Attic Lights and Pull Cord Switch

[pixelmad]

Hi,

I am completely lost and was hoping for some help.

I have just installed a pair of battenholders and have wired them back to a Pull Cord Switch. I have used 3 core wiring Live (Brown), Neutral (Blue) and Earth (Yellow/Green). I have tapped into an existing cable feeding the light switch in the landing which has Red (Live), Black (Neutral) and a bare cable (Earth).

The Switch has L1, L2, COM and Earth. So I wired all the earths together. I wired the Main Live to L1 and the Lives to the Lights to L2 and all the Neutrals to COM.

Given the switch came with no instructions and it isn't working I guess I've done something wrong

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Lectrician]

Very wrong.

The light switch cable is likely to be a live and switched live, the black being the switch live and NOT a neutral. Take a look inside the landing switch to see.

You have also put a neutral conductor (lucky it wasn't really) into the new switch - neutrals never go into switches on lighting circuits - you need to put that in a terminal block. The Live feed would go to COM, and the live to lights in the L1 or the L2 - It doesn't matter.

You need to find a proper feed - you cannot use a switch drop cable as a feed.

It is lucky that the core you thought was neutral actually wasnt, as you would have caused a short circuit when you switched the pull cord on, most likely damaging the pull cord, and certainly blowing a fuse with a loud bang.

 

[electronicsuk]

I'm very suprised you haven't blown the fuse/MCB for your lighting and/or damaged the switch with that wiring. COM should go to permanent live feed, L1 is switched live to lights, and all neutrals need to be joined in a terminal block.

EDIT: Bah, beaten!

 

[pixelmad]

Thanks folks, guess I had a lucky escape

So I should be looking for a junction box in the attic? What should I expect to see in it?

 

[Lectrician]

Cant you just pick up from a bedroom centre light assuming it has more than one cable feeding it (loop in and out). Or add a joint box in the loft on a loop between any two lights.

 

[pixelmad]

Cant you just pick up from a bedroom centre light assuming it has more than one cable feeding it (loop in and out). Or add a joint box in the loft on a loop between any two lights.

I'm probably wrong here but would that not mean I need to have that light on when I wanted the attic light on?

 

[luminaire]

I'm probably wrong here but would that not mean I need to have that light on when I wanted the attic light on?[/quote]

No, the loop in/out are permanent lives.

 

[Lectrician]

Fix your quote above luminaire

That is right - the loops between the lights are permentent live and neutral.

As an aside, it used to be common practice to wire the loft light to the landing light so that you could never leave it turned on by mistake. Turning the landing light off would also turn off the loft light if it was left on.

These days it is more common to fit a switch with a neon indictor eithe ron the ceiling by the hatch, or on the wall high-up close by. (no need for 1.2m height etc - a disabled person aint gonna be climbing ladders!).

I was once called to fault in a house - 4 downlights in a small bedroom remaining dimmly lit when switched off. I immediately spotted the problem. The loft light was left on! It made all four downlights glow dimmly!

 

[ColJack]

That is right - the loops between the lights are permentent live and neutral.

unless there is more than one light in a room then the link may be a switched live and neutral...

neutrals never go into switches on lighting circuits

unless you use double pole switches...

 

[Lectrician]

That is right - the loops between the lights are permentent live and neutral.

unless there is more than one light in a room then the link may be a switched live and neutral...

neutrals never go into switches on lighting circuits

unless you use double pole switches...

Yea - but now you are confusing the thread. It is VERY un-common to see neutrals in a double pole switch on a lighting circuit, and less common still on a domestic circuit.

 

[pixelmad]

Thanks again for all the help.

I have traced all the cables in the attic now and this is what I have found.

There is a mains(?) cable feeding the landing light switch. One cables exits the light switch for the landing light. Two other cables leave the light going to the two bedroom lights (3 cables in total, 1 in & 2 out). Each of the bedroom lights then have a 2nd cable coming from them and go to their respective light switches.

So what is the best way to approach the attic light?