There's no design for the automation. It's a retrofit system, so doesn't really need one i understand.
It is indeed my home. But, right now, i wish it weren't!
Neutral at light switch?
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ruston
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Forget that, I have just seen your other post. 
A small investment in PPE - hard hat, florescent jacket, and decent footwear and on you go..... its your home FFS!
leesparkykent
Well-known member
If the lights have been 3 plated then you could just wire the switch drops in 3 core and earth so there is a neutral available if required.
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If it was MY home and I WAS paying AND I was NOT allowed on site then they would be choosing a window by which to leave
as for the wiring .....when I retired my place I just wired all the lighting in 3 core and earth and made sure all areas were accessible
a greater mind than me on here wired everything to a central location so stuff could be re jigged as and when the 'other half changed her mind again'....brilliant idea BUT costly if you are paying somebody else to do it
not sure who maybe Manator or Tony or canoe you or somebody
as for the wiring .....when I retired my place I just wired all the lighting in 3 core and earth and made sure all areas were accessible
a greater mind than me on here wired everything to a central location so stuff could be re jigged as and when the 'other half changed her mind again'....brilliant idea BUT costly if you are paying somebody else to do it
not sure who maybe Manator or Tony or canoe you or somebody
Mr steptoe me thinks...
The more I hear about this "contractor" the more I think they will be on Cowboy Builders at some point. It is your home, yes it is technically a building site so correct safety practices should be observed but there is no reason why you can't go on-site.
ruston
Well-known member
Yes, Rabbit off there somewhere .
Let me put it like this... Before long i shall be spending about 40k on my house. If any builder thinks they are going to order me about or do things the way they like, they will be sacked on the spot..
I will draw up a spec, they will price on that spec, i will be making sure the the work is done properly.
Any clown try to tell me i am not allowed into MY house, or to speak to anyone i wish when i wish and they will be history...
I cannot understand what all the proplem is here?? What you mean the some contractor will not let you speak to the electrician?? What they going to do?? Get you in an arm lock???
YOU are paying THEM. It is YOU whe give the orders, if you tell them jump, they ask "how high" If they are not happy with this, bye....
HOWEVER, you cannot go giving someone a spec and then changing it.. There are two sides to a contract....
john..
I will draw up a spec, they will price on that spec, i will be making sure the the work is done properly.
Any clown try to tell me i am not allowed into MY house, or to speak to anyone i wish when i wish and they will be history...
I cannot understand what all the proplem is here?? What you mean the some contractor will not let you speak to the electrician?? What they going to do?? Get you in an arm lock???
YOU are paying THEM. It is YOU whe give the orders, if you tell them jump, they ask "how high" If they are not happy with this, bye....
HOWEVER, you cannot go giving someone a spec and then changing it.. There are two sides to a contract....
john..
What make is that JB Ducky? I was thinking of inventing one like that ...too cucumbering late now .^^^ this!
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I've probably made it out to be worse than it is lol. They don't object to me visiting if I let them know in advance. And, after I told them what I thought of there no interaction with staff policy, i did get to meet the spark. He was nice enough, but didn't seem experienced with non-standard stuff.
Thats what I was thinking TBH. All work goes through the Main Contractor and mark it up , its normal practice on bigger sites but there should be some leeway on a domestic like yours.
Mmm,
Maybe you have got more an installer than a spark. :C
Maybe you have got more an installer than a spark. :C
If you said you were having some sort of security or time switches then a neutral should have been installed .
However if you are turning up with alterations after areas have been 1st fixed it can become tiresome to be honest.
All the new builds I do , I 3 plate through the switches because everyone has downlights , saves having hidden JBs in ceilings .
However if you are turning up with alterations after areas have been 1st fixed it can become tiresome to be honest.
All the new builds I do , I 3 plate through the switches because everyone has downlights , saves having hidden JBs in ceilings .
Sorry for my ignorance, but can you please explain "three plate thru the switches"? Is that the same as neutral at switch?
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ASJ501.html
Basically, yes. Feed & neutral in/through the switch and then switch & neutral to light(s). No JB or multiple wires in the ceiling required.
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No problem , on new build work it is easy to wire a twin (L&N) into a switch box , a loop twin (L&N) out again , then a Switched L & N up to the downlights, say.
It means no joints are needed in the ceiling voids .
So yes , the neutral is at the switch along with the permanent live and switched live .
Timer switches or detector switches that need a neutral are no problem then .
On a rewire it would be sensible to just have a single cable down the switch drops though .
Thanks Lurchio ...I'd prefer those to the circular JBs . Obviously they fit through downlighter holes so looking useful.
Anything to make the job easier these days.
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Well, my job is a partial rewire, with new loft and extensions. As i said originally, i'm having downlights throughout (due to low ceilings). I won't be changing the lighting layout, so maybe i'm missing something, but it sounds to me as though neutral at the switches makes the most sense in my situation. Does my logic sound right?
No.
There may or may not be a neutral at the switch, neither is right or wrong.
There are plenty of ways of wiring it with no neutrals at switches and no boxes. There is also nothing wrong with junction boxes in the ceiling. I often wire the 3 plate method to the ceiling because I use Click plug in lighting connectors usually so 3 cables behind a light is no issue.
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