Quick question

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Fellow DIYnotters,

Let’s say in an installation where the colours aren't entirely unmixed would you not be wrong to avoid sleeving an otherwise unsleeved switched black with something other than red or would brown not be the less correcvt choice?
 
Nice riddle....

I'd use brown as I haven't got red.
 
Let’s say in an installation where the colours aren't entirely unmixed would you not be wrong to avoid sleeving an otherwise unsleeved switched black with something other than red or would brown not be the less correcvt choice?
Whatever that means after the negatives are sorted.

I think the answer is that it doesn't matter which colour - red or brown - you sleeve the switched black; the cables only have to be 'identified'.

I have argued before that if all the conductors connected to the switch are line conductors - no neutral parking - then all the conductors must be line therefore need not be identified further.
 
Whatever that means after the negatives are sorted.
It is a little on the 'unclear' side :-)
I think the answer is that it doesn't matter which colour - red or brown - you sleeve the switched black; the cables only have to be 'identified'.
I agree.
I have argued before that if all the conductors connected to the switch are line conductors - no neutral parking - then all the conductors must be line therefore need not be identified further.
I would also be inclined to agree. It's certainly the case that any conductors connected to 'active' terminals of a switch must be ('potentially) L ones - and hence, as you say, do not really need any further 'identification'. I suppose the only uncertainty (in some people's minds) would exist if there was a 'neutral parking' terminal on the switch - but I'm not sure whether such animals exist?
 
I suppose the only uncertainty (in some people's minds) would exist if there was a 'neutral parking' terminal on the switch - but I'm not sure whether such animals exist?
The (recently discontinued) "schnider lisse" range of switches came with a loop terminal (or sometimes multiple loop terminals) to park your neutrals in. Not sure if any ranges still in production do.
 
The (recently discontinued) "schnider lisse" range of switches came with a loop terminal (or sometimes multiple loop terminals) to park your neutrals in. Not sure if any ranges still in production do.
Thanks, and fair enough. As I said, I don't think I've personally ever seen a socket switch with a 'loop' terminal.
 
Last edited:
Sorry I thought I read a loop in a socket...silly me :oops: :mrgreen:
 
Whatever that means after the negatives are sorted.

I think the answer is that it doesn't matter which colour - red or brown - you sleeve the switched black; the cables only have to be 'identified'.

I have argued before that if all the conductors connected to the switch are line conductors - no neutral parking - then all the conductors must be line therefore need not be identified further.
Although I agree with you it would be wrong. Although it wasn't that long ago it would not have occurred to most to oversleeve, especially white, yellow or blue in lighting circuits, in fact my first house had the original lighting run in split conduit so my total rewire and any additionals I maintained the system and rewired using red, yellow, white and blue singles for the lines and black for neutral.
 
Although I agree with you it would be wrong.
Non-compliant with BS 7671, sure (hence maybe a problem for Mr Jobsworth), but is it 'wrong' (or even conceivably any sort of problem) in any other sense.

As EFLI has said, and certainly in the absence of any 'loop' terminal on the switch, any conductor connected to a light switch terminal must surely be an L, regardless of its colour and/or any over-sleeving, mustn't it?
 

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