wall light with pull cord switch - change of light

i have a wall light with its own pull cord which functions ok.
i would like to remove the wall light and use the existing cabling( a spur
maybe )....
to connect to a mains halogen ( 4 bulb unit) on to a ceiling beam.
i would like to insert a switch between the halogen unit and whatever connection that i would make to the cable/spur coming from the wall.
Is this safe. thanks.

I dont fully understand. Yes, it is feasible to put a ceiling light in. Are you going to rip the wire out up to the ceiling? As it is no longer needed here, this is the neatest option. You dont have spurs on lighting circuits. Dont know why you mentioned this here.

And you say the existing switch functions ok. And you want another switch?

All electrical work is safe if done ok.

And this should have been posted in electrics uk.

And (brackets) always go like that, with the spaces outside, not inside. Really winds me up that!

bertram said:

i have a wall light with its own pull cord which functions ok.
i would like to remove the wall light and use the existing cabling( a spur
maybe )....
to connect to a mains halogen ( 4 bulb unit) on to a ceiling beam.
i would like to insert a switch between the halogen unit and whatever connection that i would make to the cable/spur coming from the wall.
Is this safe. thanks.

Click to expand...

Apologies about the brackets - did not realise you put a great store on
that sort of thing.
OK.
1) the wall light feed/cable seems to be taken from below and that makes me think it is from a wall mounted switch socket that is
directly below it.
i am worried that the wall light might be on a ring main and not a lighting circuit.
2) the wall light has an integral 'pull cord switch' and all this will be discarded with when i remove the wall light.
3) my aim is then to connect the ceiling mounted mains halogen
light cable to the previosly disconnected feed to the wall light. It would have a bog standard wall switch somewhere along that connection.
Any cabling will be hidden.
My question really is do wall lights with integral pull cord switches
require different wiring other than just wiring up a connector?
Happy days...

they have the same wiring. What is the light wired into at the moment? a FCU? (switch with fuse next to it, or just a fuse, on a white plate) (good) or does it go straight into the back of a socket? (V bad)

If its on an FCU, you will be ok. You need a plain light switch, tap into the cable at a convenient point, and wire the switch between the 2 live conductors, putting the neutrals into a terminal block and the earths into the backbox earth lug.

Now, how to extend the cable to the new light? Best bet for DIY is to use a blanking plate and put the connections behind that. Then run the new wire up to the new position, following cable zones (horizontal or vertical from blanking plate) if its hidden in plaster.

If theres any of this you dont understand, condsider getting a spark in. If you still feel confident, feel free to ask us more.

Thanks for the reply.
The light wiring must go directly to the back of the switched socket, the wiring is hidden behind a very old timber wall beam, when I remove the light I can see the wiring dropping down towards the switched socket.
Unfortunately the beam is about a foot thick and is partly within the
wall.
The socket is mounted near the base of the beam.
There are no fused white plates or FCUs.
Could I install either fused plate or fcu between the socket and
the new light switch, always assuming that I can get to the wiring
behind the beam?


Noted your comments on the new light connection.

right, instead of having a lightswitch, you could have the FCU instead, halfway up the wall. The cable from the socket to the FCU will need to be 2.5mm² twin and earth, and the cable from there to the light can be 1.0mm² FCU is wired differently to a lightswitch. The neutrals are used here, so you have live in and live out, neutral in and neutral out. And install a 3A fuse in the FCU. Dont forget to connect all the earths throughout.

This is an FCU, in case you were wondering.

Ok.
Thanks for all the advice and your time.