DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi The Mrs just bought a couple of wall lights from Ikea but are plugged at the end. Could/should I be able to cut off the plugs off and hard wire the lamps ? I just want to connect them to a spur from the light ceiling rose.
Hope this makes sense.
Cheers

If these lights are 240volt then there is no problem cutting plugs off the end of the cables and wiring them into lighting circuit as long as suitable connection unit is used.(Plugs are probably standard fit in Sweden)

But lights might be ELV(extra low voltage) and plugs may be designed to fit transformer which should have been bought with light fittings that "the Mrs" didnt get.

Check instructions or phone Ikea to check

Thanks for your helpful reply. Just one other thing if I may. Would I need to earth the wall light from the spur. The spur has earth but the lamp cord doesn't.
Many thanks

Using plugs for lights and wall sockets is one way used to pre-wire without fitting the light it's self.
4 types of plugs are common
1) Proper lighting plug three or four pin depending on if emergency connection is provided made mainly by Click rated 6 amp either oblong or round base and really designed as plug in ceiling rose.
2) More common 5 amp round 3 pin socket.
3) Similar to above but 2 amp version problem is somewhere it will need a fuse to reduce from 5/6 amp to 2 amp.
4) Clock connection unit these have 1 amp fuse built into plug but normally no earth connection.
The main problem is cables in a wall require some indication they exist and some way to terminate and make safe I originally used Click sockets in my bedroom on standard conduit boxes. Now I have some small lamps which have exactly same screw spacing so replaced the sockets. If I remove then either the click sockets will go back or some conduit box lids and a small connection block.
To stick wires out of the wall without some backing box is likely to cause problems if ever the lights are damaged even if you only want to temporary remove the lights.
Using a 13 amp outlet is not very good as someone will at some time plug in something else.
Mind you my Gran would plug iron into light socket I still have the B22d to 5 amp 2 pin adaptor she used but at that time (1956) there were only 2 sockets in the house one in hall and one on landing.
British rules on all electrical appliances should be provided with 13 amp plugs may have resulted in 13 amp plugs being fitted to ensure they do not fall foul of the law but permanently fixed items like built in hobs and ovens etc. should not really be required to have 13 amp plug.
As singer says there are also extra low voltage lamps often now provided with plugs to allow fitting into kitchens without Part P.
Where units are pre-wired and only require plugging in you do not have to report to council and pay the £115 fee. So now units are made pre-wired and Ikea may be using this loop hole. In most cases these will be special plugs and not standard 13 amp type.
A good clue is voltage on bulb.