Back box too full for light switch to go on?

[Andy™]

Who uses screw terminal blocks any more ?

me. not always, but still use them

 

[johnb2713]

+1 for Wago's, brilliant terminal strips - stocked by Screwfix and Toolstation.

 

[kerching]

+1 for Wago's, brilliant terminal strips - stocked by Screwfix and Toolstation.

Careful,on toolstation site not everything that looks like a Wago is a Wago

Just saying

 

[ruggedscot]

Not a great install. Light switch back boxes are back boxes not a terminal box. Should be done at the rose.

 

[monkey5]

Not a great install. Light switch back boxes are back boxes not a terminal box. Should be done at the rose.

What if you don't have a rose? I Often use the back box as an enclosure my self, especially when wiring spots.

 

[Sharpend]

Providing that the cables within the back box/enclosure are not squashed then why can’t it be used for terminations? What do you do in a traditional wired ceiling rose when changing to a modern fitting with only three terminals?
Using the appropriate depth back box makes life so much simpler.

 

[Andy™]

Not a great install. Light switch back boxes are back boxes not a terminal box. Should be done at the rose.

nothing to say the connections must be done at the ceiling rose. BS7671 also states a neutral should be taken to the switch. but i doubt youre even aware of that

 

[Murdoch]

Not a great install. Light switch back boxes are back boxes not a terminal box. Should be done at the rose.

hum, how many homes these days actually have “roses” ?


not many so looping at the switch is the way to go imho

 

[kerching]

Not a great install. Light switch back boxes are back boxes not a terminal box. Should be done at the rose.

Why? Personal preference? Or can you site a Reg for it?
Just asking

 

[johnb2713]

My living room has wall lights, all of the cables meet up behind the switch but it does have a very deep box well recessed.

 

[kerching]

And what happens with a skimmed concrete/bison floor ceiling

 

[Sharpend]

And what happens with a skimmed concrete/bison floor ceiling

I don’t know “what happens with a skimmed concrete/bison floor ceiling”?
Come to think of it what is a floor ceiling?
Sorry hope I haven’t spoiled the joke!

 

[kerching]

I don’t know “what happens with a skimmed concrete/bison floor ceiling”?
Come to think of it what is a floor ceiling?
Sorry hope I haven’t spoiled the joke!

I blame the Barley wine/Stella shandy

It should have read

Bison floor ( block and beam ) which then provides a concrete ceiling for the floor below. Around here they were bonded and skimmed NOT battened and boarded, so no space

Simples when you know what I thought I meant


To quote Paul Simon. 'One man's concrete ceiling is another man's Bison Floor'

 

[ruggedscot]

Personal preference. Keep the light switch as is. Keep all the other wiring away if possible. Running loops to all switches etc as far as I can see makes the install overtly complicated. There may be odd cases for having the witing behind the switch but in 30 years or so never seen many. And if they were there the box was deeper. As for neutral it should be there. But again not seen much evidence of that over the years. Home automation is seeing daisy chained data cable to every lightswitch back to the controller. And the controller controlling the lamps. That's the way to go.

 

[Sharpend]

Why complicate it and bring in more equipment to switch a light on or off??
This isn’t rocket science, what it does show is how many people want to be led by technology when it isn’t necessary.

 

[Andy™]

so you dont want to complicate things by having loop through switch instead of light, but you want to run a data cable between switch & lights?

 

[kerching]

So you are agreeing that the neutral should be at the switch But are against looping at the switch?

Another reason for looping at the switch is to,save the time up,and down a pair of steps

I do a few bathrooms for a plumber mate ( I know, some folk on here are going" Kerch doing bathrooms! WTAF." DEAL WITH IT )
Everything goes back to switch box. 35 or 47 deep. Double,or single depending on switching arrangements. Click mini grid modules, switch for lights , ISO for mirror supply, Dp key switch for fan ISO, 1way switch for fan. Any changes and it can all be rejigged from one spot

 

[Murdoch]

Does anybody use 25 mm back boxes any more?

 

[Andy™]

depends how hard the brick is

 

[kerching]

depends how hard the brick is

Blue Staffy Engineering bricks? Accis are bad enough

As for backboxes...anyone read BS1363 regarding boxes?......I did a CPD on it, quite interesting