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The only "neutral" that should be live is the switched live, and only when the switch is on which is a pretty simple way to identify it. It ought to be sleeved in red but often isn't. The two "real" neutrals should be connected together, and to the lamp, so it is hard to see how one would be...

Fluorescent ballasts are current regulation devices. Both the 28W and 25W tubes are designed to work on the same current, 0.17A. The 25W tube will drop a smaller voltage and consume less power but still produce the same amount of light. This is not an accident. The labelling as not compatible...

And there you have it. The combi or cylinder decision should be based on your needs, not on the preferences of your installer. Neither is better or worse, just different.

The Philips 25W T5 Eco range is specifically intended as a drop-in replacement for a normal 28W T5 tube, using around 10% less electricity on the same ballast, but producing comparable light output.

I'm starting to see why the word "pedantry" arose earlier. You are the only person who chooses deliberately to misunderstand what I and others have said. You could have decided to offer your knowledge without being disagreeable but instead prefer to sit on your ivory tower and pronounce that the...

If the old rads are heading towards the end of their lives then it would be the perfect time to replace them. If not, I wouldn't do it. With proper corrosion inhibiter through its life, a radiator should go a lot longer than 27 years, but with less care they could be tea strainers by now...

Now you're just being foolish. Whatever technical definition of MR16 you might be using, for the vast majority of people the vast majority of legacy halogen lamps called MR16 are AC 12V (possibly 5V or 24V) with a GU5.3 base. LED lamps called MR16 usually have a GU5.3 base but often don't have a...

Virtually any LED MR16 you will find can be plugged in either way round. The AC ones you're most likely to use obviously can. I just looked up the specs for a specialist DC-only MR16 and it says that it includes a diode bridge so that it is polarity-insensitive. I say specialist because you...

off-topic, but black nickel light switches and chrome sockets? You may be inspired or you may be mad ...

ELV lampholders do not have anything built in. There are ELV light fittings that have a transformer "built in", if by built in you mean attached to the same bit of metal that screws onto the ceiling. Even then they don't have rectifiers because they've never needed them. Are there newer fittings...

All sounds good. I'm always happier with switches that directly earth the screws, whatever the regulations might ay.

It all depends if they are metal at all. If the faceplate and the switches themselves are plastic then there likely won't be a terminal for an earth wire (and take your chances on the screws being earthed to the back box!). The linked product says "black nickel effect" (should it be chrome...

That doesn't really inspire confidence. Either the faceplates should be double-insulated or they should be connected to earth. I doubt that they're double-insulated. Normally there is a terminal for this clearly marked. On sockets, connecting the earth to the socket generally also connects the...

Well it wasn't a serious suggestion, but it would either result in a blown fuse/breaker or a very dangerous live faceplate depending on whether your supposed earth wire was actually connected to earth.

Just connect a live wire to the faceplate and see what happens. Simples.

One question that nobody quite seems to have hit. Yes, you can use any E27 light bulb in your fitting. Of course it won't necessarily direct the light in the same places so it might not be entirely successful. Non-directional lamps may give poor results if the spot fitting blocks much of the...

Seems like it used to be fashionable to wire the socket earths to the backbox, then link it to the socket. I don't like that way (many reasons!) and I don't think it is recommended practice any more. Wire both (or more) earths to the terminal(s) on the socket and then add a lead from there to...

The "kits" you describe are best avoided, for many reasons. To recommend what you really need, we need to know: 1. do you need remote facilities or just manual switches; 2. do you need dimming or colour changing facilities, and how would you want to control them; 3. do you need to individually...

Yes, plenty of mains voltage strips. Nearly always highly waterproof and intended for outdoor use. Watch out for cutting, generally they can only be cut at about 50cm centres. Given that they are mains voltage, they don't need a driver to convert the voltage. just a small rectifier which is...

Presumably the base is not designed to be mounted in that orientation. Perhaps not strong enough, perhaps just covering themselves. There are a few specifically marked as for wall-mounting, but not many.