wall mounted in-line powerswitch

[robgod]

Hi All,
I am building an enclosure for a sliding door wardrobe and thought it would be nice to have some lights above the doors.
I dont want to go the the trouble of wiring them into the lighting circuit so i want to just plug them into a 3 pin socket which is already inside the wardrobe.

However, I do want a convenient switch - just like a normal light switch ( surface mounted) for these lights. Is it possible to get these type of switches for inline power? The only ones I've seen are the sort you get on a table lamp and obviously they are not designed for wall fixing.

Thanks
Rob

 

[333rocky333]

Although not the neatest of options, you can get pvc surface boxes for normal switches, you can drill two holes and fit flex glands and simply take the flex in and out of the switch box, connecting the neutral and earths in connectors in the rear of the box

 

[sparkwright]

Don't see why you can't use an ordinary light switch, as long as the cables are properly secured to the surface.

You can get an architrave light switch, which can be mounted on the surface or flushed in, which is a narrow version of a standard light switch.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Just a standard rocker switch and a single gang surface mounted back box will do, the cable/flex will need clipping or running in conduit/trunking, which ever takes your fancy. The fuse in the plug will need to satisfy the rating for the flex and the output of the lighting. Normally a fuse rated between 1A-5A is sufficient!
If the lamp/lamps are within the enclosure, take due care and regard to any combustible materials and the heat dissipated from lamp/lamps, a safe distance should be left to prevent a fire hazard.

 

[robgod]

Thank you to all of you! Every comment useful and constructive (so rare in many forums these days!)

That's given me exactly what I needed (and some info I hadn't considered! ).

I'm using a couple of 900mm low energy strip lights you get for under kitchen cabinets (T4 / T5? .... not sure what that means! ) so shouldn't give off much heat.

Thanks.
Rob

 

[AndyPRK]

yes I was thinking a slimline architrave light switch too

 

[333rocky333]

(T4 / T5? .... not sure what that means! )

T for tube
4 is 4/8ths of an inch diameter of the glass tube
5 is 5/8ths of an inch diameter of the glass tube

Old imperial measurements of tubes still widely used for now

 

[robgod]

Cool.thanks rocky.

 

[Robneedshelp]

I am doing something very similar and have got the light working yet the switch does nothing. How do I need to wire this so it will work?? It is an architrave switch in line from a 3 pin plug then to the light

 

[stillp]

How is it wired at the moment?

 

[Robneedshelp]

The 2 earths are into a connector box, the 2 neutrals are into a different connector box and both lives are going into the "com"

 

[stillp]

Well, if you've joined the live from the plug to the live to the light, the switch can't do anything. Take one (either) of the lives out and put it in a different terminal of the switch.

 

[Robneedshelp]

Just done that and separated them and put one live in the "com" and one in the "L1" and it is still doing the same!!

 

[stillp]

If I understand you correctly, you have a 3-core cable from a plug, and another 3-core to the light. The earths are joined together, the neutrals are joined together, one live is in the COM terminal of the switch, and one in L1, and the light is on whatever the position of the switch? Is that correct? If so, the switch is faulty.

 

[Robneedshelp]

That explains why I couldn't get it working in that case!!!! Thank you ever so much.