Moving a light switch - is an rcd needed?

Ft2300 · Sep 27, 2021

Hi, we've bought a house which has the light switches in the reception rooms behind the door - we don't want to rehang the doors to open the other way as the rooms are small and it obstructs furniture.

I've had a few quotes of £100-£200 to move the lights switch to a different wall but one electrician said if the house doesn't have an RCD then it will be more/ not as simple. The house is a 1920s semi and doesn't have an RCD so I've repeated this back to other contractors who have said it's not needed.

I'm not sure what to think and know nothing about electrics - they were saying something about chasing the cables but i don't know what this is. Can anyone help?

Thanks

MJPD29 · Sep 27, 2021

If the cable is buried less than 50mm deep in wall without earthed mechanical protection, yes.

loz2754 · Sep 27, 2021

Any new work on a lighting circuit which involves altering the wiring has to have RCD protection.

loz2754 · Sep 27, 2021

Another option would be to use quinetic wireless switches, though not necessarily a cheaper option.

telectrix · Sep 27, 2021

loz2754 said:
Another option would be to use quinetic wireless switches, though not necessarily a cheaper option.

won't be all that bad if you knock off the cost of chasing, plastering, and re-decoration.

Mikegh · Sep 27, 2021

Could be problematic then when you fit the RCBO at the board

Faults and borrowed neutrals

brianmoooore · Sep 27, 2021

The possibility of finding out that your wiring is in an unsatisfactory/dangerous condition is hardly a valid reason for not fitting an RCD

littlespark · Sep 27, 2021

Are you absolutely sure it doesn't have an rcd? Just because the house is 1920's doesn't mean the wiring is... (It won't be!)

Can we have a photo of the consumer unit showing the circuit breakers. It might be an easy job to add an RCD or RCBO.

There are other smart type switches that could be used instead of Quinetic.

I had to do this myself in a previous house i'd owned where the living room door had been hung the other way. Switch behind the door. But i managed to push a new cable down the conduit buried in the wall that fed the hallway switch, which was back to back with the new switch position.
Really lucky as the piece of wallpaper i cut out to fit the new switch, matched perfectly to patch where the old switch was.

As far as regulations go, FYI, from page 59 of the BBB electricians Bible (big blue book, BS7671 Wiring Regulations, 18th edition)

411.3.4 Additional requirements for circuits with luminaires

Within domestic (household) premises, additional protection by an RCD with a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30mA shall be provided for AC final circuits supplying luminaires

Ft2300 · Sep 27, 2021

littlespark said:
Are you absolutely sure it doesn't have an rcd? Just because the house is 1920's doesn't mean the wiring is... (It won't be!)

Can we have a photo of the consumer unit showing the circuit breakers. It might be an easy job to add an RCD or RCBO.

There are other smart type switches that could be used instead of Quinetic.

I had to do this myself in a previous house i'd owned where the living room door had been hung the other way. Switch behind the door. But i managed to push a new cable down the conduit buried in the wall that fed the hallway switch, which was back to back with the new switch position.
Really lucky as the piece of wallpaper i cut out to fit the new switch, matched perfectly to patch where the old switch was.

As far as regulations go, FYI, from page 59 of the BBB electricians Bible (big blue book, BS7671 Wiring Regulations, 18th edition)

411.3.4 Additional requirements for circuits with luminaires

Within domestic (household) premises, additional protection by an RCD with a rated residual operating current not exceeding 30mA shall be provided for AC final circuits supplying luminaires

Hiya, here is a photo of the consumer unit - to my knowledge there's no rcd. Sorry for the angle - will get a better one in the morning.

[ElectriciansForums.net] Moving a light switch - is an rcd needed?

littlespark · Sep 27, 2021

Nope... no RCD.

Museum piece, not quite 1920's.

90's circuit breakers retrofitted into a 70's board. (someone will correct my dates if im wrong)

Ft2300 · Sep 27, 2021

brianmoooore said:
The possibility of finding out that your wiring is in an unsatisfactory/dangerous condition is hardly a valid reason for not fitting an RCD

Hi, thanks - I'm open to putting one in if needed, just want to actually understand if it's needed for the moving the light switches or not (something we could save up to do in the future). Can anyone give a ballpark of how much it would cost to put in an RCD? thanks

Ft2300 · Sep 27, 2021

littlespark said:
Nope... no RCD.

Museum piece, not quite 1920's.

90's circuit breakers retrofitted into a 70's board. (someone will correct my dates if im wrong)

Thanks for confirming - would be helpful to know if i should be worried about this (on the house we've just bought!!) - is it something that needs to be replaced/ upgraded asap? Many thanks

littlespark · Sep 27, 2021

Doesn't need to be upgraded as it is, but obviously any new works, including alterations to an existing circuit such as moving a switch, would have to be done to the current edition of the regulations... which would mean adding an RCD to it somehow.

It might be an idea to have an EICR done on the property. That way, any faults that are or may become dangerous will be found.

brianmoooore · Sep 27, 2021

Shower on a 16? Immersion heater on a 32? Two electric showers (both without RCD, unless at shower end)?
I would make getting a EICR on your house a priority.

littlespark · Sep 27, 2021

The "shower on a 16" looks to have been repurposed as underfloor heating... which looks to be passing through the RCD spur in the bottom right of picture.

and the 32A for immersion is turned off. Still needs investigated though.

Installations of this age will have had some alterations no doubt over the years. I cant see there being enough sockets in each room, if still original.

Moving a light switch - is an rcd needed?

Ft2300

MJPD29

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loz2754

loz2754

telectrix

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Mikegh

brianmoooore

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littlespark

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Ft2300

littlespark

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Ft2300

Ft2300

littlespark

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brianmoooore

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littlespark

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