Home office (wiring up switch)

[uk66fastback]

Hi

My mate - who used to be in the building trade, so has an all-round knowledge of these things, helped me build a home office in our garden. Well, he advised me and I built it!

Anyway, yes before anyone starts quoting Part P etc, I know all about it - but as he is/was a mate and told me what to do, I went ahead and did it - anyway the thing is all but done.

Building went fine, roof hasn't collapsed yet, or the windopws fallen in, so we're all right there.

As for the power and light, he said to me to wire each one on a ring ... 2.5mm T&E for the power and 1.5mm T&E for the lights.

All wires to come from a new Consumer unit in my shed - there was already an armoured cable into the shed and power there.

So I wired from the CU round all the sockets and back to the CU ... he has now wired this up (the CU) and it all works fine. Proper MCBs and RCDS etc.

Nos, as for the lights, I have three wall lights, and one ceiling light which has a wall switch. He told me to wire then up as the power sockets. Anyway, we keep blowing the switch. He has now gone a bit AWOL and I'm not sure how to finish it.

I have at the mo T&E coming from the CU to the switch space (and hanging out of the wall) then I have another T&E going away again (another three wires out of the wall) to the first light, then to the second light, then to the third light etc and so on.

These wires then go back to the consumer unit. Both T&E go back to the CU where they are wired in.

Now I reckon I don't need these two BOTH wired in at the CU.

I reckon I want it wired in as the diagram below ...

IGNORE THE TO NEXT LIGHT SWITCH - there is only the one.

The lights work fine (without the switch) using the wires that are there - so there is no obvious *circuit* or *ring*. I just turn them on and off at the CU.

Any help appreciated. I know I should get *a man in* but this home office is so close to being finished now and if it's just or two wires then I should be able to do it.

This is what I currently have ...

 

[martinxxxxxx]

His all-round knowledge of these things does not extend to light in circuits - you are correct

Martin

 

[conny]

Deleted.

 

[conny]

So you have/had a mate in the building trade who knows everything?
You know all about part P yet choose to ignore it?
You pick up a supply from your shed because its already there.?
Is your shed the same structure as your 'garden office'.
If it is separate how have you fed the cables to your 'office'.?
Your 'mate' who knows everything tells you to wire the lights in a ring circuit then disappears when it goes 'belly-up'.
Your mate has wired up the mcb's (plural), and they work fine.
How many ring circuits have you installed?
What size mcb's and what testing did he do?
Has he said he will give you a certificate at the end detailing all the pre work testing he did to ensure it was safe to carry out the work and also what methods he used to do the work and finally what his test results are before commissioning the work?

I'm fed up asking the obvious so won't bother going any further.
You have ignored all the basic rules and then want people on here to tell you how to finish the job and assist you in breaking more rules.
Get your mate back, get him to finish the job and then ask your family to move out as you don't want to be responsible for their safety if they should ever come into your 'office'.

 

[uk66fastback]

Look, I understand you guys on here who are regular are fed up with numptys like me coming on with half a job done and *now* asking the experts ... instead of getting someone in in the first place ... I can fully understand that.

I shall answer your points/questions.

Yes.

Correct. I know about Part P *nnow*, after he has gone AWOL and I have looked into it further.

No, it is a separate structure, next to the shed.

The cables are fed in conduit under some decking and into the floor of the office in the stud wall.

Correct again.

The MCBs work fine.

Never installed a ring circuit in my life.

The MCB for the lights is 6 and the power one 16. Testin as in what exactly ... ? H was here for a ong time wiring up the CU and the power works okay (and the lights) - it's just the switch.

I didn't know about any certificate.

Now, are you going to answer the question or not?

So you have/had a mate in the building trade who knows everything?
You know all about part P yet choose to ignore it?
You pick up a supply from your shed because its already there.?
Is your shed the same structure as your 'garden office'.
If it is separate how have you fed the cables to your 'office'.?
Your 'mate' who knows everything tells you to wire the lights in a ring circuit then disappears when it goes 'belly-up'.
Your mate has wired up the mcb's (plural), and they work fine.
How many ring circuits have you installed?
What size mcb's and what testing did he do?
Has he said he will give you a certificate at the end detailing all the pre work testing he did to ensure it was safe to carry out the work and also what methods he used to do the work and finally what his test results are before commissioning the work?

I'm fed up asking the obvious so won't bother going any further.
You have ignored all the basic rules and then want people on here to tell you how to finish the job and assist you in breaking more rules.
Get your mate back, get him to finish the job and then ask your family to move out as you don't want to be responsible for their safety if they should ever come into your 'office'.

 

[spark1]

You are correct in that you do not need to wire the lighting circut in a ring,

I would say your problem is at the switch.

I would finish off by advising you to contact an Electrician to sort it out and also test all the rest of the electrics.

 

[conny]

Now, are you going to answer the question or not?

I am not in a position to answer your question as I am not a qualified spark, just an electrical fitter who knows that what you have done is wrong and as Spark1 has suggested you need to get a properly registered electrician in to test what has been done and to see what deviations from the regs have been committed.
And I don't joke about families safety when it comes to matters like this. What YOU may think is safe could well not be in the eyes of a properly trained electrician.

Do as Spark1 says, get a pro in, preferably one recommended by someone else who has had work done by him/her.

 

[HullMarc]

UK66...

You're right, it doesn't need to be wired in a ring and this is probably your problem.

First of all, isolate the CU and remove the bit of cable running between the last light & the CU. Remove it from both the light & CU.

Secondly, you do want to be wiring it up as per that first image. However, I get the feeling you want one switch controlling all four lights? In that case, you need to take the brown to the next light from L1. Taking it from C would mean it's always on. I presume you realise the blues are joined in a connector block seperate from the switch.

Out of interest, what sort of conduit is running under this decking, and what sort of cable(s) are inside?

Feel free to PM me if you'd rather not carry on this discussion on a public board, to avoid the hostility. This is a DIY forum, the clue is in the name. Instead of refusing to help why not help him finish it off in as safe a manner as possible. Maybe then he can get someone in to do a PIR on the installation.

 

[mfarrow]

Disconnect and remove the last wire from light 4 to the CU.

Put a crimp or choc block on the neutrals (blue) at the back of the switch. Put the line wires (brown) through the switch top/bottom terminals.

That's what your diagram looks like, is that not how he's done it?

 

[matt1e]

That's what your diagram looks like, is that not how he's done it?

or is it a 2-way switch, and are the neutrals tied together using L2?

 

[sparkwright]

If you are still having problems send photos of inside the consumer unit, the switch and all the lights.

We love pictures...

 

[uk66fastback]

Sorry guys, only just seen all the latest replie. Hullmarc and others, thanks ...

Job is now done. Removed *ring* connection from the CU, wired up the switch as the diagram and it was okay. All four lights come on when the switch is pressed, okay I can't have the wall lights on WITHOUT the main one but that is not on a switched live which is the way it should have been done to get that operation.

Thanks again.

 

[Lectrician]

If you had disconnected the surplus cable part way around your 'ring', you could have fed half the stuff with a permanent live from the CU, and the centre light could have remained switched.

How many conduit runs between the buildings and what size?

Are you sure you have RCD protection?

How is the new CU connected to the old CU?

I am glad everything is 'working', but as electricians we do not wire something and then check it lights up. We carryout numerous tests to ensure the circuit is safe. A light fitting can 'work' and be a death trap.

Any chance of some pics? Just to satisfy our curiosity. Of the conduit runs, how the conduit terminates, the CU etc.