outside light wired into CU

[feno]

I have an outside light wired directly into the consumber unit. neutral going to the main switch and the live going to one of the lighting fuses.
I want to put a switch in so that I can control when the light comes on. I thought the previous owners had already done this but when i opened up the switch it turned out to be for the alarm witch was still live and I blew the main fuse by the meter. E-on came out within the hour thank god.
My own stupid fault for not doing a proper check of what was still live and what wasn't.

If i switch off the main switch I can safely remove the neutral/live wires? From my understanding if the main switch is off the only thing live in the box is the 2 wires from the meter that go into the main switch, is that correct?

 

[mfarrow]

I thought the previous owners had already done this but when i opened up the switch it turned out to be for the alarm witch was still live and I blew the main fuse by the meter.

How the devil did you do that?? Was the alarm circuit not protected by its own fuse/MCB, or did that trip as well?

E-on came out within the hour thank god.

Let's hope the ambulance would have been quicker still!

If i switch off the main switch I can safely remove the neutral/live wires? From my understanding if the main switch is off the only thing live in the box is the 2 wires from the meter that go into the main switch, is that correct?

Yes to both.

 

[feno]

The alarm was not on its own fuse/mcb, none of the switches tripped, it just blew the main fuse.

I have to say I was quite shaken after the flash and pop once the switch was opened. one of the live wires was loose and as i pulled it away it blew.
I cant begin to tell you how this has come about

Just one of the many bodge jobs I have found around the house since buying. the spaghetti junction of wires under the cooker was one of my favourites, lots of extension leads just to wire the cooker ignition and the extractor fan up.
The front porch light is wired into the front bedrooms sockets.

 

[JohnD]

The lighting circuit must not be taken straight off the main switch, it must come off a fuse or MCB in ther consumer unit. Assuming the ground-floor lighting circuit is properly fused, your outside lamp could be supplied from that.

if this is a serious post, then you should be saving up to have a proper electrician, who is a member of a Competent Persons scheme, carry out an inspection and test to see what else needs doing properly.

If you insist on a DIY fix, you could replace the existing switch with an FCU, which is a dual-pole switch incorporatings its own fuse. It takes the same kind of fuse as a 3-pin plug, but fit a 3A max fuse.

Without wishing to be rude, it sounds like you are in over your head.

Put the first few characters of your postcode into
http://www.competentperson.co.uk/search.asp

 

[1john]

Have you got rewirable fuses? if so you should check all the fuse wire is the correct size, or in some instances, not a nail!!!!!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I cant begin to tell you how this has come about.

I can.

Someone who knew he had no idea how electrical installations work thought that despite his ignorance it would still be OK to fiddle with it.