New cooker dp switch, existing wires won't reach terminals..

[Deuce]

Evening all,

Not a qualified spark so I thought it better to ask than make assumptions.

Swapping all switches/sockets in our house to screwless ones, all going fine until I went to swap the cooker isolator switch. The old one has feed top, load bottom. The new one has load top, feed bottom. As such, the wires won't reach their intended terminals, and there is no way of reconfiguring the switch assembly to reverse it internally and leave the "on/off" the right way round on the front.

I'm pretty sure the obvious answer is to extend the cabling in the back box, but wanted to check the best way to do this. Can I just crimp and shrink using any suitably rated crimps?

Thanks in advance

 

[Deuce]

I am now very tempted to erase the embossed markings, and re-mark both the rear of the plate and the cables.

BUT... what is the score on ignoring manufacturers own wiring diagram and instructions? Are we allowed to simply say "we understand switches so it's reasonable to reconfigure this one"?

 

[Des 56]

Deuce,you seem to be making this very minor issue into something which it is not. liability for any future accident or occurrence regards the very basic wiring of a DP switch

In the electrical world there will be times when following manufacturers guidance is important enough to make it a priority,this is not one of those occasions
There has been numerous posts with sensible actions that can be taken,just pick one and go with it,the issue will never come back to bite,I can say with confidence

 

[Deuce]

Deuce,you seem to be making this very minor issue into something which it is not. liability for any future accident or occurrence regards the very basic wiring of a DP switch

In the electrical world there will be times when following manufacturers guidance is important enough to make it a priority,this is not one of those occasions
There has been numerous posts with sensible actions that can be taken,just pick one and go with it,the issue will never come back to bite,I can say with confidence

You see, I have been quite frank about the fact I am not qualified, but I am confident and competent in what is safe, or not safe. But as I'm not a professional working day in day out, I will never have the same sense of what is generally acceptable or expected - so thank you for the clarity, it was much needed and much appreciated!!

On a mechanical level I never saw any danger in wiring the switch the other way - it really was just a question about what convention dictates as acceptable.

I'll re-label and fit the switch tomorrow, and think on it no more

And thank you also to everyone else that has replied!