Neutrals At Light Switches

[Sharpend]

Hager switches now have a neutral terminal built in, most convenient.

 

[NozSpark]

He'll love the job that I've just first fixed

Perm L&N into 1st switch, 3c&E out to pendant

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The wiring of any lighting circuit basically comes into two main considerations....

1/ Material (Cable) costs.

2/ Labour (time taken to fix and test) costs.

This is a fundamental principal with any successful business.......

I will try to evaluate both considerations when deciding the most economical way to get a job done.

If due to the nature of a building structure and the costs of cable, and the time taken to install and test...

It is easiest to loop at the lights I will not waste my time looping at switches AND..

If it is easier to loop at switches I will not waste my time looping at lights!

Any person who only ever does one way without evaluating the pros and cons of any other possibilities could well find they are losing a bit of profit margin on a job!

For example...

If you were putting an extra switch & light into a room that is already plastered...

its may be easiest just to drop one wire down the the switch..

rather than chasing in 3 wires...

BUT..

on the other hand...

If you were first fixing some cables on a single story extension, where the ceiling boards have not yet gone up and there will be no access to the roof space once the boards are up.....

It has got to be easier to loop all you wires into a back box screwed on a wall and only run one cable to be tacked to the beam at the approx light fitting position...

So as I say..

Best practice will be horses for courses...

and sometimes one will be better then the other!!..

opcorn

 

[steptoe]

So is this a spider method but done through switches rather than JB's? Personally when rewiring and even new stuff I generally loop into switches unless its pendants. Then I may three plate but I also may loop in switches. It just depends on the day. I have also used the spider method at switches many times.

not really, you are not going to have ten lights run off one back box!

as for OP,

nothing at all wrong with it, I do it all ther time with spider wiring,!

 

[batty]

I think I may have misled there what I meant not a total spider method. I may take two or three or more feeds out from one switch. This way on longer runs it saves cable. Only thing is doing it this way you may need a deeper box even 47 mm.

 

[VoltzElectrical]

Briliant! Try posting this thread on the other forum and you'll have a hungry mob baying for blood! Neutrals at switches is the best way most times nowadays.

I would post the thread on the other forum but I'm banned (again!) lol.

keep up the good work.

 

[ProDave]

Hager switches now have a neutral terminal built in, most convenient.

Good job.

I once found someone who was very "inventive"

Live feed into L1

Switched live out from Com to light

L2 used as a neutral terminal :shakehead

Would sure confuse most people that saw it. I'm NOT recommending that as a way to do it.

 

[Evans Electric]

I like it !!! As you say , it would confuse the hell out people though. I think thats called "Thinking outside the box" (Had to stop and think about it for a second)

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Good job.

I once found someone who was very "inventive"

Live feed into L1

Switched live out from Com to light

L2 used as a neutral terminal :shakehead

Would sure confuse most people that saw it. I'm NOT recommending that as a way to do it.

Was it a low energy lamp fitting, or LED, by any chance...?

i.e. Do you think that it may have been done deliberately to stop that annoying light flicker while the switch is off....

Basically putting a neutral across both sides of the lamp whilst off..

:C

 

[ProDave]

Was it a low energy lamp fitting, or LED, by any chance...?

i.e. Do you think that it may have been done deliberately to stop that annoying light flicker while the switch is off....

Basically putting a neutral across both sides of the lamp whilst off..

:C

no it was a normal lamp in this case, but that might be a good solution to try if you do get a problem LED lamp.

 

[kerching]

Was it a low energy lamp fitting, or LED, by any chance...?

i.e. Do you think that it may have been done deliberately to stop that annoying light flicker while the switch is off....

Basically putting a neutral across both sides of the lamp whilst off..

:C

In the words of the great Professor Heinz Wolfe [great egg race, original version]....."that is a very elegant solution to a very tricky problem"

 

[Sharpend]

In the words of the great Professor Heinz Wolfe [great egg race, original version]....."that is a very elegant solution to a very tricky problem"

Now that was a quality show!

 

[kerching]

Now that was a quality show!

Secret Life of Machines was another good show...most of it is on You Tube

Mind you, I used to like 'HOW!' probably a combination of these that started me on the slippery slope

https://www.youtube.com/embed/qOtoujYOWw0?feature=oembed

 

[steptoe]

brilliant kerching

:Applaud

 

[kerching]

brilliant kerching

:Applaud

Some of us 'have it', some don't

 

[Evans Electric]

How !!! Blige ! I'd forgotten about that programme , It was Children's TV wasn't it ?