Light in walk in cupboard

ryetee · 8 Oct 2014

I have got a large walk in cupboard off my living room in a tenement flat. The cupboard has a light switch and a light!! It doesn't work and the reason I'm told, when I had the electrics check, is that it has been disconnected from the plug socket it was wired into. This was because of current regulations the chap said! He said if I wanted to reconnect it he told me what I needed to do. Now as this was months ago it has slipped my memory to what he said.

My memory is that he said I needed a junction box fitted. If my memory is right the between where and where do I put this junction. The plug socket and the switch or the switch and the light itself? Also what amperage should the box be. Is it 5 20 or something else?

If my memory is wrong then do I need a fused something between the plug socket and the switch or the switch and the light itself or can I just get a fused switch??

Thanks in advance....

Taylortwocities · 8 Oct 2014

How is this wired into the "plug socket"?

Actually, there is no such thing.

There is a socket (that's the thing on the wall with the recangular holes in it)
and there is a plug (thats the thing on the end of a wire with pins that go in the holes)

My guess is you need to put a plug on the cable -with a suitable sized fuse -and insert it into the socket.
I have no idea why a junction box is necessary.

Or maybe I have missed something from your description. A diagram or photos might help.

ryetee · 8 Oct 2014

Taylortwocities said:
How is this wired into the "plug socket"?

Actually, there is no such thing.

There is a socket (that's the thing on the wall with the recangular holes in it)
and there is a plug (thats the thing on the end of a wire with pins that go in the holes)

My guess is you need to put a plug on the cable -with a suitable sized fuse -and insert it into the socket.
I have no idea why a junction box is necessary.

Or maybe I have missed something from your description. A diagram or photos might help.

Probably down to my misuse of words. I meant the thing on the wall with the rectangular holes in it. This socket is adjacent to said cupboard and apparently the light was wired up to it. The wiring as I understand again still is in the the socket but has been disconnected. If it were to be reconnected then I have to do something as per 1st post.

Hope that's a bit clearer?

Can't send a photo at mo as not in flat.

Taylortwocities · 8 Oct 2014

OK You cannot connect it directly to the wiring at the back of the socket. You need either a fused connection unit.

See //www.diynot.com/pages/el/el024.php#a0

or, as I said, the cable from the switch could just have a plug on it, with a 3amp fuse, plug that into the socket.

ryetee · 8 Oct 2014

Taylortwocities said:
OK You cannot connect it directly to the wiring at the back of the socket. You need either a fused connection unit.

See //www.diynot.com/pages/el/el024.php#a0

or, as I said, the cable from the switch could just have a plug on it, with a 3amp fuse, plug that into the socket.

Thanks. Plug is a last resort (having to trail it through a door etc etc) - I presume the fused connection unit would bee 3 amps as well?

deadshort · 8 Oct 2014

Hi, you need a bit of 2.5mm twin and earth cable between the socket and your unswitched fuse connection unit> 3a fuse >cable to the lighting in the cupboard. All bare earth wiring must have green and yellow sleeving.

Hope this helps.

DS

ryetee · 13 Oct 2014

BUMP!!!!

OK I have now connected the wires that were in the back of the double socket.
The earth was already connected so I've put the red wire with the othe 2 red wires and the black with the other 2 black.

These lead now to a fused switch. I believe it's a 20amp switch but I've put a 3 amp fuse in it. I've wired it up exactly as the sheet says. The supply live wire is live (tested with an electrician's screwdriver) and the other live wire going to the light is only live when the switch is on. A little red light comes on as well when in the on position albeit not very bright.

Both the contacts in the light socket (if that's what it is called ) are both live (both make my screwdriver glow).

Only problem is when I put a bulb in and switch it on. The bulb doesn't light and the red light on the switch doesn't either. Any ideas to what the problem may be. Both the switch and light socket are new

JohnD · 13 Oct 2014

It sounds like you have put wires in the wrong terminals.

Post photos of the connections in the socket and the FCU and the lamp.

A neon screwdriver is entirely useless.

ban-all-sheds · 13 Oct 2014

ryetee said:
electrician's screwdriver

Throw that away. Neon screwdrivers are questionable from a safety POV as they use your body as a current path, and they are unreliable - to safely check for voltage you must use a 2-pole tester, such as a proper voltage indicator or a multimeter. A multimeter, at least, is an essential tool to have if you want to work on your electrics. It is just as important to have that correct tool as it is to have screwdrivers to use on screws instead of the point of a vegetable knife, wirecutters to use instead of nail scissors, wirestrippers to use instead of teeth, and so on.

Any ideas to what the problem may be.

ryetee · 13 Oct 2014

JohnD said:
It sounds like you have put wires in the wrong terminals.

Post photos of the connections in the socket and the FCU and the lamp.

A neon screwdriver is entirely useless.

OK will do once I get back home...

ryetee · 13 Oct 2014

//www.diynot.com/network/ryetee/albums/22416

Hope this explains what i've done. had to do this in a hurry so will explain further when i get a mo

View media item 83909
View media item 83911
View media item 83912 View media item 83913

ban-all-sheds · 13 Oct 2014

I can only see one terminal clearly(ish) (N Load), and the conductor isn't being gripped properly. Or at all.

ryetee · 13 Oct 2014

ban-all-sheds said:
I can only see one terminal clearly(ish) (N Load), and the conductor isn't being gripped properly. Or at all.

double checked the instruction - all are in right hole and gripped - I tried pulling them out by hand

JohnD · 13 Oct 2014

they are NOT in the right holes.

Turn off the power, take all the wires out of the FCU, place it in good light where you can clearly see the identification moulded into the dark plastic.

If you cannot immediately spot your error, photograph it and we will explain.

ryetee · 13 Oct 2014

JohnD said:
they are NOT in the right holes.

Turn off the power, take all the wires out of the FCU, place it in good light where you can clearly see the identification moulded into the dark plastic.

If you cannot immediately spot your error, photograph it and we will explain.

OK Will do, but I took the supply (from the socket) and put the red supply in the hole that says supply L the black in supply N and then red Load into Load L and black load into LOad N.

Am I getting my supply and load mixed up?

Having googled it I don't think I am.
Not in a position to do anything to the FCU at the mo - will it be ok to leave it until I am?

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Light in walk in cupboard

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