Switch with neon

[JohnW2]

A pneumatic switch would work in this situation, or the modern equivalent, seeing as you have the neutral there already... In the places I work they are everywhere nowadays, yes they are indeed infuriating, but only because the installers have set them on a 30 second or so timer. If they were set to 10 minutes or more they would be fine though for most applications.

Fair enough if one uses 'the modern equivalent', but pneumatic ones will rarely give more than about 30 seconds. Engineering-wise that would be difficult, and they were only ever really intended for illuminating a corridor or flight of stairs etc. whilst one walked through/up it.

10 minutes ought to be enough for a loo, but I'm not so sure about a bathroom with no window. When they were living at home, my daughters would have had to re-activate it umpteen times before they had finished their shower!

Kind Regards, John

 

[rsgaz]

but pneumatic ones will rarely give more than about 30 seconds.

10 minute pneumatic switch

Agreed on the other point, not much use for a family bathroom, but the OP wants it for a downstairs loo. Just a toilet and basin I imagine.

 

[JohnW2]

Fair enough about the 10 minute pneumatic switch, but ...

Agreed on the other point, not much use for a family bathroom, but the OP wants it for a downstairs loo. Just a toilet and basin I imagine.

The OP actually describes it as a "downstairs bathroom/wc". Maybe I over-interpreted that??

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

The OP actually describes it as a "downstairs bathroom/wc". Maybe I over-interpreted that??

I should perhaps have added ... or maybe he's American (but kindly offered the "wc" as a translation for Brits)

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

He has a neutral and can use the switch he wants.

Yes sorry I misread that

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If they were set to 10 minutes or more they would be fine though for most applications.

No - it takes quite a bit longer than that to read a quality newspaper...

 

[tygerbright]

Hi all

Thanks for the many replies!

To clarify the room has a shower with a bog (I'm a Brit!) ... and the fan doesn't have a timer unfortunately as I did consider this. Also changing the fan is not something I'm planning on doing.

The switch is in the corridor so not always obvious that its on and the fan can't be heard through the door either so hence the need for something visible from the outside of the room.

So ... I have another question. There are two neutral wires coming at the current switch point that are wired into a choc-block as not in use with the existing fitting. I assume one of the neutrals is for the Supply and one for the Load - how can I identify which is which as the new switch fitting with neon takes two N wires for Supply and Load.

 

[333rocky333]

You dont really need to put the neutral via the switch, a link from the connecter block to the Neutral IN terminal will be fine.
Or put all the neutrals in the Neutral In terminal

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Aren't they different colours? One blue, one grey?

 

[333rocky333]

As theres 3 browns maybe theres 3 neutrals, 2 blue and 1 grey

 

[ericmark]

I have a Energenie MiHome light switch for my bedroom powering a 10W LED which I can program with my computer to switch on/off three times a day and also has three remote controls not that I need all that, but also have sockets and central heating on the same system.

However it has a red light when lights are on and no neutral, also because I have three timers I can set three one minute switch on/off so three times a day the light can auto switch off, however to program with PC also needs a hub, so it would not be cost effective to have the hub just for the light switch. However you can have a switch with no neutral and a red indicator lit when lights are on. It needs a deep back box with no lugs top and bottom. So it will likely cost £17 which is not cheap for a light switch but you can do it.

 

[tygerbright]

As theres 3 browns maybe theres 3 neutrals, 2 blue and 1 grey

Hi Rocky - yes thats spot on.

See attached below:

View media item 99972
The wires are labelled - Mains, Light and Fan if that helps?

 

[JohnW2]

To clarify the room has a shower with a bog (I'm a Brit!) ... and the fan doesn't have a timer unfortunately as I did consider this.

As I said before, despite the suggestion that was made, a timer fan wouldn't really help you with your problem. Those timers just make the fan continuing to run for a period (typically about 15 minutes) after it has been 'switched off' - so if your kids never switch it off, it would therefore run continuously, just as is the case without a timer!

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

To be fair it could get a bit complicated trying to work out your neutrals, personally I would put all 3 in the ( N in ) terminal of the new switch

 

[333rocky333]

The two browns together are LIVE IN
The Brown and Black together are the LIVE OUT
I would not advise switching the Neutral to the fan as if a timer fan is ever fitted it wont work properly