Add a 2nd light to a current 1 gang switch

[iab026]

Sorry I am a newbie so please be gentle.

I have an existing 1 gang switch to a ceiling rose light in the bedroom and I would like to add a wall light. I have changed the 1 gang switch to a 2 gang switch and run the cable from the new wall light back to the switch but I am unsure how to wire up the new wall light at the switch.

At present the ceiling light is wired as per C and L2, I have seen in some reading that I could loop but I don’t really know what this means, can anyone help with Lehman’s instructions?

Much appreciated

 

[EFLImpudence]

It is unlikely you will be able to do it this way as there is normally no Neutral wire at switches.
Do you have blue or black wires joined in a connector in the back box? You may be lucky.
Likely you will have to run another cable from existing light to the new light.

See here for wiring diagrams -
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37582

Also, there are numerous similar threads.

Have you installed the cable so that it is horizontal or vertical to fixtures i.e. the switch and the light.

 

[iab026]

I have 2 wires both red so not sure if they are both live or neutral etc.

When you say run a cable from existing light to new light, could you elaborate a little more as this won’t be too much of a problem as i could do that in the loft, as long as i don’t have to run another cable to the switch as the conduit is rather a tight fit.

The cables from the switch run vertical downwards to the floorboards, under the boards and up the wall in conduit to the loft and in a connector box branch out to the various ceiling lights etc.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The switch only had one cable running to it, which means there's no neutral there, so you cannot get another light to work just from the switch, you'll need to take a neutral to it.

If you look at the first drawing here: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting-circuit-layouts it shows how a traditional lighting circuit works, building up in stages.

You should also read all of the lighting articles. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting, because you really need to acquire a genuine understanding of how lighting circuits are wired.

You're going to need a switch cable anyway, so what you've done isn't wasted, but you need to take the lighting circuit, or loop, to the wall lights, and take the switch cable from there. Or more likely, take the loop and switch cable to a junction box near the wall light, as they tend not to have enough terminals and/or space for loop cables as well.

 

[iab026]

Thanks for the reply and the links.

I think I am a little clearer,

So if I run a cable from a pre existing light, such as the nearest ceiling light to the new wall lights (thus now having 2 cables present), one will be the switch and one will be the supply/lighting circuit/loop.

I can then connect them in a junction box near the wall lights.

 

[EFLImpudence]

one will be the switch and one will be the supply/lighting circuit/loop.

Yes.

I can then connect them in a junction box near the wall lights.

Yes, - in the loft? Wire the JB like the roses in the diagrams.

 

[iab026]

Great i will give it a go, thanks very much for your help and the diagrams/links

 

[riveralt]

Great i will give it a go, thanks very much for your help and the diagrams/links

Hang on there, the way you describe it - will not work - unless you are contemplating having the bedroom ceiling rose and wall lights operated by the same single gang switch.

So if I run a cable from a pre existing light, such as the nearest ceiling light to the new wall lights (thus now having 2 cables present), one will be the switch and one will be the supply/lighting circuit/loop.

I can then connect them in a junction box near the wall lights.

There are several ways of doing this..
In the loft you will need.
One additional T&E cable (1) to the wall switch.
One additional T&E cable (2) to the wall light.
One additional T&E cable (3) to the 4 way junction box.

Site the JB in an accessible place in the loft - designate one terminal to be live, one to be neutral, one to be earth and one to be switch live..

Run cable (3) from the power source (ceiling rose) taking live, neutral and earth to their respective terminals at the jb.
At the jb take cable(2) and connect the brown conductor to the live terminal and the blue conductor to the switch live (blue conductor should have brown sleeve on)

At the wall switch - connect the brown conductor to the C terminal and the blue conductor (with brown sleeving) to the L1 terminal.

Back in the loft take cable(1) connect the brown conductor to the switch live terminal of the jb and the blue conductor to the neutral.

At the wall light brown conductor to live and blue conductor to neutral.
Remember where appropriate earth continuity should be maintained and ensure the circuit is dead before commencing work.

 

[iab026]

One additional T&E cable (1) to the wall switch.
One additional T&E cable (2) to the wall light.
One additional T&E cable (3) to the 4 way junction box.

Just to clarify, when you say 'additional', do you mean in addition to the cable i have already ran from the switch to the light,

i.e

2 cables from wall switch to JB
1 cable from JB to wall light
1 cable from power source (ceiling rose)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you look at the first drawing here: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting-circuit-layouts it shows how a traditional lighting circuit works, building up in stages.

You should also read all of the lighting articles. //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting, because you really need to acquire a genuine understanding of how lighting circuits are wired.

 

[riveralt]

One additional T&E cable (1) to the wall switch.
One additional T&E cable (2) to the wall light.
One additional T&E cable (3) to the 4 way junction box.

Just to clarify, when you say 'additional', do you mean in addition to the cable i have already ran from the switch to the light,

i.e

2 cables from wall switch to JB
1 cable from JB to wall light
1 cable from power source (ceiling rose)

As BAS has indicated understanding what you are doing by examining wiki etc would help greatly.
My reading of your current state is that you have a single gang switch that operates a ceiling rose. A single cable is at the switch and this provides a live and switch live and earth.
You have installed a double gang switch and wish the second gang to operate the wall lights independently of the ceiling rose.
I have re-read your first post and note that you have indeed run a second cable from the your wall light to the new switch.
So in this case you already have the additional cable to the switch.

 

[iab026]

Thanks guys, the wiki's, the diagrams, links and replies were so helpful and I have installed the lights and it all works.

Thanks again.