Is it just me who finds this bad practise?

[Barx]

Wiring lights 3-plate (for those that dont know, this is using twin with feeds at fitting ). Spec requires an outside light (bulkhead) to be installed. Now, to me it seems bad practice to run the loops through the outside light as per the other fittings. I haven't particularly heard anything on the subject either way, just something popping in my head saying this just isn't right. If the light was ever removed or ripped off by a vandal then a number of lights in the property could become dead.

All the other lads at work; sparks and mates dont seem to have a problem with this.

Personally I run a single neutral from nearest fitting and a single line/earth from given switch (obviously making sure there is perm live there first.)

I dont know. Am I just being over cautious. What do you guys think.

 

[batty]

I never have perm lives at outside lights only sw lives. Like you I would also think this is bad practice. There are many ways to wire without doing this.

Batty

 

[Evans Electric]

Same here , where do you 3 plate in a bulkhead fitting, say. I agree , its bad practice.

 

[Adrian]

it is not bad practise. it is just easier to terminate one cable and to keep water tight.

and also on enclosed fitting I always heat sleeve all cables and use porcelain connectors

 

[M107]

No I only take the neutral cpc & switched line out to external fittings.

 

[Theorysparky]

agree

but i would loop to the next external light fitting is they were off the same switch

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

I never run permanent feeds to outside lights. I usually use a three core as a switchwire to the switch nearest the back/ front door, this brings a neutral down to the switch - then I run a T&E to the outside light fitting from that switch, making it into a 2 gang etc.

 

[Lee321]

generally not done. we all now how much connecting is involved so any connecting that isn't needed should be avoided.

plus the room you get with some fittings is beyond a joke

 

[mojorebel]

There is a massive difference between something being best-practice and not . If something is best practice doing any other way does not make it bad practice. There is nothing wrong with a perm line ourside aslong as the protectins are in place (i.e thermal sleeving etc) Bad practice is a no - no under any condition

 

[mojorebel]

sorryabout the tpos my key board is sticky

 

[m4tty]

sorryabout the tpos my key board is sticky

Sticky keyboard ....... mmmmm.......what you been upto ROTFWL what sites you been visiting lol

 

[Badger]

Sticky keyboard ....... mmmmm.......what you been upto ROTFWL what sites you been visiting lol

pbvously what ever sites he has been visiting, he must have enjoyed himself profusley

:^O :^O

 

[Barx]

thanks for the replies guys. Its seems most agree with me which makes me feel a bit better. I like the idea with the 3 core to switch, good for the private jobs. No, no for the council work though. COW would have a fit if he found a neutral at a switch, lol.

Thanks again

 

[Evans Electric]

thanks for the replies guys. Its seems most agree with me which makes me feel a bit better. I like the idea with the 3 core to switch, good for the private jobs. No, no for the council work though. COW would have a fit if he found a neutral at a switch, lol.Thanks again

Why would the Clerk of Works have a fit finding a neutral in a switch ??? ?:|

 

[rainydays]

Hi barx, What will you do when you have a lamp holder, which requires a permanent live as well as a switch live. Change your mind

 

[Barx]

Why would the Clerk of Works have a fit finding a neutral in a switch ??? ?:|

It's in big bold letters in the spec mate.

NO NEUTRAL CONDUCTORS TO BE TAKEN TO SWITCH BOXES

Or something to that effect, it's deffo there though.

 

[Barx]

Hi barx, What will you do when you have a lamp holder, which requires a permanent live as well as a switch live. Change your mind

Leave it switched on

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

It's in big bold letters in the spec mate. NO NEUTRAL CONDUCTORS TO BE TAKEN TO SWITCH BOXES

Or something to that effect, it's deffo there though.

I've never heard of that one and I've been doing it for 18 years having worked in literally 1000's of council houses in North Wales. Some local authority houses I've worked in have had neon indicators on the switches for lights in cupboards so you definitely need a neutral for those to work. Many sparks also run the loop feeds through the switches although I prefer not to as with 17th edition RCD protection I feel it increases the risk of pinching a live or neutral with a pattress screw etc and creating an earth fault which trips the RCD.

Even with that neutral rule you could still run a three core as a switchwire (using brown as common, black for the switchwire nearest the front/ back door and grey for the outside light) and run a T&E from that light fitting with the switched feed in a thru-crimp.

 

[Adrian]

with most modern light fittings it is getting harder to fit all the cables into

I always loop through the switch and one wire to the light fitting plus if the customer fits the fitting later they cant get much wrong.how many times Ive been called out when customer has put all the reds(browns) together and blacks(blues) together and bang

 

[tom1]

there is always the jb method if its accessible