20amp switch with neon light - help!

[sugarplumlizzie1]

Hi all, I have just replaced the on / off switch for my immersion heater. It is a 20amp switch with points for live and neutral in wires, live and neutral out wires and 2 earth wires
I am sure I have wired it correctly (the right pair of wires to the 'in' and 'out')
But the neon light isn't coming on!
Could it just be a duff neon light?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Could be.

Have you pulled out one of the neon's wires?

They are not exactly sturdy.

 

[sugarplumlizzie1]

They both appear to be in place

 

[JohnW2]

Hi all, I have just replaced the on / off switch for my immersion heater. It is a 20amp switch with points for live and neutral in wires, live and neutral out wires and 2 earth wires. I am sure I have wired it correctly (the right pair of wires to the 'in' and 'out') ... But the neon light isn't coming on! ... Could it just be a duff neon light?

Do I take it that the immersion is working OK when it is switched 'on' ?

Kind Regards, John

 

[sugarplumlizzie1]

It seems to be. There was hot water for washing up but that was in the tank already (we have a copper cylinder). We haven't had a shower or anything that requires lots of hot water yet

 

[Jackrae]

Look at your electric meter with the immersion off. Then look at it with the immersion on. If the wheel is going faster or the light is flashing faster then the immersion is working. Bare in mind that the if the tank of water is already hot the immersion thermostat may have cut out.

 

[riveralt]

Hi all, I have just replaced the on / off switch for my immersion heater. It is a 20amp switch with points for live and neutral in wires, live and neutral out wires and 2 earth wires
I am sure I have wired it correctly (the right pair of wires to the 'in' and 'out')
But the neon light isn't coming on!
Could it just be a duff neon light?

Could be duff - but it could be that you have wired the live through the neutral and vice versa.

 

[JohnW2]

Could be duff - but it could be that you have wired the live through the neutral and vice versa.

Why would that matter (to the neon)?

As you'll have seen, we haven't yet established for sure that there is electricity coming out of (or even going into) the switch, so there are still a good few possibilities.

Kind Regards, John

 

[sugarplumlizzie1]

I've definitely wired it into the same points on the old switch. Do u think its worth swapping the live and neutral wires round to check?
I haven't tried the leccy meter suggestion yet but not sure this will work as we still have some hot in the cylinder

 

[sugarplumlizzie1]

I'm guessing from your post John that swapping the live and neutral wires won't necessarily effect the neon light?

 

[JohnW2]

I'm guessing from your post John that swapping the live and neutral wires won't necessarily effect the neon light?

That's right. The neon doesn't care which side is connected to live and which to neutral.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Plus, of course, it's AC.

 

[sugarplumlizzie1]

Thank you that had saved me some unnecessary work!

 

[JohnW2]

Plus, of course, it's AC.

It's not really a 'plus' - that's obviously at least one of the reasons why the neon does care which end is connected to L and which to N!

Kind Regards, John

 

[riveralt]

Could be duff - but it could be that you have wired the live through the neutral and vice versa.

Why would that matter (to the neon)?

Goodness did I write that!!! - Mind gone.
I think I thought what I thought I thinked.
I was trying to say have you wired the switch upside down (mixing up supply and load) - does the neon come on when the switch is off?