wiring a light switch

[abalone]

i want to wire a light switch for six 50 watt downlighters. The cable from the fuse box will only be used for this purpose. I am not sure how to wire the light switch. Am i right in having the cable going from the fuse box to the lightswitch and then a cable going from the lightswitch to the lights (the downlighters in series)? The cable has a brown, blue and bare earth wire. So there are 6 wires in all that go into the light switch. The light switch has a hole for common and a hole saying one-way. Where does each wire go?

 

[sparkythespark]

What you need is a double pole isolating switch. not a one way which you have described. Im assuming the fuse supplying the circuit is a 6amp straight from the consumer unit. if not you need a double pole switched fuse spur. make sure the back box is at least 20mm and not a plasterdepth box. good luck.

 

[securespark]

No disrespect, but this seems a very amateurish method - 7 twin & earths in one one-gang back box is very busy!

What size cable and protective device are you using? What type of device is it?

Are these light fittings in a bathroom - do they need to be IP rated?

Do you want to switch all of these lights on together?

Have you access to the void above?

 

[sparkythespark]

ie. have you two cables in the box or six i thought you meant cores two brown two blue and two GRN and yellow.

 

[abalone]

thanks sparky the spark

Thanks for your comments securespark. the cable is 1.5mm. What do you mean by protective device? What is an IP rating. the lights are in a bathroom and i do want them all turned on at the same time? What would be a less amatuerish method of doing it?

 

[abalone]

yes i meant two cables with two brown, two blues and two earths sparky

 

[securespark]

Sorry, my mistake.

The protective device is the MCB or fuse to which the lights are wired. What type and size is it?

Ip rating is protection against ingress of (in this case) water.

What zone are the light fittings in? If they are in a particular zone in the bathroom, they will need a minimum IP rating.

 

[abalone]

the cable for the lights has it's own 6 amp circuit beaker in the fuse box. This was connected by an electrician. The light switch is over 2 metres away from the bath, basin and toilet

 

[abalone]

what amp should the double pole isolating switch be ?

 

[sparkythespark]

This job comes under the new part P of the building regs. Get a qualified electrician in and he will do it correctly you can not have a switch int the bathroom. this is not a job for an amateur. There are zones in a bathroom also which will require different lights than you have by the sounds of it. Part P is like the equivalent to Corgi for Gas.

 

[securespark]

Not strictly true!

You can have a plateswitch in zone 3...

But why would you want to?

And you still need to address the potential need for IP rated fittings.

BTW, why should the switch be DP? And what rating do you think it needs to be, given that the circuit is protected by a 6A MCB?

 

[Softus]

Part P is like the equivalent to Corgi for Gas.

At the risk of appearing pedantic, I don't think they're equivalent.

BRegs Part P is predominantly about notification, which is required for certain work, regardless of (a) who carries out that work and (b) on whose behalf that work is carried out.

On the other hand, CORGI registration is all about control of who can legally work on the gas parts of gas appliances on behalf of others. Gas boiler installations certainly require notification, but ANY gas work for which a contractor is engaged, plus work on tenanted properties, is not permitted unless the contractor is a CORGI registered operative. There is no equivalent of this for electrical work. Yet.

 

[abalone]

i fitted a double pole light switch today and the 6 downlighters all work very nicely. The light switch and all but 2 of the lights are in zone three. two of the lights are 15cm away from the bath and 2metres above.