Using a double pole swich for outside light

[JohnW2]

I was thinking that , you can get an outside light switch that tells you to do that isnt there?

I'm somewhat struggling to work out what you are trying to say here

 

[TNDU]

Yes, I admitted it is non-ideal but, for someone who was 'in the know' it would tell them whether the outside light was on or off without having to look outside!

Those neons do eventually die, but even those which are on continuously (which many are) usually last for a few years (and can usually be replaced).

i can tell if the lights are on by the position of the switch, but it means you need to look at it carefully and be within a short distance of the switch. with the indicator, I can tell from a distance away. I often forget to turn the lights off outside once I have turned it on, so I am relying on the neon indicator to remind me to turn it off!

 

[pete01]

I'm somewhat struggling to work out what you are trying to say here

Yes sorry that didnt make much sense

 

[TNDU]

Yes, that's how it should be.

Yes, a very long time ago it was green, rather than the current green/yellow

No - it is earth. That theoretically leads to another possible 'clever' suggestion, but it's somewhat 'naughty' so I probably shouldn't mention it

Thanks. I have only ever seen the earth cable sheath in green and yellow or just yellow. Google says that old wiring had a green sheath for earth, but thought I should check.

I have added an earth cable from the light switch to that hole in the wall as I saw a video that says a metal light switch should be earthed and there is no earth wire in that arrangement from the light switch, but that old light switch is plastic and the new one I installed is metallic.

That earth cable therefore isn't spare so I don't think your "naughty" suggestion would work, but just out of interest, what is this intriguing "naugty" suggestion?

 

[JohnW2]

That earth cable therefore isn't spare so I don't think your "naughty" suggestion would work, but just out of interest, what is this intriguing "naugty" suggestion?

I really should not be saying this, but ....

... the earth cable doesn't need to be 'spare'. (if you were thinking of oversleeving the bare earth wire at its ends and using it as a neutral, that would be so very naughty that even I would not contemplate it ).

However, if you connected the (real) earth to one side of the neon (as well as to the metal parts of switch), with the other side of the neon connected to the 'switched live' (most likely your black, but possibly the red), then the neon would work as you would like, but there are reasons why it would theoretically be undesirable (although not 'unsafe') to do that!

 

[TNDU]

I really should not be saying this, but ....

... the earth cable doesn't need to be 'spare'. (if you were thinking of oversleeving the bare earth wire at its ends and using it as a neutral, that would be so very naughty that even I would not contemplate it ).

However, if you connected the (real) earth to one side of the neon (as well as to the metal parts of switch), with the other side of the neon connected to the 'switched live' (most likely your black, but possibly the red), then the neon would work as you would like, but there are reasons why it would theoretically be undesirable (although not 'unsafe') to do that!

I have decided to use a normal light switch and keep the double pole switch for another use. Yeah, that doesn't sound very safe, even if I could understand it

 

[JohnW2]

I have decided to use a normal light switch and keep the double pole switch for another use. Yeah, that doesn't sound very safe, even if I could understand it

Fair enough. AsI said, to do what I described would be 'safe', but it would slightly increase the chances of 'nuisance tripping' of any RCD or RCBO protecting the circuit.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Those neons do eventually die, but even those which are on continuously (which many are) usually last for a few years (and can usually be replaced).

30+ years is not unusual..

They tend to blacken the glass, rather than actually fail, due to any DC component on the mains supply.