Electrical advise - Wiring ceiling fan to light switch

The 9 cables he speaks of will be the supply (Brown/Red (Phase) - Blue/Black (Neutral) - Green&Yellow (C.P.C) then another 2-Core + C.P.C which would be the loop to the next fixture on the radial lighting circuit and the final 2-Core + C.P.C which would be the cables running to the switch (obviously this 2-Core + C.P.C should be easy to i.d as the Blue/Black (Neutral) will have Brown/Red sleeving on it as it's actually the switch phase.

/16th Ed Sparky :-)

''From me experience, i don't push the chock block connectors back into the ceiling if i can help it because if ever the wires come out, its a pain to get the block back out again.''

With all due respect you shouldn't be messing with electrics!
A correctly terminated connector block is both mechanically and electrically sound provided it's done correctly. I.E, ALL cables entering the connector block should be doubled over (ALL terminations should be doubled where possible) and long enough so that BOTH screw terminals can screw down on them!! The screws then need to be tightened with the correct amount of pressure, this is achieved by using the correct size screw-driver!
 
C.R.A.Z.Y said:
The 9 cables he speaks of will be the supply (Brown/Red (Phase) - Blue/Black (Neutral) - Green&Yellow (C.P.C) then another 2-Core + C.P.C which would be the loop to the next fixture on the radial lighting circuit and the final 2-Core + C.P.C which would be the cables running to the switch (obviously this 2-Core + C.P.C should be easy to i.d as the Blue/Black (Neutral) will have Brown/Red sleeving on it as it's actually the switch phase.

/16th Ed Sparky :-)

''From me experience, i don't push the chock block connectors back into the ceiling if i can help it because if ever the wires come out, its a pain to get the block back out again.''

With all due respect you shouldn't be messing with electrics!
A correctly terminated connector block is both mechanically and electrically sound provided it's done correctly. I.E, ALL cables entering the connector block should be doubled over (ALL terminations should be doubled where possible) and long enough so that BOTH screw terminals can screw down on them!! The screws then need to be tightened with the correct amount of pressure, this is achieved by using the correct size screw-driver!
Click to expand...

Lets hope it is not wired in singles or MICC ;)
 
Stanners said:
Lets hope it is not wired in singles or MICC ;)
Click to expand...

I would hate to see the price of you invoices if you wire houses in MICC lol
Good shout on the singles, although he wouldn't have mentioned being able to put things above the ceiling if he had a conduit install (well assumed not) the only places I have seen singles in is flats, definatly the best price work jobs I have ever done, like for like council flat rewires in existing conduit!
 
Let me start by saying thanks for the advice I have received (including the negative stuff) I do appreciate that people are trying to help.

However, I have to say, I'm finding this thread a little dis-heartening . I have just bought my first place, and we are surprisingly enough, skint. I cannot afford to have a sparky come in an do this kind of work (I um-ed and ah-ed about the fan itself, and that was only £30 odd quid) and frankly, it never even occurred to me to consider it anyway.

As I say, I'm sure you're all correct and it may be that I will think twice before undertaking this kind of work next time. I guess I'm just disappointed that 95% of the replies were so negative. Not really what I needed when I'm feeling pleased with myself for doing what I thought was a damned good job.
 
I think people were simply looking out for others, not wanting to put you and your ideas down or to be negative about what you wanted to do.

It's a fact that badly done electrical work can cause a problem. Just don't do it badly :D
 
Putting up lights/switches/sockets is usually pretty fine asking as you pay attention to what you disconnect. My bread and butter jobs are people who have put up a new light with all the "lives" together and all the "neutrals" together and wonder why it goes bang or replace a 2 way light switch and end up with it not switching properly after.

What the problem is when people use the wrong size cable for the purpose, I.e: I went to a property with a converted summer house and garage running off a 62a mcb supplying 4mm cable over about a 80m run. They didn't know why their leccy bills were so high. Main problem was volt drop over the small (4mm is far too small for 63a anyway) cable over the long run, the second problem was that due to the size of the mcb and combined with volt drop heating the cable was melting under high load, which could easily have caused a fire.
They chose 4mm because it was cheaper than 10mm.
 
Whilst were on the subject, what about light switches? I have 2 in my house that need replacing, and I don't know what the "types" are. Both switches operate lights that are also operated by other switches (i.e. Upstairs and downstairs switches for the hall light).

Question 1 - Can I replace these myself, or do I need to live with broken switches?
Question 2 - What kind of switches do I need? Are there difference types?
 
Yep replace them yourself, you need 2 way switches. When you in screw your existing ones there will be 3 terminals with wires in (if old colours, red,yellow,blue. New brown,black,grey) the terminals will be numbered so will the ones on the new switch. Swap them over like for like terminal 1 for terminal 1 etc... And you will be fine. If you don't do this you are in for a headache! ;)
 
C.R.A.Z.Y said:
The 9 cables he speaks of will be the supply (Brown/Red (Phase) - Blue/Black (Neutral) - Green&Yellow (C.P.C) then another 2-Core + C.P.C which would be the loop to the next fixture on the radial lighting circuit and the final 2-Core + C.P.C which would be the cables running to the switch (obviously this 2-Core + C.P.C should be easy to i.d as the Blue/Black (Neutral) will have Brown/Red sleeving on it as it's actually the switch phase.

/16th Ed Sparky :-)

''From me experience, i don't push the chock block connectors back into the ceiling if i can help it because if ever the wires come out, its a pain to get the block back out again.''

With all due respect you shouldn't be messing with electrics!
A correctly terminated connector block is both mechanically and electrically sound provided it's done correctly. I.E, ALL cables entering the connector block should be doubled over (ALL terminations should be doubled where possible) and long enough so that BOTH screw terminals can screw down on them!! The screws then need to be tightened with the correct amount of pressure, this is achieved by using the correct size screw-driver!
Click to expand...

There is always one :rolleyes:

If you said that to a sparky face to face, he would just laugh at you and tell you to mind your own business and stop be a jobs worth ****.

Even when you double the ends over, it doesn't stop the wires breaking.
 
MeEsH BaKkA said:
Yep replace them yourself, you need 2 way switches. When you in screw your existing ones there will be 3 terminals with wires in (if old colours, red,yellow,blue. New brown,black,grey) the terminals will be numbered so will the ones on the new switch. Swap them over like for like terminal 1 for terminal 1 etc... And you will be fine. If you don't do this you are in for a headache! ;)
Click to expand...
Tell me about it.
But if you do get stuck, this is one of the better websites I think I've seen for explaining 2 way switching/loop-in systems and so on in layman's terms:

http://www.flameport.com/electric/lighting_circuits/lighting_switchwires_twoway.cs4
 
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