Some ceiling lights dispense with ceiling roses: these are known as 'close-mounted' ceiling lights because they are mounted close to the ceiling and not hung from a flex as a pendant light.
A close-mounted ceiling light is screwed directly to the ceiling by means of a backplate that houses the lamp holder. Sometimes, close-mounted lights are supplied without a back-plate, but wiring regulations require all unsheathed conductors and terminals to be enclosed in a non-combustible housing. If you are using a light fitting with no backplate, you must fit a B ESA box in order to comply with the safety regulations.
A BESA box is a plastic or metal box that is fixed into the ceiling void so it lies flush with the ceiling.There are screw fixing lugs on the box that should line up with the fixing holes on the light fitting's cover plate - but check that they do before you buy.The light is attached to the BESA box by two machine screws.
Safety Tips
- Never attempt electrical work that is beyond your knowledge or capabilities. If in doubt, call in a professional electrician.
- Wear rubber-soled shoes to work on an electrical installation and use screwdrivers with insulated handles.
- Always turn off at the mains and remove the fuse for the circuit you are working on.
- Check you have isolated any electrical equipment you are working on by testing with a neon-test screwdriver.
- Keep a torch, insulated screwdriver and a selection of cartridges or fuse wire near the fusebox or consumer unit in case of emergency.
- When you have identified which fuse supplies power to which lighting circuit, label it or make a diagram of your consumer unit for future use.
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