how to remove a pull switch from bedroom ceiling

[mike4scuba]

hi, i want to completly remove my bedroom ceiling pull switch before my ceiling is replastered.

there are 4 wires yellow, red, blue and green.

can i pull them back into the loft space and connect the wires in a junction box

i would like to know which wires to join together, is it the yellow, red, blue connected together and the green going to its own terminal

i have bought a junction box with 4 terminal post rated 20a 250v

thanks for any advice

 

[1john]

join the wire from the common terminal to any ONE of the others from either L1 or L2, and the earth and the other strapper in seperate terminals.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

hi, i want to completly remove my bedroom ceiling pull switch before my ceiling is replastered.

Presumably a 2-way switch, with the other one on the wall?

can i pull them back into the loft space and connect the wires in a junction box

You could, but it sounds as though you've just got one end of the strapper cable there, and the switch drop goes to the other switch, so the neatest thing would be to disconnect the cable from each switch and remove it.

i would like to know which wires to join together, is it the yellow, red, blue connected together and the green going to its own terminal

No, it would be either the current COM/L1 pair or COM/L2 together, the others kept separate. Do it your way and the light would never turn off.

Please take some time out to learn how lighting circuits, particularly 2-way switching, work before you start fiddling with them.


//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[mike4scuba]

hi, i want to completly remove my bedroom ceiling pull switch before my ceiling is replastered.

Presumably a 2-way switch, with the other one on the wall?

can i pull them back into the loft space and connect the wires in a junction box

You could, but it sounds as though you've just got one end of the strapper cable there, and the switch drop goes to the other switch, so the neatest thing would be to disconnect the cable from each switch and remove it.

i would like to know which wires to join together, is it the yellow, red, blue connected together and the green going to its own terminal

No, it would be either the current COM/L1 pair or COM/L2 together, the others kept separate. Do it your way and the light would never turn off.

Please take some time out to learn how lighting circuits, particularly 2-way switching, work before you start fiddling with them.


//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

thanks for the reply i have looked on the wiring charts and understand why they wouldnt turn off using my method

could i therefore connect just 2 wires together in the junction box and the other two just terminated at their own posts, one of them being green and the other being either red or blue

which colours would i need to connect together would it be red/yellow yellow/blue

thanks

 

[ColJack]

do as BAS has suggested, go to the other switch in the room and disconnect the 3 wires from the other switch.. that way you don't have a live wire for no reason ( and it removes a potential problem of flickering low energy lamps, or at least lessens the possibility ).
you would have to move the red to the "com" from where it is now ( L1 most likely ).
the end in the ceiling should be made safe into a terminal box in case someone re-connects it at the switch at some time.

 

[mike4scuba]

do as BAS has suggested, go to the other switch in the room and disconnect the 3 wires from the other switch.. that way you don't have a live wire for no reason ( and it removes a potential problem of flickering low energy lamps, or at least lessens the possibility ).
you would have to move the red to the "com" from where it is now ( L1 most likely ).
the end in the ceiling should be made safe into a terminal box in case someone re-connects it at the switch at some time.

have looked in the wall switch.

there are 2 x red wires going to the com and 1 x blue 1 x yellow going to each of the L1 and L2 connections on the wall switch

 

[ColJack]

there should be another red or a black in the switch.. it can't work with just 4 wires.. especially as 3 of them are from a 3C+E..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Maybe instead of one missing there's one too many, as it would work with just a 3C+E:

Need confirmation of what really is at the switch on the wall, and what's at the light fitting...

 

[mike4scuba]

Maybe instead of one missing there's one too many, as it would work with just a 3C+E:

Need confirmation of what really is at the switch on the wall, and what's at the light fitting...

ok this is what i have

Ceiling light: red+brown joined at terminal, black+blue joined at terminal , earth (brown and blue go to bulb holder)

Pull switch: yellow, green, blue and red

Wall switch: 2x red at com 1x blue at L1 1x yellow at L2

hope this helps

 

[sparkwright]

There is probably a junction box in the loft for this wiring.

There are many ways of wiring 2 way switching, too many to list, remember or dream up.

The easiest way is to remove the pull cord and fit the wires into a junction box as you have suggested, assuming it will be accessible from the loft.

Before you start, turn off the power and check at the pull switch that red has been used as common.

Assuming it has, connect red to yellow. Sleeve yellow with red sleeve.
Connect blue on its own. Sleeve red.
Connect earth on its own. Sleeve green and yellow.
Use a 20 amp junction box.

Restore power. If you find the switch works upside down swap the blue and yellow over, leave other wires as they are. You can do this at either the switch or the junction box.

You could of course set about removing the the 2 way wiring altogether, but could prove a bit of a project.

Sure you want the pull cord fremoved? Handy thing to have over the bed. Consider a wall switch.