Re Window actuators...

[reluctantspark]

I have bought a fancy roof lantern with an opening light. Her indoors said "oh that would be so cool if it was electric"!! so now I'm stuck with a fitted roof light with the wire dangling down taunting me every day. How the hell do I wire this in?

It's a 'Topp' ACK4 chain actuator. Just for the record... I'm not a spark, I've never claimed to be a spark but right now I can't afford a spark. My only options at minute are have a go my self or buy ear plugs to drown out misses!

Control is a rocker switch with a back just like a 2 way light switch ie, L1 L2 & comm. Cable is: black,brown and grey (stop me if I'm getting too technical).

Any sensible solutions that don't point out the obvious of call a qualified electrician would be most appreciated (trust me if I could afford a spark I would but just finishing an extention and all the money has gone yeah yeah, not a QS either)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Geordielad]

A quick search online brings up the wiring diagrams through "topp" website. You would need to know whether its 230v or 24v.
Looks like brown and black are the two lives for opening and closing and grey should be sleeved blue for neutral.
As a carpenter do you not know any sparks in trade? I am friends with carpenters around where I live and usually do bits for free and when I need doors etc doing properly they return the favour.

 

[reluctantspark]

Thanks for the reply, I'm fairly new to Yorkshire and haven't built up a network of trade mates yet been concentrating on the new house! Loads of contacts from where we moved from but that's 200 miles away!! Get a bit pricey in petrol!
Got any doors you want swinging? This bloody actuator is driving me mad. I can't get my head (full of saw dust) around the wire configuration. I've got the installation booklet here, all it's got is a wiring diagram, might just as well be written in Swahelie(?).

Be gentle with me, all I need to know is what colour goes where and how to get power to it? Now I could pretend I have a clue and say: grey = com, brown=L1 & black=L2 but then you'd suss that I was blagging it straight away.

Type slowly for the hard of thinking and forget using any technical phrases!! Please bear in mind you are talking to a chippie ( or should I say joiner)

Cheers.

 

[timo1]

Can you take a photo?

 

[Deleted member 26818]

You would take some T&E from the Consumer Unit, or wherever you intend providing the feed from to the switch.
The brown would connect to the common (com) on the switch, the earth to the switch back box, and the blue into a terminal (choc) block.
You would then need a £Core&E from the switch to a Junction Box near to the window.
Connect the brown to one of the other terminals on the switch (L1), the Black to the other (L2), the grey to the terminal block you already connected the blue from the T&E into and the earth into the terminal on the switch back box.
Connect the cable from the window and the 3Core&E into the JB, brown to L1, black to L2 and grey to COM.
You should sleeve the bare earth conductors with Green and Yellow sleeving, sleeve or use insulation tape to mark the black and grey conductors.
Brown for the black conductor and blue for the grey.
If there is no earth conductor from the window, just park the earth conductor from the 3Core&E in a spare terminal in the JB.

 

[Geordielad]

Haha! It might get a bit pricey hanging some doors... I'm in wigan now!

From the way I see it live would be common, brown in L1, black in L2. Neutral would then be crimped/choc blocked to grey. But diagram online doesn't show switch but won't be the first time drawings look wrong.
As for power a 3amp fused connection unit is best but could just put it on a plug?!!
I'm in commercial side so don't know dreaded 'part p' like some other people do on here to say if you would need it to certify to put fused connection unit in.

 

[Geordielad]

O dear! By time typed it up on phone spinlondon beat me to it. He's explained it way better than I have/could.

 

[tlangdon12]

So, any reason not to supply the actuator from the nearest ceiling rose?

Also, are the any small, neater options for fusing the unit than a fused spur?

 

[reluctantspark]

Hi there, just wanted to say thank you very much for taking the time to help. All working good as gold.If you were a bit nearer I'd buy you a pint! Thanks again, I can now get back to my comfort zone and start plasterboarding!(and cancel the ear plugs).

 

[reluctantspark]

Hi, just wanted to thank you for your responce, all working now. Never thought of putting supply on a plug, have done just to get it going but will end up putting it through a fused spur. Almost sounds as if I have a clue what I'm doing...almost...ok no idea in the world but at least it's working. Thanks again.

 

[Poorle]

this type of thing worked for me - (looks like my nephew drew it) Fused spur sitting in the conservatory - 3A fuse, line Neutral and CPC straight to rocker switch - neutral in a terminal block then 3-c and earth to IP rated junction box next to window. Grey sleeved blue and Black sleeved Brown. Brown to open, black to close from actuator.

 

[telectrix]

just done one, using a standard room stat to control. as the temp. in the conservatory rises, the stat changes state and signals the window actuator to open. as it falls, the opposite occurs.

 

[Poorle]

just done one, using a standard room stat to control. as the temp. in the conservatory rises, the stat changes state and signals the window actuator to open. as it falls, the opposite occurs.

I like this idea. Have you ever installed them with remote control opening / closing? Have to put one in next week :s

 

[telectrix]

well, the stat is a form of remote. turn it up or down to activate. if you want a hand held type remote, you need to fit a window actuator that is supplied with remote. try a co. called Teal Products.

 

[Poorle]

Ta very much. Will google now!