Loft lighting HELP!!!

[kai16181]

Hi there I wonder if you can help I am trying to resolve a lighting problem in my loft.

We have a master switch on the landing that controlled originally one light in the loft.

Now as I am boarding the loft we have three separate sections and I want to provide separate lighting to each area and controlled from a 3 position master switch in the common area by the loft hatch. I am quite happy to leave a master switch on the landing as master overide to turn all lights off if this is possible?

I want the 3x switch on a single faceplate to be able to control the 3 light fittings I have in place in each partition of the loft area.

The 3x switch on the single facepate has positions for L1, L2 and COM. Whilst reading around some websites they make little sense of this and how it would work for me in this situation.

Can anyone help me in this scenario?

[breezer]

help your self, look in stick for referance or the wiki.

it shows how it should be done

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[kai16181]

What does look in stick for reference mean?

wiki I am familiar with and will take a look

[breezer]

note my signatyre, i can not spell, it should say sticky for referance

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[kai16181]

still no clearer, what is sticky? have tried "conducting a google search" as is now the legal term, but no joy. please help.

Kai

[breezer]

use your eyes and look for Sticky and the wiki i mention is this forum's wiki

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[kai16181]

still no clearer, how much have you had to drink?

can anyone help with my problem?

[breezer]

I do not drink (despite my user name) since you can not figure it out from the information supplied, what chance do you suppose you have of doing the actual job if you can not even find the help you need, after it has been pointed out to you.

I suggest you call an electrician

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[kai16181]

With all due respect, you are no clear on what Sticky is, sounds stinky to me lol..

Kai.

Come on I'm more than happy to put the effort in but the description you have given is not helping me

[breezer]

well choose the other option then since you can not see stick for referance.

use the forum wiki

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[Steve]

At the top and bottom of the blue bit in the middle of this explorer window (where posts appear), it says "DIYnot.com Forum Index > Electrics UK"

CLICK "electrics UK"

At the top of the blue bit there, where the topics appear, you will note there is a sticky topic named "for reference". It contains all manner of useful diagrams, descriptions and help.

[marshon]

kai16181 wrote:

Hi there I wonder if you can help I am trying to resolve a lighting problem in my loft. We have a master switch on the landing that controlled originally one light in the loft. Now as I am boarding the loft we have three separate sections and I want to provide separate lighting to each area and controlled from a 3 position master switch in the common area by the loft hatch. I am quite happy to leave a master switch on the landing as master overide to turn all lights off if this is possible? I want the 3x switch on a single faceplate to be able to control the 3 light fittings I have in place in each partition of the loft area. The 3x switch on the single facepate has positions for L1, L2 and COM. Whilst reading around some websites they make little sense of this and how it would work for me in this situation. Can anyone help me in this scenario?

What you want to do is possible, but I doubt that using the existing switch as a master overrride would meet with Part P regs. Anyway, using the junction box method, find the old loft light fitting. This will act as the main supply switched from the old landing point.

You will need 6 four terminal junction boxes. Either use the 5A or 20A rated type. Join a junction box into the main feed, this will be the power take off for the first light/switch, run cable to the second junction box for the second power take off for light No 2 etc. These junction boxes should be straight wired (e.g. live to live neutral to neutral earth to earth) leaving one terminal unused. From each power feed junction box wire in a cable to provide power to the switch. From the main feed boxes take the live, neutral and earth to the switch feed boxes. From the switch feed boxes take a cable to the light fitting and a second cable to your 3 gang switch at the loft opening (you need one cable to the switch for each light). Wire the switch feed junction boxes as follows: Incoming live to switch feed live, incoming neutral to light fitting neutral, incoming earth to all earths. Wire the return neutral from the switch cable to the light fitting live and flag the switch neutral as live (either use tape or use twin live switch cable).

At the switch end ignore L2, wire the live feed to L1 and the neutral (twin live) cable to Com. Remember to flag the neutral cable as live using tape or twin live cable.

This will give independant switching of all lights from the loft point or all override from the landing. This is not set up as two way switching, you simply have a switch in the mains feed. Remember that even if you switch off at the landing, cutting the live feed, you should isolate at the mains before carrying out any work.

Marshon