Adding a loft light.

[Chuzal]

Hoping you guys can shed some light!!

I have had light in my loft for a fair amount of time now, but it consists of a pendent and a 3 pin plug.

I am now looking to make a more permanent fixture.

I have been up in the loft to find a permanent feed at the nearest two ceiling roses, but cant find one. The next nearest source is the landing light switch but this a 2-way switch from the hall light by the front door. The switches appears to have a permanent feed when I test it.

Is it possible to take a feed from this switch?

I have drawn a picture of the rear of the landing light switch and the cables that are in place at the moment.

I know that i can drop a second cable down the wall to the switch as I have already done it.

The 2 way light switch wiring has confused me with the way its wired up and the switch says '1way' on the rear, so this is the reason for the question before delving into it

I am hoping that I will be able to change the 1 gang 2way switch for a 2 gang 2 way switch.

Which cable will I need to make the loop from and where will my new brown and blue cables go.

Thank you

 

[leeco]

Maybe your lights are looped into the light fittings and you might find a feed from one of them.

 

[wingcoax]

Firstly, the drawing shows a two/way switch. Most 2 way are marked somewhere as 1 way for when used as such. You will need to take the perm live/neutral and earth via the extra cable to the loft and run the live through a new switch up there, or use the extra gang on a 2 gang on the landing.

 

[deadshort]

Hi, if your permanent live is Com on your switch it appears to come down from the loft, can you not trace it the loft ? Or do you have a bathroom extractor fan you can loop of the perm feed?


Regards,

DS

 

[Chuzal]

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

Leeco......I can only get to two roses easily, the others are under the floorboards.

Wingcoax.....yeh, was hoping to change the switch from 1gang to a 2gang switch, if possible.

Deadshot.....from testing, the permanent feed is the red wire, top right in the pic (would be L2).

Do I take the feed/loop from L2 into a new COM, new blue cable into the block connector with the old blacks and the new brown cable into the new L1?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I can only get to two roses easily

Is there a permanent live at either of them?

 

[Chuzal]

No.

The permanent feed that I can find in the loft is from the small bedroom pendant, but this is under the loft flooring.

I was hoping to take a feed from the switch if possible, save me lifting the floor.

 

[Chuzal]

So can anyone tell me if I can take the permanent feed from the 1gang switch to power the loft light via a 2gang switch, before I pull up the loft flooring?

Thank you

 

[leeco]

If you have a neutral in the switch then I don't see why not.

 

[diyer56]

Does another switch operate the same landing light?

The reason I ask is that it may be that the black cable is not a neutral but the permanent live to your landing light. The red L2 cable is testing as permanent live due to the position of the downstairs switch.

My assumption is:

Cable at top of picture:
Red: switched live to landing light
Black: permanent live

Cable at bottom left:
Reds: Links from L1 and L2 on downstairs two way switch

Cable at bottom right:
Black: Link from COM of downstairs switch.

If this is the case you would need to find another feed for your loft light.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No point guessing.

Normal rules apply - there is no substitute for understanding how light switches and circuits are wired and work, and using multimeter to help identify all the conductors.