moving a light switch

cantgetright

Hi
would some one have a wiring diagram for lighting circuit that you could post up? Iam just changing position of switch and ceiling rose to a couple of spotlights. I hope its handy enough, floorboards upstairs are up and stud walls are not boarded yet..
cheers for any help

Rev. BlueJeans

What do you need to know?

Use a large junction box above the position where the ceiling rose used to be, and run out to your spotlights from there, personally I use heat resistant flex for this, but I don't think there's a requirement, standard 1.5 twin n' earth, or 1.5 pvc plus an earth to each should be fine.

Can you reuse the existing wiring to the switch or do you need to extend? Again, a junction box and run through the studwork to the new position should be fine. Once you note the positions and mark where the old stuff is going, you should be fine.

There are various ways of running lighting circuits, you might have a permanently live phase running through the ceiling rose, you'll certainly have at least one at the switch. Looped neutrals at the ceiling rose too, are almost certain, so knock off the lighting circuits at the board, as even with the switch off, you might get a nasty bang.

2011

Good advice Rev.

Use a large junction box above the position where the ceiling rose used to be, and run out to your spotlights from there, personally I use heat resistant flex for this, but I don't think there's a requirement, standard 1.5 twin n' earth, or 1.5 pvc plus an earth to each should be fine.

If possible you are better not using a junction box. Remember each time you join a cable you are introducing another point that the circuit is more lightly to fail. If any of the cables fail 999 times out of 1000 it will fail at a joint. The less joints, the better.
Also all terminations should be accessible. If you install a junction box and then nail down floor boards over it the chances of somebody else finding it are slim. Generally if you are removing 1 light to install multiple lights you will find that the live and neutral are long enough to reach one of the lights.


The flex does not have to be heat resistant, but it is no harm.

Rev. BlueJeans

Definitely preferable to avoid the dreaded round boxes where possible.

I'd be a dishonest man if I said I'd never used them though

2011

Snap!

cantgetright

Thanks for the help lads

cantgetright

An other question?
there is a single wire connecting light switch in hall to the light switch iam moving, can i do away with this wire and connect a new wire from a different switch?

davelerave

Prob better to extend the existing wiring if you're not that familiar.
If it's a feed from the same circuit,it will prob be ok.switch off mcb to confirm