double gang socket to on/off switch to plug socket

[weegieavlover]

Hey All,

Looking for some advice?
I am not an electrician and would like to know how do-able this project is I have.

I have a 2 gang, 15m extension lead with a plug at the other end. I am working on a DIY, home made tool project and need to add a switch on the extension.

Anyone got simple instructions on how to do this and what type of switch I should buy as well as other stuff like cables?

Also on the difficult-o-meter - where does this rate, when it comes to electrics I am a bit of a noob / novice!

 

[rjm2k]

Can you not just unplug the items?

 

[bernardgreen]

Simplest and maybe safest way would be to buy a good quality extension lead with a switch(s) already fitted
http://www.screwfix.com/p/switched-extension-lead/48302?_requestid=98009
Only two metres but google may find a longer one. Avoid cheap imitations often found on the internet shops.

 

[plugwash]

It's very doable but to advise on how best to do it we need to know more about your requirements.

Where do you want the switch? on the plug? on the socket? somewhere in the middle of the flex? If in the middle or on the socket do you want something suitable for hangling loose or something you can mount?

What current rating do you need?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Simplest and maybe safest way would be to buy a good quality extension lead with a switch(s) already fitted
http://www.screwfix.com/p/switched-extension-lead/48302?_requestid=98009
Only two metres but google may find a longer one. Avoid cheap imitations often found on the internet shops.

It looks like the mains end termination on the Screwfix one is undoable.

I would buy that and swap over your existing (longer) lead.

 

[weegieavlover]

It's very doable but to advise on how best to do it we need to know more about your requirements.

Where do you want the switch? on the plug? on the socket? somewhere in the middle of the flex? If in the middle or on the socket do you want something suitable for hangling loose or something you can mount?

What current rating do you need?

I will have the double plug socket mounted inside the house for the home made table saw.
So I will have a 240v Circular saw connected to it, so I assume that is 13A and should be all that is connected.
I was thinking it will have about about 1 meter from 2 gang socket.
Then a switch installed.
Then the remaining 14m cable.

the switch will be mounted on the outside of the tool housing so I assume some sort of backbox will be required.

 

[plugwash]

In that case my advice would be to use a metalclad double pole switch. Something like http://www.neweysonline.co.uk/mk-el...ole-20a/1000007348/ProductInformation.raction . Metal clad accessories usually come with backboxes included.

To restrain the flex going in and out of the switch I would use compression glands, something like http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/EK251B.html

 

[JohnW2]

It looks like the mains end termination on the Screwfix one is undoable. I would buy that and swap over your existing (longer) lead.

It does look like that may be the case. Unfortunately, at least IME, even when one can get into these things (which often is not possible, non-destructively), there are not usually screw terminal connections for the mains lead - which could represent a problem for the OP if he attempted to do as you suggest.

I would imagine that, if he looked around, the OP would probably be able to find a ready-made switched extension lead with a longer lead.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

In that case my advice would be to use a metalclad double pole switch. Something like http://www.neweysonline.co.uk/mk-el...ole-20a/1000007348/ProductInformation.raction . Metal clad accessories usually come with backboxes included. To restrain the flex going in and out of the switch I would use compression glands, something like http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/EK251B.html[/QUOTE]
This is moving things very much in the direction of a 'fixed installation'. If one were going to have a metalclad switch, then maybe it would make sense to also have a metalclad socket (rather than the cut-off end of an extension lead)? Indeed, with a switched, double, metaclad socket, I'm not sure that the OP would actually need the separate switch. ... but then we would have the issue that ('non-ideally') the setup would be powered by plugging it in to a socket (via what I presume would probably be a trailing cable that one might trip over in the vicinity of the saw table).

Kind Regards, John