ADDING 2 NEW LIGHTS IN LOFT

[kevchenko]

LOOKING FOR SOME ADVICE/ CLARIFICATION IF POSSIBLE?

I HAVE RAN ALL CABLES READY TO WIRE IN MY LOFT, IS THE FOLLOWING SET- UP CORRECT?

LIVE FEED FROM EXISTING BEDROOM SWITCH TO NEW SWITCH IN LOFT, NEUTRAL FEED TAKEN FROM SAME SWITCH (NEUTRAL IS IN TERMINAL BLOCK BEHIND SWITCH). CABLE FROM NEW SWITCH TO NEW LIGHT FITTING, CABLE LOOPED FROM LIGHT FITTING TO SECOND FITTING.

IS THIS A CORRECT METHOD?

ARE THERE ANY POTENTIAL RISKS?

ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED!

CHEERS

 

[1john]

That seems correct. Keep continuity of CPC at all accessories.

 

[kevchenko]

THANK MATE! WHAT IS CPC?

 

[cumbriahandyman]

THANK MATE! WHAT IS CPC?

Stop shouting...

Circuit Protective Conductor Earth wire.

 

[kevchenko]

CHEERS AGAIN! SAME TO YOU!

NOT SHOUTING, MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK!

 

[cumbriahandyman]

CHEERS AGAIN! SAME TO YOU!

NOT SHOUTING, MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK!

Pardon

 

[riveralt]

LOOKING FOR SOME ADVICE/ CLARIFICATION IF POSSIBLE?

I HAVE RAN ALL CABLES READY TO WIRE IN MY LOFT, IS THE FOLLOWING SET- UP CORRECT?

LIVE FEED FROM EXISTING BEDROOM SWITCH TO NEW SWITCH IN LOFT, NEUTRAL FEED TAKEN FROM SAME SWITCH (NEUTRAL IS IN TERMINAL BLOCK BEHIND SWITCH). CABLE FROM NEW SWITCH TO NEW LIGHT FITTING, CABLE LOOPED FROM LIGHT FITTING TO SECOND FITTING.

IS THIS A CORRECT METHOD?

ARE THERE ANY POTENTIAL RISKS?

ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED!

CHEERS

Why didn't run the line, neutral and earth loops from a ceiling rose?

If you have run it as you say then have you run the loop in the switch from the Common terminal?

 

[kevchenko]

MY LIGHTS IN ALL ROOMS ARE FROM A JUNCTION BOX, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATELY UNDERNEATH FLOORBOARDS IN LOFT. THIS METHOD WAS TO SAVE ME FROM LIFTING ANY FLOORS!

WOULD MY METHOD I DESCRIBED STILL WORK THOUGH?

ARE THERE ANY TIPS OR BETTER METHODS OF GETTING 2 LIGHTS WITH A SWITCH IN THE LOFT?

ANY ADVICE IS MUCH APPRECIATED!

 

[kevchenko]

SORRY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND RUNNING THE LOOP IN TO COMMON TERMINAL?

I HAVE ONLY RAN THE CABLES TO WHERE I NEED THEM TO BE. NOT DONE ANY WIRING AT ALL.

CHEERS

 

[riveralt]

SORRY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND RUNNING THE LOOP IN TO COMMON TERMINAL?

I HAVE ONLY RAN THE CABLES TO WHERE I NEED THEM TO BE. NOT DONE ANY WIRING AT ALL.

CHEERS

Dealing with the switch you have used to take the circuit up to the loft. If it is a single gang one way switch it will have at least two terminals - they would normally be marked C and L1 - for a single gang two way switch there will an additional terminal L2. For a normal lighting circuit there would be one red/brown cable in C (live) and one black/blue cable in L1 (switched live)

You have described this switch as having a neutral terminal block. Before you added your cables how many sets of red (brown) and black (blue) and earth wires were in the switch?

If the power was already being looped through the switch then before your cables were added it will be something like 1 red/brown cable in C and one red/brown cable in L1 - with the black/blue cables in the neutral block and the earth wires to the terminal in the back box.

You would have to add you live cable (red/brown) to the C terminal and the black/blue to the neutral terminal block - earth to earth. If you haven't done it this way then you have not wired the live loop correctly.

 

[kevchenko]

I WILL BE TAKING THE LIVE FEED FROM THE SWITCH. I DONT KNOW WHICH TERMINAL IT IS IN, BUT I HAVE CHECKED THE RED WIRE AND IT IS PERMANENTLY LIVE, MY BLACK CABLE INTO THE TERMINAL BLOCK AND LIVE WIRED TO THE METAL BACK BOX.

REALLY GETTING CONFUSED!!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

 

[riveralt]

I WILL BE TAKING THE LIVE FEED FROM THE SWITCH. I DONT KNOW WHICH TERMINAL IT IS IN, BUT I HAVE CHECKED THE RED WIRE AND IT IS PERMANENTLY LIVE, MY BLACK CABLE INTO THE TERMINAL BLOCK AND LIVE WIRED TO THE METAL BACK BOX.

REALLY GETTING CONFUSED!!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

Have a look at this page from wiki - you want to particularly look at the section on Using a terminal block inside a light switch as this seems to be what you are trying to do.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:single_way_lighting
If you are still confused take a photograph of what you have inside the light switch and I will try and guide you through it.

 

[kevchenko]

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. I WILL HAVE LOOK AT THE SWIYCH IN ORE DETAIL TOMORROW! THANKS FOR THE LINK

CHEERS

KEV

 

[kevchenko]

hi! i have checked the existing switch and i have 2 cables coming into it, I have 1 red(live) wire going into a 1way terminal(this is permanently live) and another red(live) into com. 2 black(neutral) into chop block. both earths are wired into backing box. with this info can i use this to give me a live feed to new switch, and also live/ neutral to light?

 

[riveralt]

hi! i have checked the existing switch and i have 2 cables coming into it, I have 1 red(live) wire going into a 1way terminal(this is permanently live) and another red(live) into com. 2 black(neutral) into chop block. both earths are wired into backing box. with this info can i use this to give me a live feed to new switch, and also live/ neutral to light?

I should point out that this is not the best way to do what you want to do and if you can you should really try and take the power to the loft switch and lights from the lighting circuit junction box.

It is normal practice to put the permanent live into the com terminal otherwise you will have to have the light switch (and light) on for power to be available in the loft.

You will need to run a T&E cable brown conductor from the com (permanent live) at the switch to the com in the loft switch. The blue cable at the switch should be connected to the neutral terminabl block and the earth to the earth lug. At the loft switch you will need to put a new terminal block for the neutral and a place for the earth.
From then run another cable brown conductor from the loft switch L1 terminal to the loft ceiling rose brown pendant switch live and from here loop another switch live brown to the next ceiling rose. Do the same for netural except run it the neutral terminal at the ceiling rose(s).