Adding light switch from a plug socket ?

Ghost2010 · 17 Oct 2010

Hi need a little help,

I have a plug socket that i want to wire to a light switch that ive just put in next to it to turn on and off my outside security light.

What i need to know is ive now got 2 sets of wires to the light switch and need to know what wires go where on the switch ?

sparkwright · 17 Oct 2010

Firstly, can you add wiring to the plug socket without breaking rules about spurs/rings etc?

How many existing cables at the existing plug socket?
What fuse/mcb protects this socket circuit?

You need to fit a fused spur unit from the socket (if you can meet the above requirements).
You will probably use 2.5 mm or above cable.

You can either fit a switched fused spur unit, which will act as the light switch.

Alternatively, fit an unswitched fused spur unit, THEN an oridinary light switch.

The fused spur unit will need a 3 or 5 amp fuse.

Ghost2010 · 17 Oct 2010

Added pics to let you know what i mean :-

http://img340.imageshack.us/i/dscf3568w.jpg/
http://img843.imageshack.us/i/dscf3569.jpg/

Ghost2010 · 17 Oct 2010

Yea thought as much about putting in a fused spur socket....

sparkwright · 17 Oct 2010

You have wired that switch up wrongly in any case.

In that instance you would connect a brown to either side of the switch. The blues are neutral, and would go into a separate connector block.

But you can't do that in this case.

Get some 2.5 mm twin and earth flat cable to run between the socket and the switch.

Ditch that switch and shallow back box.

Get a deeper switch box and a switched fused spur unit. Fit 3 amp fuse.

The connections on the switched fused spur should be very cleared marked.

Use earth sleeving on the bare earth wires.

How many old cables in the socket?

STI · 17 Oct 2010

Unless my eyes are deceiving me, why do you have flex going to the switch.

Ghost2010 · 17 Oct 2010

yea ill pop to homebase in morning and get a fused box i thought id need one.
There is 2 red 2 black and 2 yellow in the existing plug socket

Ghost2010 · 17 Oct 2010

i have wire from the plug socket to the light switch and another wire to my outside light

STI · 17 Oct 2010

Ghost2010 said:
i have wire from the plug socket to the light switch and another wire to my outside light

If you are answering my question you should really have cable 2,5mm to the switched fuse spur and 1.5mm to the light or light switch then to the light. More concerned you have the correct size of cable/wire than anything else

ban-all-sheds · 18 Oct 2010

Actually I'm more concerned about the fact that the way he wired that switch shows that he doesn't understand the first thing about electricity, circuits, what switches do etc.

Ghost - please stop all attempts to DIY until you actually know what you're doing, or your chosen username might become more apt than you would like.

Trying to do electrical work when you don't genuinely understand what you're doing or why, thinking that it's OK to wire things up by following instructions to put this wire in that hole but not actually knowing why is a recipe for disaster.

ajrobb · 18 Oct 2010

I'm concerned that a light switch is rated at only 10A and should not be connected to a socket. Doesn't an external light need to be notified to local building control? Must it be protected by an RCD?

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Adding light switch from a plug socket ?

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