Hello all

My 1st time here, let me thank you in advance for any advice you can give me and for takin the time to read this post.

I have just start putting in some wood paneling in a bedroom, on one of the walls, well anyway Its where the bed will be so I wanted to put a little wall light above the bed.

Now I was planning on doing this real basic anyhow, theres a socket next to the side of the bed and well out of sight, so instead of wiring into any mains or walls or ceiling. I have just run my wire behind my wood paneling. and want to plug it into the wall.

Maybe you class that as a cop out or cheating But its easiest for me.

But then Ive thought a switch just above the bed would be nice, just incase I get one of the lights that dont have one on it.

I know it should be pretty basic stuff, but Im a little confused..............

Its a metal flat plate light switch........

Is it as simple as just put the brown and blue in either hole at bottom of the switch L1 L2, then double them up and run that to the plug. What about the hole at the top.........???

Do I need that for my purposes........???

And after reading something about metal switch plates, should I put both ends of the earth into the switch plate earth, and then joint a piece to goto the boxes earth point................????

Please Help Im still young, and this isnt how I want to go out........


Many thanks for any advice offered........

heeelllooo and welcome MrMancan


no no dont do that on the switch you refer to "L"means live its for using it as a 2way switch if you have an extra wire between that switch and say a switch by the door
only the live wire is switched the neutral is untouched by the switch

i dont belive its good practice to have it half temporary and half perminent
if you do decide to wire it in the put a 3 amp fuse in the plug and the red/brown wire into the top and which ever of the bottom 2 contacts that leaves the switch neatly in the position you like

but any way wait for the experts to guide you as i am only a chippie

_________________
we are all ------------------still learning

Thanks there matey !!!!

Im an aspirin chippy, used to do a lot of reproduction pine furniture with my father. But did a lot of the dog work. Cutting then bleaching then staining and then polishing hundreds of pieces of shelvin, back board an everything inbetween an so on. He never passed on the real skills Im afraid, But im always tryin an eager to learn. Anyways..................


I need this explaining to me like Im a baby.................

I bought sum standard white cable from the hardware today. Blue, brown, earth.......

And already have a light switch.

So How do I get from my light to the plug........

Its probably so simple when you know how..........

I dont have my light fitting but thats the final step........

Please take pity on this poor exscuse for a man......

you should realy start with the lamp and work back towards the plug
this way means when you put the plug in the jobs finnished and safe rather than able to liven up the wire before you need to

would it not be easier to get a lamp with a cord switch and plug attached the push the cord ito the base untill the switch is at a conveniant point!!!!

any way wait for a spark for the exact procedure to your dillema

_________________
we are all ------------------still learning

Right here we go then, i concur with big al that a more permanent installation would be better but your method is nothing different to a lot of Hygena fitted bedrooms so thats ok.

Live (brown) goes from the plug to the Common on your light switch

Neutral (blue) goes from plug to the switch box but needs to be either unbroken all the way to the light or joined to the neutral from your light in the back of the switch box with connector block .

Earth (green/yellow) goes from the plug to your switch back box earth terminal, then onto the light and also a link to the faceplate earth terminal.

the live then connects to either the L1 or L2 of the switch whichever is used for a one way switch. If you get them wron then the worst that will happen is the switch be upside down, and if you swap it to the other this will be rectified.

install a 3A fuse in the plug and jobs done.

Any more help needed just ask

Nick

_________________
If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

Thanks for the reply good sir...........!!!!!

Im still feelin a bit thick as pig s++t.

1st. Dont worry as its just going to be plugged in a socket, so until I buy the right wall light from flebay its going to remain redundant.

So starting from the plug socket, the brown gets wired into the common you say..! so thats the top of my switch.

The blue (neutral) wants to be wired direct to the blue coming from the light, using one of them lil plastic jointin thingys ( gotta love my accurate discription..lol)

Then all I have left is the brown from the wire comin from the light and that wants to go into L1 or L2.

And then earth to back box from both sides then to switch earth....

I think I might actually understand this now.....................!

Thank you very much people.

Thanks Big All

an Thanks Sparkydude..............................................

Of course if any of that sounds wrong please tell me so I dont get fried in the mean time.....................

Nope you have got it mate, the switch only breaks the live so thats why it goes across the common (top terminal) and one of the other two bottom terminals.

Keep us posted with progress and any more probs come back.

Nick

_________________
If it isnt broke dont bloody touch it until it bloody well is and if it is broke then make drawing of the connections before you remove the broken one and replace with a new one LoL

yep let us know how you get on

_________________
we are all ------------------still learning

I class it as quite possibly a contravention of the wiring regulations, and in England & Wales quite possibly illegal.

• http://www.voltimum.co.uk/files/gb/attachments/niu/l/attachments/c5-43.pdf
• http://web.archive.org/web/20061110111450/http://www.niceic.org.uk/downloads/concealedcables.pdf
• IEE article
• IEE Article on 17th Edition requirements for concealed cables.

Also, given that you don't even know how a simple switch works, I suggest you spend some time learning things.

USEFUL REFERENCE BOOKS

IMPORTANT NOTE - when buying books from Amazon, seek confirmation that they are the latest versions.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/027644079X

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007231938


This one is only available second-hand now, and will be out of date in some respects, e.g. cable colours, bathroom zones etc, but will still be a useful primer on the basic structure of house wiring systems:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h ... &x=22&y=21


. . . . .


The next 3 are essential.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418546

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418627 or http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/ ... dition.cfm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0953788555 or http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/TLGUIDE.html


. . . . .


The next three are pretty handy guides, the Amicus ones being small enough to fit in your toolbox.:


http://www.jmtrainingshop.co.uk/partPBook.php or http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0955479304

http://www.technicaltrainingsolutions.c ... ions.shtml

http://www.technicaltrainingsolutions.c ... ions.shtml


. . . . .


I would strongly recommend a copy of the Wiring Regulations, and also (but not as strongly) copies of the Guidance Notes, but bear in mind there are new versions coming out in 2008, and not all of these are available just yet – pay close attention, and don't buy the 16th Edition versions by mistake.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418449 or http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/ ... dition.cfm


http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418554

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418562

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418570 or http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/ ... dition.cfm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418589

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0852969937

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418600

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863418619

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0863416160



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electrical-Inst ... 0863415504 or http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/ ... -guide.cfm



The Electrician's Guide shown above is a good explanation of the regs, but if you fancy one with a bit more of the electrical engineering theory behind it all, I can recommend this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0852962371 or http://www.theiet.org/publishing/books/ ... /19253.cfm

It is a commentary on the 16th, not the 17th, and the new one will be out soon, but if you can find a cheap second hand copy it will still be useful and informative, as the underlying theory never changes.


USEFUL WEBSITES

TLC Cable Calculator: here

Kevin Boone's Cable Selection Guide:here

Kevin Boone's Cable Calculator: here

Kevin Boone's useful basic guides:

http://www.kevinboone.com/electricity.html
http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html

(Disclaimer - I am not Kevin Boone, nor am I in love with him - I just found his site one time and thought it was pretty useful).


THE LAW

You do need to know this:

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/forum ... t6296.html

_________________


I'm sorry - I can't come in to work today, the voices are telling me to stay at home and clean the guns.

.

When BAS goes OTT he goes OTT of OTT; over the top, down the other side and halfway up Everest.

Those regulations only apply to installations. In my view the installation here stops at the socket that he's plugging the light and its switch into.

To meet the BAS need for bureaucracy, paragraph 0.4 of the AD part P defines the electrical installation as fixed electrical cables... You can hardly call the bit of wire connected to the plug as "fixed".

_________________
I should be dead; I've cheated the Grim Reaper yet again by surviving my third heart attack in June.

The problem with Regs Stods is men in suits sat round the old boys table have to justify their existing, and so they dream up more and more ridicules schemes to keep us from doing bodily harm to our fellow suffers.

I've attended several meetings with Summit Skills, God what a load of pompous asses, and what do you get ? More red tape and bulls't, What are we on now the 17th addition, don't you think it's about time they got it right. Tomorrow, next week, the week after there will be the 18th addition, then the 19th addition, and yesterdays must do or else, will be don't even think about it or else.

Common sense keeps people alive, unless they get struck by lightning and that ain't in the regs YET

_________________
If you feel you have benefited from the Free advice given on the Forum, Please consider making a donation to UHM's Nominated charity, read all about it and donate here :

donnas-dream-house-charity-t52110.html

The problem with your view is that it's wrong.



But the light it's supplying is fixed, and therefore the installation of it falls within the scope of the Building Regulations.

And the rules for concealed cables don't apply only to fixed cables, therefore contravening them is arguably unsafe and therefore illegal.

And in any event - listen to yourself - do you really think it's responsible to advise someone that a cable hidden behind panelling is perfectly safe to run at any random angle just because it's plugged in?

Do you really think you are acting in the best interests of the OP and every future occupant of that house by encouraging him to do a crap job?

_________________


I'm sorry - I can't come in to work today, the voices are telling me to stay at home and clean the guns.

.

Of course not BAS, but on the other hand this is a DIY forum, and advising a poster how to safely wire a 13amp plug without quoting 50 books and as many regs would be a better approach.

Obviously there's a thin line on what a DIYer should and shouldn't do, in the plumbing/heating we draw that line and give advice accordingly.

I don't see any reason the sparkies cannot adopt the same common sense rules.

_________________
If you feel you have benefited from the Free advice given on the Forum, Please consider making a donation to UHM's Nominated charity, read all about it and donate here :

donnas-dream-house-charity-t52110.html

flaming 'eck...

_________________
Kind Regards,

Dan Robinson - http://www.jenningsheating.co.uk

If you give’m choices they'll give you grief.