Reusing an existing switch to light new ceiling spotlights

[Krust76y]

Hi all,

Hoping one of you bright sparks can help me with a little simple DIY issue
The attached is a junction box in my loft.

Current setup
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In my living room I only have two wall lights and two switches.
one switch is a single and the other is a double.
The double turns on each wall light one at a time. The single one is wired up to one wall light only.

New setup
=======

I have wired in some spotlights into the ceiling and I want to change the single switch to illuminate my spots instead of one of the wall lights. Sounds straight forward enough but then I saw the junction box

Untitled

• Krust76y
• 24 Dec 2010
• 2

The cables on the left; I think two are the ring main and one is the other wall light.

Any help anyone might have would be appreciated
Many Thanks - Merry Christmas.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The single one is wired up to one wall light only.

So you've got 2-way switching on that wall light - you can't just remove one of the switches and use it for something else, the switching for that wall light will need to be rewired as well.

then I saw the junction box

It's quite neatly done - won't be hard to trace the wires and see where they all go and work out what they all do.

There are some things about it which need sorting though - all those earths should be sleeved, there's exposed copper showing in the 2-way connector block, but above all none of the switch cables have an earth. I do hope none of the switches are metal. Not connecting the earths in those cables shows a combination of laziness and ignorance which should make you worry about anything else the idiot who did that might have fiddled with.

The cables on the left; I think two are the ring main and one is the other wall light.

1) "I think" is a problem - you should do nothing until you know what they are.

2) None of them will be part of a ring final because they are too small, lighting circuits aren't rings, and in any event none of the reds are connected together so you don't even have the lighting loop running through that JB (unless for some bizarre reason the permanent live join is done at the porch switch).

Any help anyone might have would be appreciated

You need to learn how lighting circuits work:

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books

and you need to get a multimeter so that you can trace and identify cables.

 

[sparkydude]

BAS the switch cables most likeley do not actually have earth cores in them. There was a period of time where three core and earth cables and some twin cables were sold without earths , and only feeds and loads to lights were wired with twin and earth. I think its quite harsh to say that the original install is dangerous and has been done by an amateur and to check his other work as in my mind there is nothing at all wrong with the standard of the installation that has been done , as that was how it used to be done. Admittedly there are shortfalls between 60s wiring and modern day but as long as the switches are never replaced with metal ones there is no real issue . I would recommend that the OP gets a Periodic inspection carried out as the age of the installation throws a few other things up that could need attention, ie main bonding to gas and water, provision of RCD protection to circuits and sleeving of earths at terminations. .


Nick

 

[Krust76y]

Thank you both for your advice. I only moved in to the property in feb and this is the first time I've looked at any of the electrics really.

Sounds like its way out of my remit. I need to get a local electrician round to check my wiring then I guess, i was hoping it was simple and save a few quid.

Alarmingly enough I have just changed over a plastic switch for a nice shiny metal B&Q replacement !!! Haven't killed myself yet but I will remember to mention it to the guy when he calls round.

Thanks again for such a quick reply and Merry Christmas.

 

[Wontdothatagain]

Alarmingly enough I have just changed over a plastic switch for a nice shiny metal B&Q replacement !!! Haven't killed myself yet

I would swap that metal switch back to a plastic one until you have it checked out. If there is no CPC and a fault develops, the metal switch could become live and the fuse would not trip/blow.

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[sparkydude]

Admittedly the switch is dangerous but by looking at the junction box it has earths on the feeds and the loads , not the switches however, so dont go rushing around removing all the metal light fittings just on our say so. Get it checked out. The reason there are 3 lives in the JB is as ithe wiring has been done JB style there is most likeley a feed in fedd out and spur off to some other JB.

Nick

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Can't be a feed in, out, and spur to a JB - none of the reds are joined.