Moving Light Switches

[tomKett]

Hi All,

I need to move some light switches from one side of a door to another. There is not enough room to chase the wires back up from the original switches before going accross the top of the door. There is no access to the loft space above the room therefore I cannot re route from above. I am therefore left with 2 options.

1. Splice the cables at the original switch locations and chase the wires down the wall, under the floor and back up.

2. Chiesel into the wall to access the cable, splice them and then chase them over the top of the door. and down.

Anybody got any views?

regards

Tom

 

[shane]

Hi All,

I need to move some light switches from one side of a door to another. There is not enough room to chase the wires back up from the original switches before going accross the top of the door. There is no access to the loft space above the room therefore I cannot re route from above. I am therefore left with 2 options.

1. Splice the cables at the original switch locations and chase the wires down the wall, under the floor and back up.

2. Chiesel into the wall to access the cable, splice them and then chase them over the top of the door. and down.

Anybody got any views?

regards

Tom

If i was you pal if there are floor boards i would just chase down to the floor lift the boards needed to rout the cables and chace up to you new position.. or if a commersial situation could use some pvc trunking can get some arcatraive trunking what ever you thinks is easiest and looks best..

 

[xraytek]

Hi,
My opinion (for what its worth) is that you will need to make your splice within 150mm of the top of the wall, then runhorizontally along the along the top until you are directly above the new light switch.
Then drop vertically to the switch.

That way the cables will be within the permitted safe zones.

 

[shane]

If i was you pal if there are floor boards i would just chase down to the floor lift the boards needed to rout the cables and chace up to you new position.. or if a commersial situation could use some pvc trunking can get some arcatraive trunking what ever you thinks is easiest and looks best..

just read you situation again and are you saying there is no room over the door frame to chase inand down to the new position??i'm a bit slow today lol

 

[tomKett]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

The property is actually my parents so need to make sure the job is tidy!

It is a 400 year old cottage but the floors are now concrete, there is room to chase above the door within the 150mm zone however there is no room to chase wires back up from the original light switch to the top of the door. Therefore I can either break into the wires at the top of the door, or go down and under the floor.

Thansk

Tom

 

[Mark_Burgess]

I would go with option 2 for the same reasons as Xraytek.

 

[iang27]

7.3 in the your osg tells you what you should do. worth a look if you ask me

 

[SirKit Breaker]

There is some making good to do here whatever solution you use. Therfore I would cut into the ceiling above the existing switch, cut and extend the cable with a JB or Helacon type connector, run it across to directly above new switch and then straight down. With a bit of care you can get the cable into the corner of the ceiling and the wall without making a proper mess, just use a bit of filler to patch up.

 

[Jason Smith]

Hi mate, I specialise in old cottages with problems exactly as you say. sketch it out on paper with all the possible wiring routes. Then strike off those illegal. If you want to keep the original wire to the original switch- ( you may need it as the feed ) you can just put a blank plate on it and the wire can stay in.(extended if you know what I mean) This tells the owner of the property that a cable is installed there.
Another possible way is to come in from the back of the wall- just ideas for you.

 

[Des 56]

You could always remove the supply to the switch,fit a reciever in the light and use a remote wireles switch
They are designed with this type of problem in mind

 

[eddielarge]

You could always remove the supply to the switch,fit a reciever in the light and use a remote wireles switch
They are designed with this type of problem in mind

im with des use a wireless switch

 

[jase]

like jason smith said, if you jointed the cable at the exisiting position you would have to put a blank plate on to show the cable is coming down the wall there, also this would allow accesibility to the joint. if you chiseled the wall out at the top within the 150mm safe zone then went acroos above the door and down the wall above the new switch position remember that if you buried that join within any making good it would have to be made with a compression tool, ie crimps unless the join was accsesible, which sirkit breakers option would allow, as a ceiling can always have a hole made in it for access.

 

[SirKit Breaker]

You could always remove the supply to the switch,fit a reciever in the light and use a remote wireles switch
They are designed with this type of problem in mind

Why didnt i think of that, cracking idea

 

[tomKett]

Loving the wireless solution, seems so painless.

Anybody got experience with:

For the ceiling:

Home Easy Remote Control Bayonet Holder and Light Switch 1 Gang, Model HE208



And for the uplights

Home Easy Remote Control Wall Switch Unit 1G, White, Model HE307

Home Easy Remote Control Wire-in Switch Converter, Model HE203

Seems like a perfect solution.

Thanks for everyones posts.

regards

Tom

 

[eddielarge]

Have a look at the MK echo switch , to my knowledge its the only one that does not need a battery in the switch so is maintenance free

 

[mogga]

the echo is brill except the Price

 

[eddielarge]

the echo is brill except the Price

mogga what is the price as ive not had the pleasure yet, but the rep at excel said about £60-80 was she telling porky's

 

[mogga]

£69 for the switch and £75 for the receiver sounds a bit steep but if it saves raggling n plastering ect and makes job easier to conform to regs £150 ish isnt bad

 

[eddielarge]

£69 for the switch and £75 for the receiver sounds a bit steep but if it saves raggling n plastering ect and makes job easier to conform to regs £150 ish isnt bad

she made it sound like it was £60 ish all in not each grrrrr

 

[2BobSparky]

Hi guys, first time poster here and I have a question that also relates to moving light switches too so why not just post it in here I figure...

Anyway, gotta move a double emergency light flick switch from one side of metal duct work to another, utilising an existing metal surface mounted back box, which is lower than the existing switch.

Just wondering what are rules when it comes to extending cables and also cable size when making joins?

Is it perfectly okay for me to simply extend using connectors (aka. chocolate block) and the cables run into the flick switch are all 2mm. Is it okay if I run my extensions in 1.5mm?

Look forward to your responses, its great to be here!