Switch wiring help :(
 

So rather than remove my floor boards upstairs I've bought a wireless switch kit.

Nice and simple to install and uses kinetic energy for the switch.

So currently in my socket I have three cables, live, neutral and earth.

One this device I have Live, Neutral and Out ..

I wired live to live, Neutral to Neutral and Out to the earth .. light didn't come on, I press the sync switch and the fuse blew.. ok then so I tried Out to neutral and neutral to earth and the light is on, the receiver is picking up that the switch is asking it to turn off, but nothing and the neutral is sparking against the earth.

Help :(

Earth goes to nothing , lets start with that !

Also , theres no "neutral" at the switch either. Imagine that the switch is just making and braking the power to the light. That's what the 2 "red" wires at the switch are , imagine they are one wire but broke in the middle and you want the switch to make and brake it. That's your "in" and "out" .
Looks like someone has used the wrong cable to wire the switch (should be 2 reds) hence the red sleeve over the black so there is no neutral at the switch. If you need a neutral for the switch to operate your fcuked.

It's not the wrong cable lol. That's why it's sleeved.....

You've probably ****ed the unit too now if you connected it dead short to earth.

It won't work with what you have.

They Should've used twin red , the right cable. Then people like the OP don't think its a neutral and blow stuff up :thumb:

The correct phase is idiots like the OP .. but I understand now how it's wired so that's cool thank you.

whilst I have you :)

I replaced a plug socket and the cabling was too short to reach the new connections. I used 15A connectors (high temp) to extend the wires using socket safe wires and electrical tape to ensure nothing can touch anything else.

That ok? it works

There is no, nor has there ever been a requirement in bs7671 for twin red cables. As long as it is identified you could use any colour cable.

People without electrical experience should not be playing with stuff like that. Then it wouldn't happen anyway. It's nothing to do with using "wrong" cable.

As for the socket, I would be using 32a connectors if it is on a ring main as the total current possible of passing on a 32a cct is 32

In theory each leg takes 16. But that is assuming you aren't on a spur and that the ring is a ring....

Doubt the OP cares about the Regs , hence me calling it the "wrong" cable. Keeping it simple.

I doubt its been blown up tbh, as it had no neutral it wouldn't have switched on, so shouldn't have shorted live to earth imo.

A little knowledge can be dangerous comes to mind.

There is no knowledge :razz:

Well there obviously was a short as it wouldn't have tripped out now would it....

But it's still not "wrong" cable.

:notworthy

Don't claim things if you can't stand been called out on them 😂

my plugs haven't burst into flames .. so I guess I'm good

Typical answer by someone who doesn't understand I'm afraid.

Just because it works doesn't make it right. Just because it hasn't burst into flames right this second doesn't mean it won't....

Just help the guy out without being a dick about it.:thumb:

Yeah I was kinda thinking that .. great I might be wrong .. how about offering some suggestions on how I might become less likely to die?

I've had the tumble drier running on it for 8 hours and nothings happened.

8 hours......fcuk me your jeans will fit barbie :lol1:

CharlySkunkWeed, I called you out on your knowledge of bs7671 and some incorrect advice you gave. It could make someone think they have a problem with their wiring when they don't.

Pimmo I already suggested what to do in a previous post with regards to your sockets.

I am sorry if you don't understand it but honestly, I would leave it well alone. We aren't talking about something that may go up in flames today or tomorrow, but sooner or later the risk of that happening is very real.

If you are unable to verify the continuity of the ring or carry out appropriate diagnosis then the best advice is to leave well alone. As suggested earlier you need to verify the circuit but if you cannot it needs 32a connectors. Also just running the tumble drier on it for 8hrs won't make a difference as it is the total load of the circuit that has an effect. Not just one outlet.

People always think because what they have done to the wiring works, that it must be okay. This is very rarely the case

You need 30amp connectors mate , double up the ends of the wire to fill the connector. The 15amp ones "might" melt after a while in the right (or wrong) conditions. It all seems a bit "worst case scenario" but better not to take the risk , especially if its the Tumble drier and its left running for a while.
That's not exactly what it says in the Regs though :thumb:

Electricity is something that should not be done DIY! You might think you're okay but I would rather pay someone that actually knows what they're doing.

JGlanzaV , i don't even feel like I've been "called out" on saying he had the wrong cable , it's just how I've wired light switches in the 20+ years of being an electrician in Ni. It's just how we do it , that's all. Yes it may say in the regs that as long as its identified it can be any colour but i find it makes more sence to wire the feed in and switched live out in twin cable. I don't claim to know the regs , infact i will even admit that i have very little clue about them but this is all irrelevant to the OPs question so don't know why you felt the need to bring it up in the way you did.
It's not that big a deal considering his original question

Honestly, this. You really don't want to be doing domestic wiring unless you know what you're doing. Connecting the output of a switch to earth really wasn't a good idea. If it had actually worked the result could've been interesting.

I'd have been very worried if it had worked connected like that! Lol!!! Although I have seen fairly recently someone using the earth as a switch live....

That is a seriously scary post coming from someone who goes out and about in the electrical world.

If you know very little about the Regs how do you know your installations comply or are even correct?

Considering that book is the one that keeps the end user alive, and you out of prison, surely it is in your best interest to know it inside out and upside down..... I know I do, because I like been out here in the world....

As for the cable, it's one way of doing things, I wouldn't even say best practice. But it was just adding to the confusion for the guy.

Ok, thank you, will replace today with 30amp.

I'd have thought though, if the socket is getting that hot it would melt the wireless together before it would the block.

Just to make sure we're talking about the same thing, I used the below with a 15amp high temp rating to extend the cables enough to fit the socket, there was no play in the current wiring. I also put a small amount of electrical tape over the joins which are very tight and showing no exposed wiring.

Two kids .. it never stops :(

Is there a reason you cant use a proper junction box ?

Hi Pimmo,

Just to clarify as I think I already know the answer, but have you used 4 of those behind the socket or 2?

I can't imagine it's even possible to get 4 in there and get the socket face back on that's all!

You should be joining each cable individually not pairing them up and using one flying lead. Especially if your using high load equipment like a tumble drier.

The best option for that kind of scenario is use insulated through crimps and extend each cable (both lives and both neutrals) individually. this will give you the room behind the socket to avoid crush damage etc.

I can send you up some through crimps if needed. You'll need to borrow a crimper off someone though

Screwed connections like you have used behind socket faces will result in loose connections due to not having room to move and been been at a radius too tight for the cable etc when you put the socket face back on