Just went to move attic light switch from attic to cupboard on landing (obviously had turned off at fuse box after checking correct relay) and found what i think is a bodge job! Wouldnt surprise me if it was, (have seen screws straight into walls since moving in and doing bits up!) but want to know the right way to resolve this please.
Basically, twin plus earth wire goes from fuse box up to switch (floor mounted, all plastic) and heres the thing, when i took the cover off the box the wire had been split open with the brown split and connecting either either side of the switch, the blue has been left intact just running straight through with no split to cap it off and the same with the earth (obviously not insulated and therefore able to touch other parts internally).
Now to be safe and until I have a solution, I have disconnected the brown from the switch and cut the other wires as well and screwed them into a sealed plastic junction box which is screwed to a plank of wood. I had to do this to get the rest of the lighting circuit for the house back on but it is still a live wire running to that junction box (oh I have marked it as such on the box too). Having traced the other side of that wire up to the light I know thats not linked to anything but the light so no power through it, so just sitting there at the moment.
Am I on the right tracks so far?
Now as far as I see it I have 2 options...
1) use the cable from the attic light and connect it to an existing single switch light on the landing which controls the landing light, replacing the single cover with a double, but then that leaves a live wire still in the attic sealed in a junction box...is that safe?
2) I put the attic light on to a seperate switch in the landing cupboard as originally planned but use a connector box in the back of the switch box to connect up the original parts of the wire (currently fuse box to sealed junction with dead end to light).
All would be done with plastic boxes, so my last question is what id do with the earth wires as theres no earthing screw in the plastic box.
Thanks a million guys, want to be safe until i can get a proper sparky in (who will probably end up rewiring the whole place!)
Basically, twin plus earth wire goes from fuse box up to switch (floor mounted, all plastic) and heres the thing, when i took the cover off the box the wire had been split open with the brown split and connecting either either side of the switch, the blue has been left intact just running straight through with no split to cap it off and the same with the earth (obviously not insulated and therefore able to touch other parts internally).
Now to be safe and until I have a solution, I have disconnected the brown from the switch and cut the other wires as well and screwed them into a sealed plastic junction box which is screwed to a plank of wood. I had to do this to get the rest of the lighting circuit for the house back on but it is still a live wire running to that junction box (oh I have marked it as such on the box too). Having traced the other side of that wire up to the light I know thats not linked to anything but the light so no power through it, so just sitting there at the moment.
Am I on the right tracks so far?
Now as far as I see it I have 2 options...
1) use the cable from the attic light and connect it to an existing single switch light on the landing which controls the landing light, replacing the single cover with a double, but then that leaves a live wire still in the attic sealed in a junction box...is that safe?
2) I put the attic light on to a seperate switch in the landing cupboard as originally planned but use a connector box in the back of the switch box to connect up the original parts of the wire (currently fuse box to sealed junction with dead end to light).
All would be done with plastic boxes, so my last question is what id do with the earth wires as theres no earthing screw in the plastic box.
Thanks a million guys, want to be safe until i can get a proper sparky in (who will probably end up rewiring the whole place!)
