advice on removal of cord pull switch in bedroom ceiling.

[keith1944]

Hi all, I have just joined this site.
I wish to remove the existing pull cord switch in the bedroom ceiling and fit a new brass plate switch on the wall.
My problem is this.
There is a twin and earth coming through the ceiling from the loft, BOTH CONDUCTORS ARE RED and fit into terminals 1 & 2 in the switch, earth is sleeved green & fitted to earth terminal.
When the light is on, meter across reds read 0, red 1 to earth is 240v, red 2 is 240v.
When light is off, meter across reds is 240v, red 1 to earth 240v, red 2 to earth is 0v.
I intend to pull the cable into the loft & extend with twin core & earth in a junction box & run cable down cavity to a single switch.

How do I connect the wires in the junction as I thought the conductors would be red & black ?

thanks for any advice on this. regards keith

 

[EFLImpudence]

How would you have done it were they red and black and what difference would it have made?


Wires can do anything we want them to; they do not know what colour they are.

 

[keith1944]

Thanks for the reply. First thing I thought was that the earthing was live but the rcd would have tripped.
As you say how would I have done it, hoping to keep the colours the same when wiring up.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You could buy twin brown now but it's not necessary.

If you have some red and black use that and it would be better to use the red for the permanent live (your red 1) and sleeve the black with red for the switched live (red 2).

New cable will be brown (L) and blue (SL).


Your voltage readings are all correct.
When the switch is closed (on) there will be no difference in potential between the terminals - just two points on a wire.

 

[keith1944]

Thanks for the reply. Just been measuring up for cable length and I am a metre short so the new type will be brown & blue now when i get it.
So the junction box wiring will be brown from plate switch to R1, blue to R2, earthing as normal.