Maplin switch timer

[AfterSomeAdvice]

Hi,

I bought a Maplin timer that replaces a switch.

I've taken the front cover off the current arrangement and I am a little confused.
This double switch feeds two outside lights on a dusk till dawn sensor.

The Maplin switch has three terminals. I don't understand why there is a brown wire connecting one one terminal to the other in the current switch and also no neutrals are attached to the switch. They are all joined together with a connector block.

Basically I'm a little stuck as the maplin instructions don't cover the two switch scenario.

Any ideas?

Many thanks


http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9670.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9671.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9673.jpg

Maplin timer:
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9674.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj111/rickb_2008/100_9675.jpg

 

[RF Lighting]

Are you wanting this new switch to turn BOTH lights on and off together?

 

[AfterSomeAdvice]

Are you wanting this new switch to turn BOTH lights on and off together?

yes thats right.

at the moment the two lights can be switched off separately.

 

[badgerchief]

the brown fly lead i`d asume was just to give power to second switch?

 

[badgerchief]

ignore the colours as whom ever wired it up hasn`t used a junction box hence the neutrals being in the connector the brown wire is only feeding the second swictch power to enable the switching of second light!

you wont need the small length of brown wire so remove

on the back of the switch it should say L on two of the terminals and L1 on the other two the cables going into the L`s need to go into COM the remaining into L1

a picture from behind the switch would clarify this but you`d need to remove the wires so maybe not possible ?

 

[RF Lighting]

ignore the colours as whom ever wired it up hasn`t used a junction box hence the neutrals being in the connector the brown wire is only feeding the second swictch power to enable the switching of second light!

Whats wrong with that?

It is about the most common way of wiring lighting these days.

Junction boxes need to be accesible, so kind of went out of fashion 20 odd years ago?

 

[badgerchief]

POINT TAKEN
but you don`t often have all the neutrals wired up in the switch box or do you ?

as the switch is there to switch why have all the other cables surely this is just a waste of cable?

or am i just old fashioned and a bit tight prehaps

 

[Spark123]

Sometimes it isn't practical to have a load of cables at a light fitting and there is no place for a JB hence joining the neutrals in the back of a light switch is the most practical way to go.

 

[badgerchief]

Sometimes it isn't practical to have a load of cables at a light fitting and there is no place for a JB hence joining the neutrals in the back of a light switch is the most practical way to go.

Cheers sparky123
for clearing that up for me guess you sparks stick together hee hee!
does it not pose a potential problem with the back box i.e. should it not have also been insulated?

 

[Spark123]

The nylon of the terminal block is an insulator. The terminal block is inside an enclosure made up of the back box and switch.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It is insulated, in that piece of terminal block.
And the block is inside the switch box.
And you always isolate a circuit before removing the switch or accessory. Because you expose live parts.

So that is fine assuming there are no bits of wire poking out of the end.

 

[badgerchief]

cheers
Taylortwocities & spark123 it was the potential wire out the end that concerned me

 

[Spark123]

You get to hit the electrician with a big stick if they did that