double pole shower switch

[kidscatschoc]

Hi, l have just purchased a replacement double pole ceiling switch for my power shower. The original one had two earth connections (there are two pairs of two wires =4 wires protruding from ceiling) but the replacement one only has one earth connection. Any ideas what I do with the 'extra' wires. I am a competent diy-er but prefer to stick with basic electrics exchanging like-for-like, so please don't get too technical with your answers

 

[riveralt]

Just connect the two sleeved earth wires to the one earth terminal.
For your two remaining pairs - incoming (from the Consumer Unit - fuse box) red/brown(L) or black/blue (N) go to supply side (normally marked supply side or IN ) and the other two go to the Load side (OUT) L and N.

 

[kidscatschoc]

Thanks but I obviously wasn't clear enough in my original post. There are a total of 4 yellow/green sheathed wires, 2 black wires and 2 red wires making 8 wires in total which were originally connected to 6 connections. The new switch only has 5 holes/connections so it appears I have 2 earth wires too many lol. It's those I don't know what to do with!

 

[securespark]

Well, they all need connecting to the earth terminal. So you either need to make them fit (is there room/ are they long enough / is there slack cable?) or you need another switch that does have two earth terminals. Please provide a picture of the switch you are using as I find it strange a 45A DP switch only has one ET.

When you say power shower, do you mean it is fed by H&C water and just has a pump, or does it have a square switch like this:

http://www.fruugo.co.uk/45a-double-...6?utm_source=google&utm_medium=product+search

Or neither?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Please learn more about electrics before fiddling with them.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:supplementary-equipotential-bonding
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  

 

[riveralt]

Thanks but I obviously wasn't clear enough in my original post. There are a total of 4 yellow/green sheathed wires, 2 black wires and 2 red wires making 8 wires in total which were originally connected to 6 connections. The new switch only has 5 holes/connections so it appears I have 2 earth wires too many lol. It's those I don't know what to do with!

It is possible that the additional two earth wires are part of the supplementary bonding in which case they should still be put in the earth terminal - you should be able to fit four in there.
The problem is that it is difficult to determine exactly what you are saying

Are you saying that you have two Twin and Earth cables (grey sheath red/black/earth - each earth will be have a removable sleeve placed on it) and two separate fully sleeved earth wires?

Photographs would help.

 

[sparkwright]

You may need to get a connector block and a short piece of earth wire the same size as the earth wires, and join the earth wires that way.

You need to make sure the earth terminal on the shower switch is connected to earth, you can't use just the connector block.

 

[Gutterball]

a photo would help

 

[sparkwright]

Have you no imagination?