Advice on this little number! Power and lighting in same switch?

[Chris Organ]

Hello all!

So this is not something I've ever come across and wanted your opinions.
(Refurbishment project)
So in the garden area there are 2 external wall lights and a water feature in the garden.
Clients wants to be able to switch both items on at the wall by the French doors at normal switch height.
External lights will be fed from the lighting circuit.
Water feature will be fed from a switched fused spur from the ring main.

Now I can put both switches next to each other not a problem, 1x 1g light switch and 1x 1g dp switch for the water feature.

My question is, is it acceptable instead of 2 separate 1g switches to combine them both into a 2g grid switch to make it look more visually appealing.
This will mean there will be 2x circuits in the switch (no different to having 2x lighting circuits at a switch) however 1 will be lighting and 1 will be power.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks

 

[westward10]

I see no problem whatsoever but you may need to identify each switches purpose.

 

[Lip.82]

Hi Chris
I wouldn't like to say on this one. I'm not long out of college and still gaining experience but I'm looking forward to seeing the replies from others on here as it's a good question

 

[westward10]

As long as the switch is suitably rated and if its purpose not immediately obvious then it should be suitably identified then I see no issue.

 

[1Justin]

No regulation to say you can't. Strikes me as not the most sensible thing to do, but then think of situation in loads of house with 2 way upstairs-downstairs lighting. Often as not one of those boxes (if it's a double switch also for somewhere else - say the landing), contains 2 circuits.
Add a nicely printed label somewhere obvious, and you've pretty much covered yourself.

 

[KEV 1 N]

How about using this for the water feature?

 

[MJPD29]

I see no problem with this either I actually think it's a good idea

 

[Octopus]

Feed the feature and the lights from the fused spur

 

[I2C]

As long as the switch and conductors are suitably rated, then I can't see a problem.

 

[mikshim]

The only problem I can see is that if it was a three phase installation you may have two different phases resulting in 400V in the switch. Either way a label stating 400V/isolate from two sources would cover everything.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Feed the feature and the lights from the fused spur

Exactly - my thoughts when I read the OP!

 

[Sparkingmad]

You should be fine as long as you label them up. Doesn’t have to be on the face plate but can on the yoke under the face plate. Otherwise why not use a wyse box and just use the switches to control that? If not you could use click Scolemore 2 gang RF switch to control 2 actuators both rated at 16A if that would help I can look up part numbers as I have just ordered them for a project myself have a 200mtr RF range in open reduces by 30% when going through wall but should easily operate over 50mtrs.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It’s no different to the downstairs light switch in most houses which has the up and down lighting circuits on one switch.
I have yet to see a label mentioning that in any installation.

 

[Sparkingmad]

That is true Taylortwocities but most people would expect to find 2 lighting circuits in a 2 gang switch by the stairs fed off 2 circuits but not by a patio door and not 1 lighting and 1 power.

 

[Phillip]

No problem, that's what grid wiring kit is designed for.