Moving a light switch left without burying the wires

Tree

The fridge is on the way out and needs to be replaced. If we can move the light switch ~8cm to the left, then we can get one of those oversized american fridges.

I'm not worried about the look of it, as the fridge will cover most of the sins, but it does need to be safe. I'd rather not have the hassle of chiseling a new run down the wall (block wall).

I *figure* I can surface mount some box, mount the switch on that and run conduit sideways from the old box with some sort of cover plate. Am I way off the mark? Do I even have the right names? and is it obligatory for all surface mount switches to look like they're in an office or for outdoors?

DublinDilbert

Can you post a picture? what is the wall made of? Do you know if there is slack on the cables?

It should be possible to mount a new switch 8cm to the left and run the cables over, it probably doesn't even need to be surface mount. You can fit a cheap blanking plate to cover the existing switch location.

Tree

The wall is concrete block. The wires in the wall have a bit of slack, but the earth wire that's screwed to the current box in the wall is kinda short.

I forgot to take photos the otherday when we opened up the switch. Pretty sure nothing has changed in the 20 years it was installed.

Fils

Install a quinetic switch, different style switch but good solution. We are doing rewires and where customer doesn’t want any chasing etc it’s a no brainer.

Doolittle51

8cm is only about the size of a 1 gang faceplate. Couple of options, depending on how much work you want to do.

Best option would be to replace the existing back box with one of these:
https://www.screwfix.ie/p/appleby-1-1-gang-galvanised-steel-knockout-box-35mm/48234
Put a blank plate on the right and your new switch on the left. It will required drilling and chiseling out the wall, so this is the most disruptive option. Some filling and painting would probably be required.

Or you could go with a surface mount option:
https://www.screwfix.ie/p/schneider-electric-lisse-2-gang-surface-pattress-moulded-box-25mm/8898j
Again, blank plate on the right, new switch on the left. But this might not leave enough space for the new fridge?

Another option would be to use a surface back box for the new switch, mounted beside the old switch, and drill sideways through the back of the new back box into the side of the existing back box to get the cables in. Or use something like this in place of the old switch:
https://www.screwfix.ie/p/british-general-900-series-20a-unswitched-flex-outlet-plate-white/21114
If possible mount it sideways, then the cable can go directly into a new surface back box mounted to the left.

If the existing cables are too short, use wagos to extend them.

DublinDilbert

Tree wrote: »

The wall is concrete block. The wires in the wall have a bit of slack, but the earth wire that's screwed to the current box in the wall is kinda short.

I forgot to take photos the otherday when we opened up the switch. Pretty sure nothing has changed in the 20 years it was installed.

Ok so chase out a new backing box in the new location, depending on the angles and as it's only 8cm it might be possible to drill from one switch box to the other. Even if it can't be drilled there will be no issue filling an 8cm chase.

Sounds like there's enough on the wires, an additional earth wire can be run to the new backing box.

Tree

Sadly chasing is not a popular option (I'm gungho to have a go off it, I have an SDS drill and PPE sure, but himself is vetoing it and it'd be tough to do on the qt).

I like the idea of using the flex outlet, sideways, as a blanking plate, it never even occured to me such a thing would exist. Then straight into a 1 gang surface mount.

Thanks for the insights! I'll let you know how it goes.

Doolittle51

Meant to say, you'll only be able to mount the flex outlet sideways if the existing back box has top and bottom lugs. Not sure how common they are, and sometimes they will have been folded out of the way.

Tree

Doolittle51 wrote: »

Meant to say, you'll only be able to mount the flex outlet sideways if the existing back box has top and bottom lugs. Not sure how common they are, and sometimes they will have been folded out of the way.

Double checked today and the lugs are there!

meercat

Out of curiosity what’s directly behind that switch
Would it be possible to drill through and mount the switch on the other side of the wall

A surface mounted switch may catch the door of the American fridge

Tree

The other side of the wall is under the stairs in the hall. The fridge will be backed onto that wall, so it shouldn't affect the doors.

Tree

Job done.

Now to buy the fridge and figure out what to do with the bins...