Wiring a light with an Isolator

[Alan Carter]

I have a bathroom with 2- Isolators one for the lights and one for the fan, they were fitted with a P.I.R. the fan only came on when the lights we activated, I want to wire them so they are individual switched, I have disconnected the P.I.R and now I can switch on the light by itself using the Isolator, I want to wire the lights with a light switch at door level, how do I do this and keep the isolator in place so its still used as it should be, please leave the fan wiring for now so I can concentrate and get the light one sorted first, I will eventually do the same with the fan but I am undecided weather to fit one with a timer. the isolator for the lights is only 2 pole and has a mains in and a cable directly to the lights.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Take it there is no light switch by the door at the moment?
If you have access to the space above the ceiling, easiest fix is a pullswitch. Electrically that pullswitch needs a permanent live (from supply to PIR probably) and switched live (output to lights, fan etc).

 

[ericmark]

Before the Part M or L which ever was altered it was suggested that if there is a non opening window then there was need to be able to switch on the fan without lights, and an old member of this forum use to advocate using a two pole lights switch so this could be done, however it is rare.

So you could fit a two pole switch and that way you don't need the light on at same time, however today the LED light uses that little power hardly worth the effort.

Most the two pole pull switches I have found are for emergency call systems and are often red or have red cords, so it may be hard finding one that looks OK.

In the main we do not have isolators for lights, the difference between an isolator and a switch is the isolator switches line and neutral so is a two or three pole switch, so I wonder if it was actually wired as @ban-all-sheds showed all those years ago with a single switch for lights, but a completely separate set of contacts for the fan?

This is the normal method, I don't have a diagram to hand showing two pole switch, since the LED uses such a small amount of power I would just fit a momentary switch in parallel the lights will flash on/off when pressed but the timer in fan should keep it running for 15 minutes. I personally would not bother with double pole switches today.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Part M or L do not say that.

 

[Alan Carter]

I tried to keep this simple so I did not tell you the whole story, the property is only 6 years old but whoever wired this section used a very strange way of wiring this (in my opinion) once I removed the P.I.R. from the ceiling I was confronted with a very small Junction Box Housing 3-3core+earth cables, I decided the best course of action was to disconnect the lot and work out what each cable did, it worked out 1 cable fed the lights via the Isolator the 2nd cable in a roundabout way via the J.B. fed the Fan Isolator, and the 3rd cable was feeding the fan direct but it only made live once the light isolator was switched on, so I have done away with the J.B. so now the lights are fed directly from the light isolator, I have looped the live feed from the light isolator to the Fan Isolator and connected the direct feed from the Fan to the outgoing so now they are both Independent of each other, the 3rd cable which was connected to the fan Isolator from the J.B. is now redundant, I have run 2-3core+E cables one from each Isolator to a back box on the wall at normal height for a 2 gang switch, I did have to chase out the wall to do this by the way, I now need to know what are the correct connections for these two switches to meet regulations with the Isolators. hope all this makes sense.

 

[Alan Carter]

More pics

 

[EFLImpudence]

The regulations have nothing to do with it.
You do not need an isolator for the fan although it might be a good idea.
You definitely don't need an isolator for the light.

So, if you want the light and fan to work independently then you just need to wire them to work that way.
Power to both with the lives interrupted by the switches.

 

[Alan Carter]

Cheers, yes I get that but I thought they were installed in case work was required on them, obviously I was trying to do the right thing.

 

[Alan Carter]

I have travelled the world quite a bit, what is the country of your flag.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Portugal. If you put the cursor on the flag it tells you.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Cheers, yes I get that but I thought they were installed in case work was required on them, obviously I was trying to do the right thing.

Yes, as I said, it might be a good idea for the fan for that reason and if it becomes faulty you can "isolate" it but we don't do it on lights as they are normally connected from one to the next.

 

[Alan Carter]

That was the first country I visited when I went to sea, I remember a place called the Sunshine Bar (or something like that) and when you came out of the loo 2 girls showered you with a scent spray. Happy Days. ! I think I will do it as you suggested for the lighting systems its not necessary.