Light switches and EICR

[Mattenstein]

Hi all

Simple query really as to whether this would be flagged up on an EICR and under what category.
The 2-gang light switch on my first floor landing is connected to 2 lighting circuits, thus both of these would need to be turned off at the CU were it to be replaced. I know this is generally avoided these days but I wondered just how big a no-no it was as far as the regs go.

Backstory is my house was rewired in 2014, originally with 1 gang 2-way switches at each end of the first floor landing, one being for the light on said landing which is on the downstairs lighting circuit, the other being for the second floor landing light which is on the upstairs lighting circuit (along with the bedrooms/bathroom). Shortly after the rewire my late father insisted on them being in the same place to avoid to-ing and fro-ing between the switches (or crossing the landing in the dark) on the way to bed, thus they were combined into the one 2 gang switch as described above.

 

[ericmark]

I am trying to understand what you are saying, I think your saying there is a borrowed neutral situation, today we have

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[Taylortwocities]

thus they were combined into the one 2 gang switch as described above.

Having switches from two separate circuits on a single switch plate is the standard situation on most houses (landing hall switch at bottom of stairs).

I don’t understand where there is a problem for you.

It is unlikely that the neutrals are joined at the switch. It is not likely that the neutrals are even at the switch.
Show us a photo of the switch wiring.

 

[ericmark]

There are two possibilities reading what you have said, and I can't quite work out which:-
1) As with my house where in may case a 4 gang switch is fed from two independent supplies three switches work downstairs and one upstairs lights and there is nothing wrong with that, it is normal.
2) A switch in a two gang pair is using the line from the on/off switch to power the two way switch rather than having triple and earth from the other switch in the pair of two way switches, this was common in the 60's and was OK when both the upstairs and downstairs switch came from the same supply, but in the 80's and 90's it was common to split the supply up and down stairs, once the supply was split it became dangerous. Three ways to cure, one combine up and down stairs again, two renew wire between switches, three use radio link.

I am not sure if your asking about 1 or 2?

With my house all circuits are supplied with RCBO's and if 2 was the case they would trip, it is only possible to have a borrowed line when both MCB's are fed from same RCD. Although it is a borrowed line, it's called a borrowed neutral.

 

[winston1]

Hi all

Simple query really as to whether this would be flagged up on an EICR and under what category.
The 2-gang light switch on my first floor landing is connected to 2 lighting circuits, thus both of these would need to be turned off at the CU were it to be replaced. I know this is generally avoided these days but I wondered just how big a no-no it was as far as the regs go.

It is not generally avoided. It is perfect normal and there is no reg against it.

 

[AndyPRK]

As said it's the norm these days.