General Lighting Question

[J.C.E]

Am a 1st year apprentice and just want to get my head around the wiring of domestic lighting...

3plate: You take a 1.5 t+e from c/u to first lighting point (L,N,E) and then loop in and out of each lighting point (hench being called loop-in method aswell as 3plate?)

then take another 1.5 t+e from the light down to a 1way switch...brown is L, blue is SL, and green/yellow E.....but this is where I get confussed with where the brown and blue goes (when the terms perminent live and switch live I hear used!)

2plate: I beleive is the same as 3plate but you take a 1.5 t+e from the c/u to the first switch and loop each switch, then take a SW up to the lighting points...correct?

Is there a more common method that is used between 3plate and 2plate, why is this?

Then I know if you want 2way lighting, its just like the 1way I explained above but with a 3core from the switch to a second switch, C-C, L1-L1, L2-L2...... correct?

Then I am pretty lost with intermediate switching?!...so any help on this is wanted!

Thanks

 

[Adam W]

With 3 plate you have a permanent live at the light fitting (in a connector) which comes in from the supply, powers the switch (via the brown) and loops on to the next fitting. The blue (switched live) goes back from the switch to the live at the fitting.

2 plate seems somewhat controversial on this forum - some people reckon connecting the neutral at the switch is less acceptable than connecting the live at the fitting.

The other way is to do it via a junction box so you only get one cable at each accessory (switch and fitting), although the downside is obviously you have a junction box to put somewhere that can be found at a later date.

With 2 way switching the switch cable goes to L1 and L2 instead of L1 and COM, and the 3 core just connects the like terminals on the other switch as you say.
To convert it to intermediate the L1 and L2 cables go into the terminals on the switch, which crosses them over when switched, (ie L1 switches from connecting to L1 to connecting to L2, and vice versa.) The COM cable connects in a connector behind the switch.

 

[Newsome3]

I believe 2platr should only wired in singles
To be honest I find it a lot easier than 3plate

 

[J.C.E]

With 3 plate you have a permanent live at the light fitting (in a connector) which comes in from the supply, powers the switch (via the brown) and loops on to the next fitting. The blue (switched live) goes back from the switch to the live at the fitting.

so your perm live,brown down to switch,live loop to next fitting, do they go into the 'LOOP' Terminal on most light fittings

and the blue SW from the switch goes into the 'LIVE' terminal in the light fitting (which also already has the brown that connects to the bulb)

correct?

 

[Adam W]

Yes. The blue wire should be sleeved with brown sleeving to show it can become live.

 

[J.C.E]

and what if the light you use are downlighters, is it the same principle as above, but use a 4way junction box and wire in your live and neutral to the downlighter transformer ?

 

[Adam W]

You can do, or you can take the feed straight to the switch so you know where it is and don't have to use a junction box.

 

[J.C.E]

You can do, or you can take the feed straight to the switch so you know where it is and don't have to use a junction box.

brown to Com, blue to L1 in switch, then brown up to L on DL tranny and blue up to N?

 

[Adam W]

Yes, and blues connects together in a connector at the switch.

 

[J.C.E]

Yes, and blues connects together in a connector at the switch.

the blue from the feed from the c/u you mean? (as its a neautral and you dont have neutral in switches?)

 

[Adam W]

Yeah you don't actually use a connector on the switch, use terminal block, wago or similar.

 

[J.C.E]

lets me just clear this up then ha!...

t+e from c/u to switch, brown-com, blue in a block, then another t&e up to downlighter tran (brown in L1 at switch and blue also in block with the other neutral)
then just L,N,E in the tran

correct ha!

 

[kung]

.............

 

[kung]

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[Newsome3]

Also if didnt realise Warning hotlinking is theft! Lol