Wall switch with no known function

[imrwlnd]

Hi,

In my kitchen I have a switch on the wall with a red light to indicate when it is on.  I have been living in the house for three years and I have no idea what it turns on or off.  My smart meter read out doesn't change when I flip the switch (but the red light does illuminate) so I wondered if there is any way electricians can find out what that switch is linked to? Or can I do anything to narrow it down or fin out?

Thanks in advance.

 

[OnOff]

There was an episode of Friends I believe that dealt with this issue...

:coat

Seriously, is there any appliance that doesn't work with the switch off? Something intergrated or hidden maybe like a water heater in a cupboard?

You could turn off all your breakers then find the one that feeds the switch. See if the meter is still using units.

Might just be that the switch used to feed something that's been taken out?

Got a photo?

 

[imrwlnd]

I don't remember that episode, unless it was the one with the smoke alarm that wouldn't stop beeping!

I took a photo but I don't know how to attach/insert it.

We have had the switch in the off (red light not on) since we moved in and have not found anything that doesn't work. it having a red light suggests it operates something somewhere else I thought.  I'll give turning off the breakers a go and see if that narrows it down at all, but yeah, it could be for something that no longer exists.

Thanks for your help.

 

[OnOff]

Do you see a paperclip icon with Click to choose files? Just add a .jpg/.jpeg

If you can find the breaker that kills the neon you could loosen the face plate and take pics of the wiring inside.

Do you maybe have a gas cooker in the flat and this switch is for an electric cooker point? Might be a hidden cooker outlet plate. Maybe directly  below the switch behind a wall unit. Like this:

 

[imrwlnd]

I won't be knocking holes in my walls but I do have the same frustration.

Going from the switch nearest the hob - cooker socket, cooker switch, under cupboard lighting, switch in question, double socket (microwave), then switch for the socket behind the fridge freezer.

We always have this switched off and have never had something not work yet!

I'll try the breakers tomorrow.

 

[Evans Electric]

I have this great need to know what the hell it does now !!!    

As said ,  flick the breakers until the red light goes out  .   Hopefully its labeled up .  If it goes off with the ring main  your stymied again .  

Could it control a socket behind the big freezer ?   

It could have been for an electric hob  but a gas hob was fitted. 

 

[Andy™]

im going with old heating circuit now feeding nothing

 

[Barx]

Looks to me like a switch for Immersion Heater (Water Heater mentioned above). Do you still have a water tank? You see many of these where heating is converted to combi boiler and now the switch is no use. Just livens a cable up in the old tank cupboard and hopefully there is some sort of cover plate on it up there

 

[OnOff]

One would hope there's NOT a live cable hanging somewhere where the immersion or whatever has been removed. Look out for a hanging cable maybe with taped over ends. They may be old and brittle. Remake in a junction box etc at the very least.

 

[Andy™]

maybe its @Evans Electric disconnected basement pump that also has no flood warning because he removed it?

 

[Tony S]

A burnt out or disconnected immersion heater would seem favourite.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Best solution is open the switch up and see it there is an outgoing cable connected to it?

It could be for anyone of a multitude of options....

Immersion heater.

Gas hob ignition.

Outside light

Outside socket.

Under cupboard unit lights.

Extractor hood / Extractor fan.

Spur to garden shed.

Garden water feature pump.

Old under-counter appliance.

Anything else that uses a fixed connection to an electrical supply!??

Guinness

 

[imrwlnd]

Progress report!

I switched it on and flipped breaker switches and when I flipped the one labelled water heater, the light at the switch went off!

We have a regular boiler with a cold water tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard. Below is a photo of my airing cupboard, do you think it is the switch for the cover plate saying "Danger 230 volts"?

 

[imrwlnd]

Thanks to everyone for their input, much appreciated!

One of the cables coming out of the cover plate saying "Danger 230 volts" goes to the thermostat on the front of the hot water cylinder. The cable coming from the switch saying 'immersion' is going to the immersion heating element at the top of the HWC.

Above the cover plate saying "Danger 230 volts" is a timer with a switch for the timer above, but I don't know what this timer is for either!

The cover plate saying "Danger 230 volts" also has a cable going to the British Gas Multihead 6, but I don't know what that is (shown in the photo below).

I am not sure what the thermostat on the front of the hot water cylinder is used for? but we have never used the immersion heater, so is the thermostat on the front of the hot water cylinder used to regulate the immersion heater which is why I've never known what that switch is for?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

More likely the one that says immersion (switched off)

and/or switch marked timer...

may be old the Immersion timer switch.  (below?)

The big 240v cover is the central heating junction box.

Guinness

 

[Andy™]

its unlikely the one saying danger, thats for your heating controls. itll be the 2nd bottom marked immersion id expect

 

[imrwlnd]

ok, so it's a double switch for the immersion heater? one in the kitchen and one in the airing cupboard? or am I getting my wires crossed here :slap

 

[Andy™]

yep, its so you can control it from the kitchen rather than the cupboard, but there's one in the cupboard in case you need to isolate it

 

[imrwlnd]

Excellent! I can sleep now!!!  A big thank you to all who have helped answer this.

In the words of Columbo though, there is just one more thing... any ideas what the the timer might be for? the immersion?

 

[Evans Electric]

Yes I'd say it was for the immersion heater  99%   . 

Another one solved   :Salute