neutrals in lighting switches noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
a switched spur is a diferent matter all together
you need to get live neutral earth to the first fitting then take a 2 core to your switch
from your first fitting link your lights horizontal(if someone is going to bang a nail in between two lights so close there stupid)

c+g 236 i thank you

[Edited by care3 - 3/22/2002 8:32:56 PM]

 

OK, having another look at this now.

On further inspection, the current switch has a red wire running to Common, and a red wire to L2. The black wire is attached to nothing - it looked like it was on the casing, but actually just sits there.

I have bought and installed a 2 gang switch, and have bridged the power from both Common terminals. So now, I presume the brown wires from the picture lights go into L1 or L2? What about the blue neutral wires from the new lights?

Do they attach to the redundant black wire?

With regards the chase, i will be using the horiz one, and tracking a new chase up vertically from the switch - agree with care3 on this - there own fault if they hammer nails between wall lights (the lights will only be about 50cm apart).

Wich me luck, and any firefighters around, get ready in Lancs.

DW

 

Correct.Connect it to L1.

Like you have found out the problem you have is the neutral back from the lights.Can you not use the neutral that is in the outside light? i.e. run a black wire back from the outside light`s neutral connection, into the switch where you can connect it to the blue wire from the wall lights?...hence giving you the neutral connection you need.(i take it your running flex inside the wall with the wire been blue?).

Rich.

 

As Care3 says its not the ideal having neutrals in switches, but hey, were not all perfect eh??

And yes, best is to start off with live/neutral/earth at the first fitting, run the live to the switch and a switched live back, then connect the neutral/earth/new switched live to each fitting in turn ( creating a "loop").Again, not always possible.

oh, and DO NOT attach the blue to the redundant black wire, unless you know what it does/goes ( and by the sounds of it you don`t).

Rich.

 

LOL, this is just going to get silly DW the black wire will probably be connected to nothing IMO whomever wired it originally has just used a twin instead of a single for the feed down to the switch. To wire your light's you can do it 2 ways as preciously said i'm sure. 1) off a socket wire a fused spur next to this, then run a 1.5 ml wire twin and earth to your switch, thus being your feed. Then off to your lights. 2) Upstairs get the boards up and wire a feed down. No. 1 is the best way providing theres a socket in close prox.

Now I live in manchester DW if your here no problem, however I suspect your not. My price would be just for the wiring dude as my plastering skills leave alot to be desired. I know you lot down london are on mega money, but as it's would be a foreigner and take about a hour £50 would do me as i'd nick the gear from my stock anyway.

Good luck DW. I could try and draw you a diagram though me thinks it would be terrible looking and a tad hard to decifer.

 

3 core mister, your forgeting the earth.(16th edition reg)
Having a C&G 236 means nothing I have done this and it's mostly theory i had guys on my course who couldnt wire a 2 way light.

Crypt.
C@G 236 part 1 and 2
16th edition regs cirt
Inspection and testing cirt
Electronic part 1
10 years experience
C certificate was in progress but i'm soooo board with that.

I thank you, but i'm not one to show off.

 

You got to have both parts one and two to be an electrician anyway, so whats the big deal?.... and by the ten years experience your saying your about 29 yrs old?

Rich.
(11 yrs experience, but so what.)

 

Rich, you don't have to have any qualifications to be a spark, my old fella don't. Theres nothing better than experience.

Whats up with the age? does that make me less clued up than you?

Muppet.

 

Not at all.

Just made me laugh when you come out with....

....then go on to list your qualifications, when you`ve just sating in the sentence before they mean jack.

Then in the above post you state again that qualifications mean nothing as your old fella hasnt got any.

Rich(the muppet).

 

Sort your spooling out.

Rick i was simply being sarcastic as some other dude listed qualifications on his post it's innocent banter.

They do mean jack to me i passed mine years ago and have never used them.

Conversation over.

 

Pleased to see we agree eye to eye on one thing then, if not the sarcasm and insults (no-doubt lighthearted though)

Like you say, conversation over, this is taking far too much room up on DW`s thread.Hope you get it sorted m8!


Rich.

 

Thanks everyone, and you two stop arguing

Crypt - near Burnley, but I should be able to find someone to do it locally - thanks anyway.

I have given up on the switch now - I tried every combination of lighting and wiring (including the blue to the redundant black - oops) but nothing works.

I am now thinking the switch simply sits on the live wire to the outside light, and the neutral is fed back from the light independant of the switch.

I will tell you all when it is sorted.

DW

 

hmm i only stated i was qualified so weaver might think i knew what i was talking about
im glad you think my apprentieship was a waste of time
i bow down to your greater knowledge (ha)
fapping house bashers


[Edited by care3 - 3/25/2002 4:13:23 PM]

 

RichiW

You wouldnt happen to know someone called martin that works at a certain bike shop would you??

David

 

David, i know Martin extremely well

Left him lying in my wake plenty of times *cough*NOT!*cough*

I take it you know him too???

Rich

 

Tell him he`s lucky we never went out together last year, i`d have wh00ped his butt big time! - - - - - > http://www.clanvortex.co.uk/members/agento.htm

Rich

 

ooer, ignore the last piccy, its up there for a bet


Rich.

 

I thought that if you wired 'em in series, you'd spread the 240V through your 3 lights (in this case)... thus making them look dull.....

Might be wrong, but thought I'd mention it anyway.....

Best of luck - I've got to TOTALLY rewire my house this summer..... old rubber cable etc.....

Regards,

Dan

 

Dan, we are`nt wiring the lights in series, we are wiring them ( or trying to get DW to ) in parallel.

Rich.

 

Going for a new option now. Decided the wire in the switch is not live

Therefore will run a live feed into another switch at the other side of the kitchen. The wire to the lights can then be run down to the floor, along, then up to the lights, meaning all wiring will be vertical

It makes sense to me

I was in the shower this morning, and all the elec went off, including lights and shower. Bollocks I thought, there goes my dodgy wiring. However, the battery powered radio went off during this period, and house alarms started going off outside. I presume this must have been some sort of spike/electromagnetic thing outside.

Hope so anyway

DW

 

either that or your wiring is really really dodgy. Takes a big effort to fuse the neighbours house as well.

Can I make 1 further suggestion? Buy an electrical tester. cost about 50p and save endless hours of hassle

 

ooer, sounds dodgy!!!

Can i ask where your getting the neutral from, or dont i want to know??


Rich.

 

ahhhh - the murky haze is lifted.....




Dan

 

You his neighbour then Dan??


Rich

 

I know his employers better than I know him, but he knows my sister very well...

David