Monday, April 23, 2012

Track Lighting Install it wrong and Fire or Electrocution is possible

Go into any home center and you will find a isle with track lighting in it.
There are hundreds of styles and brands all designed as task lighting to light up objects. Neat stuff but it can all be deadly when not installed properly.
several years back I told a home re-modeler to pound salt and never call me again to do work for him when he asked me to cut a track lights 8 foot metal track to 6 foot instead of buying a 2 ft and 4 ft track and using a proper splicer. Why ? because unless a track is specifically designed to be cut to length you can in fact put your home in danger of a fire or getting electrocuted 
because when the end fitting is installed it is designed to fit secure and smooth
if the track is cut it can leave a bur which can damage the end feed and allow the hot metal contact to make contact with the metal track resulting in shock and or fire. You should always use proper end or mid feed fittings designed for the specific track and use a proper connectors and box when connecting the
feed wires and make sure it is grounded.
 the other problem from fire can result if  improper wire size to amount of fixtures being used overloads the wiring and heats the track and a fire is a result. check the charts use only the amount of recommended fixtures and proper wattage bulbs. Or disaster will be the end result.this also goes for the fixtures only use fixtures which are designed for the specific track and if damaged replace them. follow manufacturers and electrical code rules or end up losing your home or your life the choice is yours.

3 comments:

  1. Energy-saving LED light bulbs use a significantly smaller amount of the power of incandescent lamps for the same light output. But proper installation is of great significance so as for the proper functioning.

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  2. It was nice reading this post, totally agree with you Tracy! keep posting

    Jedlights low voltage track lighting

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  3. Great informative post on LED Lighting. Very useful tips to take care off. Thanks for sharing this useful post with us.
    Commercial Electrical Contractor
    House Rewiring Melbourne

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