Extra Light Switches in Parrallel for house alarm relay.

[OuterSpaceHopper]

Hi folks,
Is adding extra switches to ceiling lights a notifiable change?

I currently installing a wired alarm in my new house and would like to use the function that operates a relay on an alarm to turn on a couple of lights in the house. This will enable the security camera to take better images than otherwise can be taken in the dark.

Now that I've ripped up the knackered laminate flooring and have the floor boards up and the loft is accessible, I'd like to add extra switch cables to a couple of the house lights and run them to a din rail relay box and use the alarm relay to drive a couple of relays to turn on the lights upon alarm.

I'd do this by adding a cable to the ceiling rose(in parallel with the existing switch) and connect it to its own individual relay contact in the relay box. The 12V coil \mains voltage contact light relays would be driven from the alarm relay contact closure.

Would these extra switch cables be a notifiable change? I have read that extra switches can be added without notification, but I can't find the reference now.

Also, there are some light junction boxes under the floor boards, I've read that this is a no no, would it be best to replace these with maintenance free(or new cable runs) while the floor boards are up?

Thanks for any help!

 

[flyingsparks]

Not notifiable. Good idea whilst floor is up yes to replace for MF if you can. Or even better to replace cable but this is not always a viable option. Take not of connections carefully!

 

[OuterSpaceHopper]

Thanks for your reply flying sparks!

I have a central accessible location next to the chimney and so in order to get rid of the diagonal cable runs and inaccessible junction boxes I was thinking of replacing the lighting set up with a junction box set up like this;

http://www.flameport.com/electric/lighting_circuits/lighting_junction_boxes.cs4

This would also make it easier for any future owner(not that I'm ever planning on moving again, nightmare!), to see the extra switch connections.
But I'm guessing that kind of extensive change would then be notifiable?

 

[JohnW2]

This would also make it easier for any future owner(not that I'm ever planning on moving again, nightmare!), to see the extra switch connections. ... But I'm guessing that kind of extensive change would then be notifiable?

You guess wrongly In fact, as of April 2013, the number of types of electrical work which remain notifiable (in England) is very limited - in essence, only 'replacement of a CU', 'installation of a new circuit' and electrical work in the prescribed 'zones' of a bathroom.

Hence, provided you are talking about an existing circuit, and are not changing anything within the 'zones' of a bathroom (most bathroom ceilings are outside of {above} the 'zones'), then you can do what you like to a lighting circuit (no matter how extensive the work) without the need for notification. ... but the work does, of course, still have to be undertaken competently and safely in order to comply with the law, even when it's not notifiable.

Kind Regards, John

 

[OuterSpaceHopper]

thanks for your reply John, Unfortunately family illness has kept me away from thinking about my wiring for quite a while, but I'm back on the Job now! the house has been in a right mess all this time!


Looking at the cables for the lighting, some has been eaten by mice whilst the house was empty before I bought it, So I'm replacing that too.

the thing is the cable runs directly under and parallel to the existing radiator pipes for 4 meters across the landing. the cables(ring main and lighting) are about 45mm below the bottom of these pipes.
I'm not sure if this is good from a cable environment point of view(60 Celcius pipe in close proximity).

Is this an issue or can I just insulate the bottom of the pipes with half a section of pipe insulation? My other choice is a sheet of foil faced 18mm PIR board fixed in place(I've tested this and no heat comes through at all!).

I've looked at drilling new holes through the joists 150mm or so away, but the joists are already pretty notched and drilled by the previous owner\bodger!

I can just about make new holes within the regulations (25%-40% away from the joist support) but this will be almost directly under a block(reasonably heavy) wall(built on top of the floor boards) that runs across the joists, so I'm not keen to make anymore holes there abouts!

Dya think the PIR board will be adequate or shall I re-route the cable away from the pipes by 150mm or so.

On the subject of competency, I've read through the 17th, got loads of advice from my Dad, who used to do this kind of thing for a living and I'm planning to get a qualified mate to go over the whole thing and do any proper testing required(not sure how much he will charge yet!). Do you think that is enough?

 

[OuterSpaceHopper]

p.s. the floor joists seem to be made of extraordinarily tough hard wood, although I'm not sure how to gauge that, so I'm more easily persuaded that insulation is a proper cause of action, rather than new holes in the joists.

Thanks for any help, I'm not sure who else to ask as everyone I know is away and I'd like to get this job out of the way asap.

 

[OuterSpaceHopper]

I posted a new message about the cable pipe proximity since the subject of this thread has now changed!

Find it here;

//www.diynot.com/forums/electr...th-parallel-to-radiator-pipes.407632/#3154679

 

[AdrianUK]

I do a very similar thing with our house alarm..... 3 outputs from the panel control three separate lights via relays.

The panel is programmed to switch on the lights in the event of intruder activation, fire activation and it will also bring them on at various intervals throughout the evening if the alarm is set.

The only note of caution : if you group the relays together in one box and they are fed from different lighting circuits, don't forget to label the box to make it clear that several MCBs must be opened in order to fully isolate the content of the box.

 

[Lectrician]

Also useful to use the courtesy output (or similar) to bring on lighting on the entry route during entry/exit. This can be coupled with a photocell.

My local Somerfield store has all the lights connected to the alarm. They come on during entry exit, remain on while unset, and turn off once system sets successfully. They will also come on during an activation. Only now this after fault finding a row of fluorescents tripping on a call out.

 

[OuterSpaceHopper]

AdrianUK and Lectrician, glad you responded, I thought I was the only one in the country thinking of this. I've searched around on the internet and not turned up very much information on domestic systems.

Good thinking about the combined relay box isolation message, I'll investigate if the alarm panel has a courtesy output too!

Thanks again!