Light Switch horizontal to Junction Box then vertical into ceiling?

[Dean Thomas]

Hi there,

I've just had a sparky come round and do this work, but i'm not sure it's correct, or even legal. But i'm no spark. Please see the attached picture.

The junction box is where the light switch used to be, but we've put a fake wall up and as such needed the light switch there and this is how he has achieved it. From what I've been reading, he has to stay within the horizontal and vertical line of the switch/junction, but you also can't bury the junction box into the wall, unless he puts a maintenance free box on there.

Do I need to tell him to jog on and get someone else in?

Thanks guys, I hope I got the right forum here.

 

[telectrix]

replace the junction box with wagos or terminal blocks in a dry lining box, and fit a blank faceplate. then it's OK .

 

[sparky-s-w]

yea it looks like hes done a bodge job, i would have looked to pull the origional cables up from above then re run them down to the new location. if lifting boards upstairs wasnt an option, could have gone harizontal at cieling height (perscribed zone) then down.
and yes should be a maint free box.

- - - Updated - - -

replace the junction box with wagos or terminal blocks in a dry lining box, and fit a blank faceplate. then it's OK .

or you could just do that

 

[Dean Thomas]

Hmmm, thanks guys. We could put a blank plate over it, however we'll be having new wall cupboards there, so I guess that would be blocking it, thus being dodgy. I'll have to get someone else in then, I think.

 

[sparky-s-w]

tell the electrician who installed it your not happy with the install, give him a chance to rectify it.

 

[telectrix]

it won't matter if the cupboard/s cover the blank plate. as long as it's there. imagine if you had a wall socket that was not used, and you fitted a cupboard over it. same thing. the horizontal run in the new wall is compliant as it's in the safe zone created by the new switch. the short bit from the old switch position is in a safe zone 150mm from the corner. it's just the bit that's outside the 150mm in the left wall that's not compliant.', but a visible blank plate creates it's own safe zone, horizontally and vertically

 

[Dean Thomas]

tell the electrician who installed it your not happy with the install, give him a chance to rectify it.

He is also supposed to be running all new sockets and new cooker cable for us next week, not sure I can trust him now.

I'll get him round tonight and see what he says, he said he would fix it. But he should know the standards.

- - - Updated - - -

it won't matter if the cupboard/s cover the blank plate. as long as it's there. imagine if you had a wall socket that was not used, and you fitted a cupboard over it. same thing. the horizontal run in the new wall is compliant as it's in the safe zone created by the new switch. the short bit from the old switch position is in a safe zone 150mm from the corner. it's just the bit that's outside the 150mm in the left wall that's not compliant.

Good to know, thanks. We'll do that then.

 

[Amp David]

Think you'd be best finding another spark Dean.

 

[DaveyD]

He is also supposed to be running all new sockets and new cooker cable for us next week, not sure I can trust him now.

If the socket drawn on at the bottom of your photo - under the old plate switch - will be a socket then that would create a zone for the vertical - but you are right, you can't just plaster over that junction box. Perhaps what Tel suggested was exactly what the spark was going to do anyway - cover with a blank plate.
TBH - I would like to think that my customers would at least ask me first on my reasonings before questioning my work with strangers.
Best, Dave

 

[sjm]

He's only extending the light switch cable to the new location, by the look of things. So what's wrong with through crimps and heatshrink for the join of the cables, keep the cables within safe zones (150 mm of internal corner), then run horizontally to new light switch. Job done, simples!

Ignore this post! I'm suffering from manflue and didn't look at the picture properly before posting.
Obviously as others have said blank plate, or socket below to create safe zone.

 

[sparky-s-w]

He's only extending the light switch cable to the new location, by the look of things. So what's wrong with through crimps and heatshrink for the join of the cables, keep the cables within safe zones (150 mm of internal corner), then run horizontally to new light switch. Job done, simples!

that horizontal run is more than 150mm

 

[Amp David]

So is the vertical one to i reckon

 

[telectrix]

all complies if a blank face is fitted.

 

[DaveyD]

He's only extending the light switch cable to the new location, by the look of things. So what's wrong with through crimps and heatshrink for the join of the cables, keep the cables within safe zones (150 mm of internal corner), then run horizontally to new light switch. Job done, simples!

Nothing so long as a new socket directly below the old siwtch point or a blank plate on the old switch point "covers" the zone of the existing vertical switch drop.

 

[Amp David]

Oh sack it! just get some plaster blobbed in, jobs a good un:crazy: