Kitchen Wiring II

[moosehead]

Seems no-one knows the answer to ceiling void question, but thanks for the 47 who had a look at it. On a related subject how much wattage can be put through a single gang switch? Would it take 400w. Currently there is a double gang with only one cable serving 160w of lights + an extractor fan. Previous house owner or sparky appears to have put in some form of loop to allow two circuits.

Any ideas?

 

[plugwash]

is this single cable a peice of three and earth? (ie red blue and yellow normal cores and a bare earth core)?

if so sounds like he is using 1 core to feed the live to both switches (hence the loop of wire) and the other two as two seperate switched lives.

most lightswitches are rated at at least 5A (which at our nomal mains voltage is 1150W) many are rated at 10A and we don't normally use lighting cuircuits rated at more than that in this country.

lighting cuircuits always seem to give the cookery book style diyers the most problems because there are just so many ways to do things.

 

[securespark]

Of coure, what the switch can carry depens upon the rating of the switch AND the rating of the mcb. If the switch is rated at 10A, and the mcb is 10A, then it will carry 10A. If the switch is 10A and the mcb 6A, then 6A is the max load.

5A = 1150W
6A = 1380W
10A = 2400W


(oops, at 230V of course!!)

 

[moosehead]

Thanks Secure and Plug -
It's twin and earth and I believe there is a 6A MCB protecting the circuit.
For some reason I believed the max you could put through a single gang was 300w.
Thanks for your help. (Any ideas on the ceiling void minimum?)

 

[plugwash]

carefull about dimmers though they are often MUCH lower.

 

[moosehead]

Thanks Plug.

it's a twin and earth and I believe the circuit is protected by a 6a mcb.

Thanks 4 your help

 

[securespark]

Yes - we were talking about rocker switches....!