Not Good practice I know but

[lofty84]

I changed my parents consumer unit to a new 17th eddition MK one a little while ago. Everything went well and when I turned it all back on there was no problems with any of the rcd tripping so it looked like everything was good and I knew what Iw as doing. Today though I was just being nosey and trying to work out this 2 way lighting mylarkey as its always confussed me so much so I always let someone else do it while I did something else. well anyway I turn of the mcb which I running the downstairs lights and on the right hand side rcd. the upstairs is on the left as you do. well having turned it off and watching the lights go out I set about undoing everything (taking a picture of it before of course) to see if I could work it all out (which I couldnt) and low and behold I got a bloddy shock. Im gonna sound a right cowboy but most of my tools are in my buddys van so I didnt have me voltage/continuity tester to double check and just plouged in as the lights had gone of but as I say I got a shock. Im thinking there must have been a borrowed neautral or something from the lights upstairs somewhere but Im not sure. I didnt want to turn the upstairs light breaker of and then touch it again to find out and obviously I didnt have my tester to see, so I just turnt everything of at the main switch terminated everything back together as per the photo and turned it back on where it all works as before.

Any ideas what is going on and am I right about it being down to a shared neautral somewhere. I will set about finding it if it is but I wont be that till i buy a mft

cheers

 

[RyanCheetham]

Try using this diagram when building your setup

 

[Silly Sausage]

where on god's earth is frimley?

Nearby...

 

[trev]

It sounds like you have 2 circuits at the dining room, if you really must do this knock everything off and swap the switches over. A word to the wise though, if my son did this he'd be invited to an --- kicking party, also remember you have no way of proving earth continuity on anything you're doing so ask yourself is it wise to do it.

 

[Andy78]

Try using this diagram when building your setup

I'm not sure that will be much help to him if he is using twin and earth cable

 

[RyanCheetham]

Try using this diagram when building your setup

I'm not sure that will be much help to him if he is using twin and earth cable

Sorry i meant when he was building his learning rig as suggested using 3core

 

[Silly Sausage]

I'm not sure that will be much help to him if he is using twin and earth cable

Eh?
Nowt wrong with that.


Need some brown sleeving.

 

[Andy78]

Eh?
Nowt wrong with that.


Need some brown sleeving.

That's the sort of diagram i would expect to see if using singles in conduit. If using t+e and 3 core, I would generally have the feed and switch wire at the same switch, that's all I meant.

 

[lofty84]

how big do you think the board will need to be if I built what snowball sugessted
and whats the 13am rcd protected socket for

 

[Silly Sausage]

That's the sort of diagram i would expect to see if using singles in conduit. If using t+e and 3 core, I would generally have the feed and switch wire at the same switch, that's all I meant.

Aye, see what you mean. I usually do the 3 core way.
He'll have to get some 3 core now!

 

[trev]

how big do you think the board will need to be if I built what snowball sugessted
and whats the 13am rcd protected socket for

It doesn't have to be massive, the socket is to power the rig. Rather than going to any huge expense though draw a simple lighting circuit, one feed one light one switch. Then draw an extra terminal on the switch to make it a 2 way and another 2 way switch, then with coloured pens draw how you're going to connect them and make it work using 3 core cable.
When you've drawn that out and understood it turn the page over and you're going to draw out exactly the same but adding an intermediate. The connections are shown in Ryan's sketch above.
When you've got all that straight then build your rig.

 

[eds54]

Tony Way
I have had lots of calls like that and as hard as i try to explain where they have gone wrong they just do not get it. Also i had a guy call me when he changed a 1 gang 2 way switch used as a 1 way and he put the earth in the spare terminal on the switch and could not make out why he kept tripping the mcb. It,s only simple if you know what you are doing

 

[lofty84]

Teach youself how to, today-- 2Way circuits, including inters;

Shopping (scavenging) list;

Piece of plywood
A couple of 2 way switches
A couple of intermediate switches.
A couple 2 gang 2 way switches
Suitable back boxes.
Couple of battern lampholders and lamps.
A few scraps of T&E
A few scraps of 3 core & E
RCD protected socket and 13amp plug with 3amp fuse.

TEST EQUIPMENT

Teach yourself starts here, work out what the above is for then use it.

Right I'm in screwfix now the rcd protected socket is 60 quid so think I might just plug it into the wall?? In regards to the intermediate switches is it a 1 g intermediate switch I'm after as that's all I can find in here and for the 2 way switches am I after a 2 gang 2 way or a one gang 2 way please

 

[growler]

just hope your new job doesnt involve any two way lighting ! so you cant first fix either then ?

 

[trev]

Get 1 gangs, your RCD protercted skt is in your house already

 

[RyanCheetham]

One gang 2 way switches and pattresses to suit, 1 gang intermediate with back box, and use a plug in rcd adapter for power tools or garden equipment