Moving a Light Switch

[sam8364]

Hi guys,

I am just in the process of moving a door frame and door - they result will be that the light switch is not behind the open door and really needs to be moved to the otherside of the frame.

What is the the best way of moving the switch? It may be possible to access the ceiling rose for the light through the roof space - if not I can certainly get to wires leading down to existing switch.

The current plan is to cut the wire to existing switch - connect a new run of wire to these using some sort of junction box and then just run the new wire through the roof space and down the other side of the door. Would this work??

As for the old switch - I was planning to pull out the old wires if possible and then just fill in the hole left be the old swtich.

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The real pain in that the wall where the new switch will be sited has just been freshly plastered (yes I know I should have thought this through before plastering). So does anyone know either:--

1. How to get a decent finish when filling in chasing out?
2. Whether there are paintable counduits avaliable?

Cheers

Sam

 

[Adam_151]

The best way would be to run a new cable from the new switch to the ceiling rose, and chop off as much as possible of the cold cable from both ends and/or draw it out if it is under capping

Perfectly possible to get a smooth finish you just have to take care over it and it might take a little whicle to get the feeling for it if its the first time you have done it, products like this are popular with some electricians:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/FXRMF1.html

as opposed to the stuff in the white tub you get from Wilkinsons

OOI, why would you want paintable conduit , I don't believe there is any thats paintable with emulsion, etc, but if you were determined to paint a piece then I'm sure you could do so my using the right paints and primers etc.... thats pvc conduit anyway, I'd have thought you could paint steel conduit with gloss paint

 

[sam8364]

Cheers Adam,

Thanks for the link to the filler - I saw a chap use this once but had been unable to remember what it was.

I wonder about paintable conduit in case I decide not to ruin my lovely new wall by chasing - I just did not want white pvc running down the wall and thought a paintable version may be useful.

Next question - what is the tidyest way to chase a wall - I currently don't have any power tools fit for purpose and do not really want to buy - is there a tidy if labour intensive way of doing it my hand without screwing up all the surrounding plaster?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, even if you had a chasing tool you wouldn't want to use it in a house you lived in.

Hammer drill with small diameter masonry bit - lots of holes as close together as you can get, in two vertical lines outlining the edges of the chase.

Then stitch them together with a bolster.

And then if the middle hasn't fallen out anyway, use a cold chisel the same width as the chase to remove the plaster and brick/block.

Make the chase big enough to be able to put oval PVC conduit in..

And if you plan on being a DIYer in this life, start looking on eBay for a decent (e.g. Blue Bosch) s/h SDS-Plus drill with roto-stop.

 

[sam8364]

Cheers B-A-S

Good idea, I guess the oval conduit adds some protection to the cable?

Can I just use the 'suitable for lighting circuits' cable sold in the DIY stores?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Good idea, I guess the oval conduit adds some protection to the cable?

A bit of protection against the trowel or spreader you use for the filler, but its main purpose is to allow future rewiring to be easy.

Can I just use the 'suitable for lighting circuits' cable sold in the DIY stores?

If that is 1mm² or 1.5mm² twin and earth, yes.

 

[sam8364]

You guys really are stars!

It may be necessary to cut the cable to the original switch and extend it rather than going back to the ceiling rose due to access.

What sort of junction device would I need to use?

 

[Adam_151]

Juction boxes are really supposed to be accessable for maintainance, the jury is still out on whether under a carpeted floor counts as accessable enough, though I will say that if you use a decent junction box (MK, etc) and make the terminations sound then in practice it'll cause no problems

Unless you want to buy the tool to crimp cables (crimped connectors can be inaccessable), also note that you have to be careful with crimps, its possible to produce a very good joint with crimps, but use the incorrect tooling, etc and you might end up with a joint that wouldn't even be any good in wet string... then your other option is to take the joint into a patress (the box switches are mounted in) with a blank plate over the top at ceiling level.

The new cable to the ceiling rose is by far the preferable option, but if thats not possible, then its not possible

 

[sam8364]

Cheers Adam,

I will launch myself into the cramped roof space tonight and see if I can reach the ceiling rose

standby for the noise of the ceiling collapsing!