Neutrals At Light Switches

[Sidewinder]

Now, if you've been around here a while you'll know how much I love domestic work!

Had a discussion with another spark today who has recently (a few years) moved into contractor management, so no on the tools sparkying for a little while.

He's a good lad, app served, 2391, regs etc.

Now we were looking at a job where for ease of wiring the lighting supply had been taken to 1 switch, looped to the next, 2" away, and switched out to the 3 separate sets of lights respectively, 1x1g,1x2g.

I say it's OK, he said, well it's OK, but not best practice.

Discuss?...

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

Why is'nt it best practice ?, did he say why?. Nothing wrong with running feeds through switches IMHO provided the metal box/ pattress behind each switch is at least 25mm deep, possibly even 35 ! - because the abundance of cables increases the risk of SC faults, eg, pattress screws pinching a L or N thus creating an earth fault and tripping MCB/ RCD. More convenient for fault finding too.

 

[Sidewinder]

They are 25mm boxes Rev.

 

[sellers]

Neutrals in a switch? Just a normal way of wiring a circuit? What next, perm lives in light fitting?

I've never seen the issue with neutrals in a switch, where does it even come from? On new builds, extensions etc thats how I wire the lot.

 

[kme]

Don`t see an issue with it mate - have done similar, and would happily do again.....

 

[ProDave]

This is my standard way of wiring lights in a new build.

More of the work is at a convenient working height and less to do working upside down at the ceiling.

Brilliant for downlighters and other "posh" light fittings where you don't have the facility to "loop at the light"

Neither is right or wrong, just different ways of wiring a lighting circuit.

 

[samson337]

Is it more to do with testing side of it.

 

[Bacon]

I will allways have a neutral in the switch at the bottom of the stairs by front door and same a again at back door,

For the eventually requested i want a light outside the front door and a light in the garden.

Saves a lot of hassle later on for somebody.

 

[Steve3948]

I agree with Pro Dave, 3 Plate System is ok for bog standard ceiling pendants, but for downlights, 2/5A sockets, wall lights and picture lights, feeds at switches is the best way.

 

[OnOff]

Is it maybe the case that this wasn't taught as a method when your mate was at college. He's now in a managerial position where his days are spent dotting the "i's" and crossing the "t's" and immersed in an ar5e covering blame culture. Sometimes it leaves them unable to see the wood for the trees! Tell him things have moved on since he was on the tools and point out the benefits. Ask him to find the reg that precludes it as acceptable.

 

[Revved Up Sparky]

I will allways have a neutral in the switch at the bottom of the stairs by front door and same a again at back door,

For the eventually requested i want a light outside the front door and a light in the garden.

Yes not a bad idea IMHO to use a 3 core as a switchwire (if loops taken through light points) if switch is near front/ back door, leaving the blue sleeved grey in a connector/ through crimp. You can even install a piece of T&E from switch (but not connect it), leave coiled up above ceiling near door then if at a later date you get called back, all you need to do is drill through wall above ceiling, make a small discreet hole in ceiling in order to retrieve T&E, fix to draw wire from outside, pull through, install fitting, connect at switch, test etc and use decorators caulk to neatly fill fish hole. Jobs a good un.

Saves a lot of hassle later on for somebody.

Hopefully that somebody will be you !

 

[pewter]

i prefer to loop in and out at the switches also.

 

[sellers]

what a bunch of rough barstewards we are!

 

[alpha spark]

I agree I prefer loop in but have run neutrals to switches and will continue to do so

This is like a spark I know who does house bashing constantly that u should not take a perm live to lights just in case the owner wants to change to change his light and gets confused I said your doing a spark out of work !

 

[kerching]

No issue with it at all. That is how I do mine everytime.

Easier for testing

Easier for connecting

Easier

Try getting 3/4 twins in a ceiling fitting on a concrete/skimmed ceiling with no backbox

Only possible issue is with what you use to connect the neutrals through etc....discuss! [seriously, this is not a wind up AND the word WAGO is not necessarily required. ]

 

[alpha spark]

Double pole switch ?

 

[ProDave]

Only possible issue is with what you use to connect the neutrals through etc....discuss! [seriously, this is not a wind up AND the word WAGO is not necessarily required. ]

well I have never seen anything other than a humble choc bloc used in the back of the switch box. It's what everybody does up here.

 

[batty]

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.

 

[Sharpend]

I find that wiring to the switch has many advantages and is more flexible way of doing the lights. Have been doing it for years in new builds and long may it continue.

 

[Evans Electric]

Yep! Been doing that for years . More so after downlights became popular to avoid the 3 plate JB hiding above one of the downlights ( but which one ???)

Its one of the urban myths that proliferate in our trade , I did a whole thread on it ages ago . Neutrals in switches was misunderstood by a lot of electricians with " Thou shalt not switch the neutral through a 1 way switch "

On new builds I 3 plate at the switches using Wagos for looping the neutrals.