Changing 1 gang to 2 gang

[sparky3659]

Hi all,

Im in the process of plasterboarding some walls in a bedroom, before I skim them. I intend to later replace the ceiling rose with an array of spotlights, and some other type of mood light in a soffit, but this will require me having a 2 gang light switch. Before I plasterboard over the lightswitch area, is there anything I can do wiring-wise that would help an electrician achieve this? Im not sure if a new wire is required, or an additional wire? Its recently all been rewired, so all in good condition. I was thinking that if an additional wire would be required later, I could feed it in the right area before plasterboarding??

Thanks

 

[Iggifer]

Well, its hard to say without knowing what you've got, but you will likely need another switch wire from the switch to where the new light you want to control is going to go.

Presumably the existing switch wire will control the spotlights and the new wire will control the 'mood lights'?

 

[sparky3659]

Yeah, so basically I was thinking that one switch would turn all the downlights on for normal lighting, and the 2nd switch would turn on some hidden recessed uplights in the soffit.

So, the wire I've got in there is the standard grey one that they've used reels of when rewiring the place. Will it need another of these? If so, I can feed it in now, and leave the other end in the loft

 

[AndyPRK]

Not that easy. You can't drive a light from that as their Is No neutral.

Maybe replace that wire with 3 core and earth

And then run a new cable from the existing light to the new lights

 

[PBC_1966]

Maybe replace that wire with 3 core and earth

And then run a new cable from the existing light to the new lights

Or if you're not sure about rewiring the existing loop, maybe leave the existing cable and just run a 3-core & earth up from the switch with a few yards left coiled up spare in the loft for now. If you're not quite sure where everything else is going to be yet, that would leave open the option of rearranging to have power coming in to the switch on the existing 2-core and the new 3-core providing two switched lives plus neutral back out. Or of having live feed and one switched return on the new cable and a switched L & N out on the existing cable.

If you do that, connect all cores of the new cable to earth at the switch for now.

 

[sparky3659]

Ok I think I got that- what I'll do is run a length of 3 core from the socket and leave the remaining length in the roof. When I get my electrician in, he can rewire the switch with the 3 core easily and wire up my Downlights, and do what he needs to do with the ceiling rose. Thanks for your help

 

[Iggifer]

And pull that nail out of that noggin!

 

[john4703]

If you want a future proof solution put a length of plastic conduit from the box up to your loft. The electrician can then put in any cables that are needed. Leave the existing cable and put conduit from the other knock out, or even better have two lengths of conduit, one with the existing cable in it. That way loads of changes can be made with no damage to your wall.

 

[sparky3659]

Thanks all. That last idea of the conduit seems like the best and most easy idea for someone like me. Thank you all. Very helpful

 

[ban-all-sheds]

 

[SlipperySid]

What's your point?

Not everyone wants to bore us with 53,000 posts.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Point?

That it's hard to see why someone asking questions like that would call himself sparky.

 

[SlipperySid]

Point?

That it's hard to see why someone asking questions like that would call himself sparky.

He can call himself whatever he wants. Unless we missed the rule saying it must be vetted by you?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You did not miss such a rule.

You may have missed the common sense about using a misleading name though.

 

[sparky3659]

If you must know, I've been called Sparky since I was a kid, so I've used that username since then. Sorry it's caused so much offence