Removing Outside Light - Blanking Feed Wires

[portlanders]

Hi,

I have an outside pir light attached to the side of our porch which I haven't used since it interferes at night with the cctv camera i installed.
There is now some damage to the pir cover so wish to just remove the light.
Tracing the wire back it goes in to my brick shed (attached to the house and porch) where it goes in to a plastic junction box on the inside wall. A different colour cable then runs out the other end.
The light is turned off and on by a double gang 1 way switch in the house - 1 for the outside light i wish to remove, the other for the light in the porch. This is on the ground floor light ring main.

2 questions -

To blank the wire to the outside light, I'm thinking this is easiest to do this in the junction box it runs to in the shed, but what do i need to blank it?

How do i change the existing double gang light switch in to a single gang switch? Is it a simple case of blanking the wires that go to the outside light?

Thanks

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

You need to do a little more investigation, and identify (for certain) the supply to the outside light. This will require some test equipment and knowledge of testing.
Are you confusing two way and single way lighting functions, with one/two gang switches? A two way function will operate lights at more than one lighting position/switch. A two gang switch has two switches on the face plate, which can be one or two way or combination of both. Clarification is required.

 

[portlanders]

You need to do a little more investigation, and identify (for certain) the supply to the outside light. This will require some test equipment and knowledge of testing.
Are you confusing two way and single way lighting functions, with one/two gang switches? A two way function will operate lights at more than one lighting position/switch. A two gang switch has two switches on the face plate, which can be one or two way or combination of both. Clarification is required.

Hi yes, i meant two gang 1 way and edited the post to clarify this.
I was thinking if it was acceptable to use single terminal blocks to cap the unwanted wires in the light switch and wrap them in electrical tape? I could then just connect the porch light wires to a single gang switch.
Also do the same in the junction box.... single terminal block and wrap in electrical tape?

If this is not possible or there is no alternative cheap solution with the changing the double gang light switch to single gang, how can i just remove the outside light and make the wires safe?

Thanks for your input thus far, much appreciated.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As previous you must identify the cables and make safe. It is possible to do this but you need to prove what cables are doing and by disconnecting them you are not interfering with other parts of the system.

Without identification of the conductors, it would be pure guess work.
With regards to the one gang switch, it should be possible to change the two gang to a one gang, again ID the cables that serve that part of the installation, there a number of ways that lighting circuits are installed, so again without proving what it what, it is guess work.
Some pictures and the availability of a multi-meter would be helpful.

 

[portlanders]

As previous you must identify the cables and make safe. It is possible to do this but you need to prove what cables are doing and by disconnecting them you are not interfering with other parts of the system.

Without identification of the conductors, it would be pure guess work.
With regards to the one gang switch, it should be possible to change the two gang to a one gang, again ID the cables that serve that part of the installation, there a number of ways that lighting circuits are installed, so again without proving what it what, it is guess work.
Some pictures and the availability of a multi-meter would be helpful.

Here are a couple of photo's i've just taken, if a multi-meter is required i will get one tomorrow.
The left switch (nearest the wall in the photo) is the one that is no longer required.

Light Switch 1

• portlanders
• 22 Jun 2015

Light Switch 2

• portlanders
• 22 Jun 2015

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

So in com of the left gang and com of the right gang, you have a red that links permanent live across the two gangs, this can be removed. Before removal safely isolate circuit and you must prove the circuit is dead, prior to working on it. Removing this link should? then remove power to the external light.
It would also then be wise to disconnect the red switch live L2 of the left hand gang, if the cables are in sets of twins and earth, you can then disconnect the neutral (black) that is associated with switch live of left gang and the earth that is associated with this. I would then test the circuit continuity of these cables between switch position and external light/junction box. If continuity is proved they can either be removed or terminated safely. I would normally terminate them all together in same connector.
If this proves to be satisfactory the two gang can then be replaced with a single gang switch, copying what you have on the right hand gang, and keeping the remaining neutrals (blacks) and earths (green/yellow) terminated as they are, unless you install a metallic switch, the earths must be connected to the earth terminal on switch.

 

[portlanders]

So in com of the left gang and com of the right gang, you have a red that links permanent live across the two gangs, this can be removed. Before removal safely isolate circuit and you must prove the circuit is dead, prior to working on it. Removing this link should? then remove power to the external light.
It would also then be wise to disconnect the red switch live L2 of the left hand gang, if the cables are in sets of twins and earth, you can then disconnect the neutral (black) that is associated with switch live of left gang and the earth that is associated with this. I would then test the circuit continuity of these cables between switch position and external light/junction box. If continuity is proved they can either be removed or terminated safely. I would normally terminate them all together in same connector.
If this proves to be satisfactory the two gang can then be replaced with a single gang switch, copying what you have on the right hand gang, and keeping the remaining neutrals (blacks) and earths (green/yellow) terminated as they are, unless you install a metallic switch, the earths must be connected to the earth terminal on switch.

Thank you,

By taking that photo i follow and understand what you are saying. I will be replacing with a cheap plastic 1 gang switch from screwfix.
After doing this i can take the cable from the outside light and remove up to the junction box and make safe in there, so should in the future i want to reinstall an outside light i have the means to do so.
Thank you again.