Replacing a bathroom pull cord lighting switch

[Kat29]

Good Morning,

My mums just moved house and I'm helping her with some DIY, I'm really enjoying it have done loads of painting,replacing door handles, pluming in washing machine (for a office bod it's a huge step forward)

As this is electrical I really want to double check the process.

I've got all the right tools and turning the power off whilst workings

Pull cord switch needed replacing as it was dirty, (house is 15yrs old) as I e taken it off and it's old it broke. So I went a got a new 1way replacement from DIY shop. It is slightly different from the old one (I assumed the unit & wiring would be the same but it's not) the new unit has three places for wires to be connected L1,L2 and COM. The wires previously connected were in x4 places for wires to go in the black fitting, x2black wires with a red plastic casing over it and x2 plain red wires. There is a yellow and yellow and green wire tucked away that was never connected to the previous unit. Could I please ask for someone to confirm in "simple" terms to confirm how to fit the wires into the new x3 holed unit. I'd be really grateful...

Many thanks katie

 

[jj4091]

Your new switch, as is common these days, can be used for one or two way operation see this link for how to connect //www.diynot.com/wiki/electric...ng_2-way_and_3-way_switches_as_1-way_or_2-way

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Did you take a note of where the cables were terminated on the previous (old dirty) pull cord switch?
It is not wise to dismantle/disconnect items like these without doing this!
Does this pull cord operate or make live more than one light or additional item such as extractor fan, mirror light/shaver socket?
Could you please confirm if the yellow core was connected to the pull cord terminals?
Ideally you would require some approved equipment for testing for continuity and voltage, to confirm correct configuration.
But noting the placement of the cables within the old pull cord would have been a good logical step to take.
Once we can confirm the correct arrangement, it would be wise to prevent derbies and dust falling and collecting within the pull cord enclosure and switch mechanism, I generally make the cable entry hole at the ceiling good, by filling with a silicon seal. This is often a reason why pull cords start to fail, it's not the age, it's the dust they collect from above.

 

[Kat29]

Hello thanks for your quick reply. I was good the old "wires" are still connected to the old fitting I've just removed the outer casing. It's only needed for one way switch for the light there is nothing else it's used for ie a fan or anything purely just the light. I've added pictures to my album..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've got all the right tools

?

?

?

As this is electrical I really want to double check the process.

As this is electrical you really need to understand how it works, and understand what you are doing, not just to follow instructions to put-this-wire-in-that-hole without knowing why.

The wires previously connected were in x4 places for wires to go in the black fitting,

Sounds like it could have been a double-pole switch - as PBoD asked, did it control anything apart from the light?

Could I please ask for someone to confirm in "simple" terms to confirm how to fit the wires into the new x3 holed unit. I'd be really grateful...

Plan A:

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics

Plan B:

• Get an electrician

There really, really, REALLY is no acceptable alternative to actually knowing about it if you want to fiddle with it.

Runny paintwork, crooked wallpaper, wonky shelves, doors that don't quite fit, plumbing which leaks a bit - none of these matter greatly. But flaky electrics do.

 

[Kat29]

any updates at all for me please ???

 

[dhutch]

I think your best solution is to take back the switch you have (which appears to be a single pole two way switch) and get a two pole switch which give you the four connections you need.

Most likely you have two live feeds (red) and two switched returns (black sleaved red) to the lights and fan, and you could just common them both together into Com and L1, but as said, without being confident as to where each of the four comes from or goes to its hard to say.


Daniel

 

[Kat29]

Thankyou Daniel I know this sound daft and I apologise in advance but if I go to b&q and ask them what do I ask for exactly ?? Just so I don't get the wrong one ?? Thankyou

 

[Taylortwocities]

Is this the same question that you are asking in your OTHER TOPIC today, or a different one?

 

[Kat29]

It was the same question but I worded it kinda wrong. In the end I went to b&q and got the same light fitting box (inside connections) as the old fitting. It's cost a little bit more but I just wasn't confident in what I was doing

 

[Taylortwocities]

I was wondering as there is different information in the two topics.

Please go to the incorrect one and hit the "Alert Moderators" button and ask them to delete the incorrect topic. Otherwise people are going to be wasting their time chasing the wrong info.

Also please make it clear if you have solved your problem now.

Thanks

 

[Kat29]

Job completed I did it....

Thankyou all that helped.