Light switch wiring
Discussion
Well it doesn't help when all the joints are crammed in there with two different styles of block and nothing marked, but I suspect you're missing one bit of wire to go between the two empty terminals?
Guess it's a ring with a spur running to the light. Neutrals all linked and you're trying to switch one live, so are missing the wire between ring and switch.
Guess it's a ring with a spur running to the light. Neutrals all linked and you're trying to switch one live, so are missing the wire between ring and switch.
IANAE, but generally speaking Black is the switched live going to the bulb, and the bulb will connected across a switched live and a neutral (Blue), so you want to connect a short wire from the live (Brown) to the common terminal on the switch.
However there's a bit of cowboyism that's gone on here with that terminal block. I'd remove that get a 3 way Wago connectors to replace it. I'd also check the light fitting is wired the way I'd expect it to be as well, with a black a blue.
However there's a bit of cowboyism that's gone on here with that terminal block. I'd remove that get a 3 way Wago connectors to replace it. I'd also check the light fitting is wired the way I'd expect it to be as well, with a black a blue.
Edited by RizzoTheRat on Monday 7th September 13:51
JoshSm said:
Well it doesn't help when all the joints are crammed in there with two different styles of block and nothing marked, but I suspect you're missing one bit of wire to go between the two empty terminals?
Guess it's a ring with a spur running to the light. Neutrals all linked and you're trying to switch one live, so are missing the wire between ring and switch.
That's what I think - just move the two browns from the Wago to the common terminal.Guess it's a ring with a spur running to the light. Neutrals all linked and you're trying to switch one live, so are missing the wire between ring and switch.
JoshSm said:
Well it doesn't help when all the joints are crammed in there with two different styles of block and nothing marked, but I suspect you're missing one bit of wire to go between the two empty terminals?
Guess it's a ring with a spur running to the light. Neutrals all linked and you're trying to switch one live, so are missing the wire between ring and switch.
Looks like this. Guess it's a ring with a spur running to the light. Neutrals all linked and you're trying to switch one live, so are missing the wire between ring and switch.
If you had a faulty switch he's quickly wago'd the 2 lives together so all the other lights work.
So pop the wago off, both into the common and should be good to go*
- probably, no way to be certain without checking, get him back, etc
The Three D Mucketeer said:
Maybe I'm wrong , I'm not an electrician ... but I wouldn't run a ring down to a single pole switch ... I'd run one cable with live and switched live and earth... But who am i to say 
.
That's the old ceiling rose method, so you've got the neutrals up at the fitting. .Most modern light fittings don't have the space to make off connections when replacing a rose. Plus smart switches need a neutral at the switch.
So the more modern method is to loop the feed between switches rather than the ceiling rose.
netherfield said:
The Three D Mucketeer said:
Maybe I'm wrong , I'm not an electrician ... but I wouldn't run a ring down to a single pole switch ... I'd run one cable with live and switched live and earth... But who am i to say .
Could be another switch very near, save a lot of wires that way. .grumbas said:
The Three D Mucketeer said:
Maybe I'm wrong , I'm not an electrician ... but I wouldn't run a ring down to a single pole switch ... I'd run one cable with live and switched live and earth... But who am i to say .
That's the old ceiling rose method, so you've got the neutrals up at the fitting. .Most modern light fittings don't have the space to make off connections when replacing a rose. Plus smart switches need a neutral at the switch.
So the more modern method is to loop the feed between switches rather than the ceiling rose.
Hate to see them wiring a 4 pole switch
.Need a big back box .Taking the ring circuit down to every switch , increases the length of the circuit , looses the integrity of the ring and makes faulting the ring more difficult.... But I'm old school when electricians could use screwdrivers and not use Chinese sub standard parts with insulation displacement and WAGOs and plumbers could solder and braze and not rely on plastic couplings
.Presumably either the device was left permanently switched on/off or there's a 2nd switch ?
I think he's a cowboy for not carrying a simple spare or going and buying one and returning to finish the job.
Edited by The Three D Mucketeer on Monday 7th September 16:38
The Three D Mucketeer said:
Or use a junction box in ceiling and some smart switches don't need a neutral.
Hate to see them wiring a 4 pole switch .Need a big back box .
Taking the ring circuit down to every switch , increases the length of the circuit , looses the integrity of the ring and makes faulting the ring more difficult.... But I'm old school when electricians could use screwdrivers and not use Chinese sub standard parts with insulation displacement and WAGOs and plumbers could solder and braze and not rely on plastic couplings .
I think it's frowned upon now to use put screwed junction boxes in inaccessible places. Ironically, if Wagos are used they're OK as they're regarded as maintenance free. Hate to see them wiring a 4 pole switch
.Need a big back box .Taking the ring circuit down to every switch , increases the length of the circuit , looses the integrity of the ring and makes faulting the ring more difficult.... But I'm old school when electricians could use screwdrivers and not use Chinese sub standard parts with insulation displacement and WAGOs and plumbers could solder and braze and not rely on plastic couplings
.JoshSm said:
Only if you use the proper approved maintenance free boxes, the matching Wagos and assemble & secure it all correctly.
Wagos in a regular box aren't maintenance free.
Out of interest what is the issue, do some box types cause corrosion issues?Wagos in a regular box aren't maintenance free.
I'm not in the UK, so different rules, but all my switches have plastic back boxes and wago's in every box. 4 poles are indeed very crowded. My ceiling boxes are pretty deep though.
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