Neutral wiring in new builds

deerpark · 13-04-2019 2:13pm #1

Hi,

Similar to another poster earlier today I want to put in smart controls for lighting - e.g. relays and dimmers in line with the lights or a relay to open/close a velux.

Neutral wiring is not common in Ireland.
If i understand correctly leaving out the neutral applies to lighting only?
Is it done at all?
Are electricians skilled in it or are there any risks?
In a complete house build would it add much to cost?

Any advice much appreciated here.

Regards,
DP

DublinDilbert · 13-04-2019 4:33pm

deerpark wrote: »

Hi,

Similar to another poster earlier today I want to put in smart controls for lighting - e.g. relays and dimmers in line with the lights or a relay to open/close a velux.

Neutral wiring is not common in Ireland.
If i understand correctly leaving out the neutral applies to lighting only?
Is it done at all?
Are electricians skilled in it or are there any risks?
In a complete house build would it add much to cost?

Any advice much appreciated here.

Regards,
DP

Any Recent houses I've seen the lighting circuits have been wired in 1.5 T&E, this is straight forward on a new build. Won't add too much to the cost of the over-all project and greatly simplifies much of it.

Loop the 1.5 T&E between the switches and bring a 1.5 T&E from the switch to the ceiling. Then just use a block connector in the back of the light switch box to join the neutrals and earths together.

Risteard81 · 13-04-2019 5:44pm

DublinDilbert wrote: »

Then just use a block connector in the back of the light switch box to join the neutrals and earths together.

You need to ensure that any galvanised backbox is earthed (and any Class I switches too).

Randyleprechaun · 13-04-2019 7:10pm

It's a matter of choice.

Some electricians prefer using twin and earth, which means the light switches have a neutral in the box behind them, others prefer using singles which would mean no neutral at the switch.

I'd have thought that most relatively new houses would have twin and earth as it appears to have become the favoured way for wiring lighting.

Personally, in the past I've always used singles but with the rise in popularity of affordable smart technology.....that may not have been a good move.

13-04-2019 8:12pm

When wiring houses I would normally have brought a neutral to a switch. Typically I would have wired switches with the "3 plate ceiling rose method". This involved wiring a T & E (with brown and blue) between the lights on a circuit and then bringing a "brown / brown + E" from each light to the corresponding switch. This was often faster and often used less materials. Particularly when multi gang switches are used it makes sense to keep the number of wires to be connected to a minimum, more so if dimmers are to be installed.

Personally I prefer to use smart lamps than smart switches as this allows superior control.

deerpark · 13-04-2019 9:37pm

Its probably not a matter of choice if I want to install relays or dimmers that require neutral to then control them using wireless technology such as zwave or zigbee. Buts its interesting to know electricians are taking a mix of both approaches these days.

https://www.fibaro.com/en/products/dimmer-2/
https://www.fibaro.com/en/products/switches/

Thats for your views everyone. I am a bit more inclined to go for it.

Adrian

listermint · 13-04-2019 9:39pm

2011 wrote: »

When wiring houses I would normally have brought a neutral to a switch. Typically I would have wired switches with the "3 plate ceiling rose method". This involved wiring a T & E (with brown and blue) between the lights on a circuit and then bringing a "brown / brown + E" from each light to the corresponding switch. This was often faster and often used less materials. Particularly when multi gang switches are used it makes sense to keep the number of wires to be connected to a minimum, more so if dimmers are to be installed.

Personally I prefer to use smart lamps than smart switches as this allows superior control.

Superior control would be smart switches and lamps

Irish Steve · 13-04-2019 10:21pm

Looking at the comments, it would seem to me that in order to meet modern requirements, the system is out of step with the user needs, and an ideal solution would be a cable that has 2 brown cores, a blue core and an earth, That could then be used as a drop wire from the ceiling rose, and (to me) would be a safer and better option than using the brown black grey and earth that is the only other alternative at the moment.

A slightly messier option would be a 2 brown core and a separate blue and earth cable, but that then means feeding 2 cables to the one box, it would work, but just mean more work to install it, and in some cases, a larger trunking in the wall.

salmocab · 13-04-2019 10:28pm

2011 wrote: »

When wiring houses I would normally have brought a neutral to a switch. Typically I would have wired switches with the "3 plate ceiling rose method". This involved wiring a T & E (with brown and blue) between the lights on a circuit and then bringing a "brown / brown + E" from each light to the corresponding switch. This was often faster and often used less materials. Particularly when multi gang switches are used it makes sense to keep the number of wires to be connected to a minimum, more so if dimmers are to be installed.

Personally I prefer to use smart lamps than smart switches as this allows superior control.

I nearly always used 3 plate too, found it easier in half built houses to get the bulk of the wiring in and throw in switch drops after.

Neutral wiring in new builds

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