light switch

[jase1708]

hi there am hopin someone out there can help me .

i have taken the light switch off to replace it but there is the normal cable with the green/yellow , black and red wires there but also to the right there is a seperate green/yellow earth wire and i dont no what this is for or what it is doin there , is there anyone who knows & can help me with this problem ?

 

[leeco]

Its an earth and it might go to the back box.

 

[jase1708]

but on a light switch theres only room for a earth,liv,neutral so where does this go ? or can i wire it up without it going anywhere ?

 

[phatboy]

Its an extra earth to make sure the backbox is earthed.

Hate to say it, but are you sure you are safe to be trying this yourself?

 

[leeco]

Just join all the earths together.

 

[riveralt]

If you are fitting a metal light switch - you should have an earth wire running from the switch to the earth lug in the backbox.

 

[leeco]

You don't have a neutral or earth on a light switch just live I think. Com L1 and L2. If you have neutral wires and you are sure they are not switch live wires you need to conect them together. But the black and red wire will be a live wires.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Or -

If the blacks were connected together (and to nothing else) they probably will be neutral.

If the backs are connected to the actual switch itself they won't be neutral .

 

[vibrobullit407]

hi there am hopin someone out there can help me .

i have taken the light switch off to replace it but there is the normal cable with the green/yellow , black and red wires there but also to the right there is a seperate green/yellow earth wire and i dont no what this is for or what it is doin there , is there anyone who knows & can help me with this problem ?

This will just be a fly lead to earth the back box. Was the switch a metal one as the earth core in the T&E would have terminated in the switch not the back box with one end of the fly lead. The other end of the fly lead would connect to the earth terminal situated in the back box.

 

[RMS]

If your new switch is metal then connect the additional earth wire (assuming one side is connected to the metal back box) to the terminal on the switch along with the earth wire from the cable.

If your new switch is plastic it will not have an earth terminal. You need to remove the additional earth wire from the metal back box and wire the earth wire of the cable into this terminal on the back box as the plastic switch will not require an earth(cpc).

 

[OwainDIYer]

Are you absolutely sure that this isn't 2-way switching and someone's used the cpc in the T&E as a circuit wire and run an additional E alongside?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Photo, please.