Wiring a remote light switch to a wall switch advice.

[telectrix]

mine cooks, cleans irons, works a 100 hour week as well. wouldn't swap her for the world, but might consider a megger 1553

 

[johnboy6083]

another thing mate, how have you crimped the earths and neutrals together? i doesnt look like you have use the correct tool, and over time they could become loose and cause you no end of problems, the worst being that they could start a fire (neutrals). Also its bad practice to double up in crimps like that, put a cable in each end, and use the right size. Red is for upto 1.5mm2, blue is from 1.5mm2 upto 2.5mm2 and yellow is 4mm2 to 6mm2.

 

[jeremy]

before you do anything you need to know for definite what your wires do, Are the blacks Neutral?, which red is perm line or both?

 

[buabba]

Well to be honest I am not very sure. But I know the current light switch has the reds passing through to provide power. The black and yellow/green ar enot used. I am located in UK, so does that help with any of the colour coding? The wiring was already there when I moved in.

 

[telectrix]

god, this is getting too confusing.

1. identify the "live " red with a neon driver ( power on ) . if you not got one, £1.50 from any DIY store.
2. Turn off power, put said live in LIN.
3 Remove crimp fro blacks and pu both in NIN
4 Make sure earths ( green/yellow) are joined together and not to anything else.
5. Put the other red in either of the other terminals.
6. Switch on power. it will work. Trust me, i'm a doctor.

 

[JUD]

god, this is getting too confusing.

1. identify the "live " red with a neon driver ( power on ) . if you not got one, £1.50 from any DIY store.
2. Turn off power, put said live in LIN.
3 Remove crimp fro blacks and pu both in NIN
4 Make sure earths ( green/yellow) are joined together and not to anything else.
5. Put the other red in either of the other terminals.
6. Switch on power. it will work. Trust me, i'm a doctor.

telectrix, you shouldn't be advising people to take switches off with the power on, never mind to poke a cheap screwdriver in there.

There are safer ways of determining which wire is which, like belling it out (with the power OFF)

 

[telectrix]

i stand corrected. i meant for him to test with the switch still connected. To bell out the cables would entail him going into the CU
. Not recommended for the average DIYer

 

[JUD]

You shouldn't even take the switch plate off the wall with the power on.

Belling out is nothing to do with CU.

I mean bell out the cables between light switch and ceiling rose to see which is the switch line.

 

[Sintra]

Wouldn't advise my worst enemy to use a neon screwdriver might as well tell the op to lick his fingers and touch the live cable.

 

[Guest123]

The only advice I will give here......contact a qualified electrician. And DO NOT go and buy a "neon screwdriver" to test anything!!!

 

[glynnis]

Agree with lenny, consult a qualified electrician..........And dont use a neon screwdriver from the pound shop, from china. cant think of any proper sparks who would even mention the word, let alone have one proudly in thier kit!!

 

[telectrix]

neon driver more reliable than a volt stick. find me an electrician who hasn't got one!

 

[telectrix]

both are useful in their own right, as a quick guide. i was trying not to make the issue too complex.

 

[Sintra]

neon driver more reliable than a volt stick. find me an electrician who hasn't got one!

I haven't got one and won't allow any sparks on our sites to use them. Any electrician worth his weight would not have one of those stupid things anywhere near them.

By the way a volt stick is 1000 x better & safer IMO.

 

[glynnis]

Me. Been in this game for 30 years, never had one, was told at college if anyone had one in their box it would get smashed by tutor!