light switch wiring question from newbie

Clank · 20 May 2005

Hi,
I have just put up an new 4 bulb spotlight in the kitchen. This I thought would be the tricky bit, however it went up ok and worked with the existing 2 buttoned light switch. One button for spotlight and one for side light by bread bin.
However, i then tried replacing the existing light switch with a decor one from do it all. Stupidly i didnt take note of where the various cables plugged in.
On looking at the new switch it has 2 gangs who's diagrams involve a neutral cable. But the neutral cable is safely tucked away inside its own protective cover inside the wall and wasnt used previously.
I find this very confusing and am scared of blowing all my electrics by connecting it back without a neutral.
Can anyone give me any advice on what to do or a web link which may help me please?
Cheers,
Clank

andy · 20 May 2005

Clank said:
Hi,
I have just put up an new 4 bulb spotlight in the kitchen. This I thought would be the tricky bit, however it went up ok and worked with the existing 2 buttoned light switch. One button for spotlight and one for side light by bread bin.
However, i then tried replacing the existing light switch with a decor one from do it all. Stupidly i didnt take note of where the various cables plugged in.
On looking at the new switch it has 2 gangs who's diagrams involve a neutral cable. But the neutral cable is safely tucked away inside its own protective cover inside the wall and wasnt used previously.
I find this very confusing and am scared of blowing all my electrics by connecting it back without a neutral.
Can anyone give me any advice on what to do or a web link which may help me please?
Cheers,
Clank

a switch doesnt have a neutral. what you prob have is 2 T+E's. 1 has a perm live from the light and a switched live to the light. the other T+E will have the black either hidden or cut away (since its not needed), and the red is the switched live from the other part of the switch. there should be a wire linkin the common on both parts of the switch

ban-all-sheds · 20 May 2005

Clank said:
Can anyone give me any advice on what to do or a web link which may help me please?

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7553

fireman22 · 20 May 2005

hi, if you cant sort it out from link, let us know what cables are coming into switch and we should be able to advise you

Clank · 25 May 2005

Hi,
Thanks to all for your help, managed to sort it out with your advice.

Quick q tho. I was talking to my old man and he told me that he'd heard of a new European directive that has come into force this month which makes all work with domestic electrics illegal unless you are a qualified electrician.
Is he right as am a bit worried if he is, or is he having an old git moment?
Simon

ban-all-sheds · 25 May 2005

1) It is not a European Directive - this is madness which our legislators have dreamed up entirely unaided.

2) It came into force on Jan 1st, not this month.

3) It doesn't actually make electrical work by unqualified people illegal, but it does impose a number of constraints on what you can do where, and how, and with what degree of official notification etc.

4) The official stuff:

a - the relevant amendment to the Building Regulations: http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si2004/20043210.htm

b - links to the rest of the parts of the Building Regulations: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/documents/page/odpm_breg_600270.hcsp

c - The ODPM Guidance Document: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/documents/page/odpm_breg_033485.pdf

d - The ODPM Electrical Safety page: http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/odpm_buildreg/documents/divisionhomepage/br0054.hcsp

5) Other places for info, arguments, and lot of contradictory views, but the more you read the better feel you will get for it:

http://www.screwfix.com/talk/forum.jspa?forumID=23

http://www.iee.org/Forums/forum/index.cfm

http://81.153.42.93/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Diy

you can search those fora for Part P, which unfortunately you cannot do here because of the useless search facility. Don't believe everything you read at first, lots of people get things wrong, either out of ignorance or because they want to deliberately mislead you.

6) My unofficial this-is-your-position-in-a-nutshell:

This was "notifiable" work. Legally you should have:

either submitted a Building Notice to your LABC in advance, just like you would for any other type of work which came under the Building Regs

or have had the work done by an electrician who is able to self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations.

towman · 25 May 2005

ban-all-sheds said:
1
6) My unofficial this-is-your-position-in-a-nutshell:

This was "notifiable" work. Legally you should have:

either submitted a Building Notice to your LABC in advance, just like you would for any other type of work which came under the Building Regs

or have had the work done by an electrician who is able to self-certify compliance with the Building Regulations.

Why? He's only REPLACED the fitting - not added to the circuit. My understanding , from the various "approved" bodies checklists was that that didn't count, even if it was in a "special location" ?

ban-all-sheds · 25 May 2005

My mistake

I read it as he'd added a new light

It's OK Clank, you can some out of hiding and turn the lights on - nobody is coming to get you.

Actually, it's almost certain that nobody would have come to get you if you had been adding a light, not just replacing, but that's another matter..

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light switch wiring question from newbie

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