job to rewire for little benefit. No experience with those particular "cheap" lights, but have similar more expensive traditionally styled brass ones. suspect the internals are much the same.

 

[PaulRainbow]

You can just wire all of the lights on a particular circuit together and just one negative/one positive back to the switch panel. No need for anything complicated, just daisy chain them together with some 1.5mm cable. Some LEDs, especially the cheaper ones, can get hot if the voltage is above 12V, which shortens their life significantly, so i would fit a DC-DC converter to keep a nice stable 12V supply. Worth noting that LFP rarely get below 13V, so cheap LEDs might not like that for long.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

Rewired boat and replaced headlining at the same time, which helped with light choice.

I split the lighting circuits with their own breakers, as follows on the switch panel:-

Foward - fore cabin and forward heads
Aft - passageway, aft cabin, aft heads
Galley - galley, galley cupboards and navigation table
Saloon - saloon area only

I then added switches just to the left of the companionway into the saloon for the saloon, galley, navigation table and cupboards. This allows lights to be switched on and off when entering g or leaving the boat, or from the cockpit without having to go down below.

For reading lights I used teak ring with brass bezel, switched lights, fitted with LED bulbs. I deliberately did not use lights that stick out and swivel as the original brass style became stained with swivel becoming too loose. This is the style I used Teak/Brass Switched Light - Classic Marine

For the saloon, galley, aft cabiin, forecabin, heads and passageways I used flush mounted LED ring lights with custom made teak rings. If you have room between the coach roof and lining you don’t need the teak rings, but I didn’t. Otherwise the LED rings sit flush with the head lining. The headlining lights are switched on and off from the switches at the companionway, or rocker switches at the heads, passageway, aft cabin. See the pic below.

In the cupboards I fitted low cost Trailer LED Light, white light LED.

You have great opportunity to fit something that works for you and is convenient, with high reliability.

 

[oilybilge]

Depending on your layout you could also connect each light to a local junction box with 5-way wagos, and then 1.5mm cable back to the main panel.

 

[Concerto]

Steve, I fitted similar reading lights in Concerto but with only a USB socket. Overall they work quite well, but the light beam is narrower than your original globe bulb lights you would have in your Westerly. I have found they can be touch sensitive to moisture, they can turn themselves on or change the light level as the casing is also the sensor. They can corrode with salt water, even though the electrics seem sealed for marine use. The USB sockets are the most affected. The simple solution is to buy a couple of extra lights and seal in polythene bags for the future when one fails completely. They should last at least a decade, but then I would expect to replace them again. Compared to the "marine" made lights this will still work out cheaper.

 

[Boater Sam]

Make sure that all the lights will be suitable for the elevated voltage when the engine is charging the batteries at 14v+ else you will be buying lots of lamps!
Most 12v LED lamps will not like 14v. The ones rated at 12v to 24v or even 30v will be OK as they will have a regulator in each lamp.

 

[Leslie frank]

Dimmable reading light? Is that a thing?

 

[PaulRainbow]

Make sure that all the lights will be suitable for the elevated voltage when the engine is charging the batteries at 14v+ else you will be buying lots of lamps!
Most 12v LED lamps will not like 14v. The ones rated at 12v to 24v or even 30v will be OK as they will have a regulator in each lamp.

Covered in post #4, fit a DC-DC converter.

 

[Purple Velvet]

My solution, some disc lamps and a Vikingesque printed surround. The metal bracket is utter junk!

 

[Gixer]

I bought one of these a few weeks ago. Liked it so much I bought another.
Pardon our interruption...

 

[PabloPicasso]

2 questions here;
1) As part of a full electrical refit, I need new lighting for the saloon, vberth and heads. Its a completely fresh slate.
Obviously led is the way to go, I am looking at these for reading
View attachment 207933

and these for cabin lights,
View attachment 207932
Any better ideas? Interested in what other folk have done when setting up afresh. Anything to watch out for?
There will be 2 reading lights in vberth and 2 in saloon, to p &s. 1 overhead light in v berth and heads and 2 in the saloon.

2) Is about the wiring, I am easily confused trying to figure this out. My switch panel will have two breaker panels on it, I’m thinking wire the reading lights to one and the saloon lights to the other, if I ever bugger a panel at least there will still be lighting from the the other one. My question is whats the best way to wire all the reading lights together into the switch panel, and all the overhead lights together into the switch panel, I am assuming spade connectors would be best for this in case one had to be replaced? Also I want to be sure they are all off when I flip the switch at the panel before going for a pint, even if the lampswitch itself is still on in the forepeak say, hence wanting them all switched at the panel.

Thanks.

I've fitted almost identical reading and main cabin lights.

They have worked well.so far. My readi g lights have usb charge sockets on them too, so one less extra thing to wite up.