Neutral at light switch

[adsmith]

hi guys I’m thinking of future prodding my lighting circuit if I ever want to go for smart switches. I understand I’ll need a 35mm back box and I believe a neutral is required at the switch. I’m and running a new circuit in my house for it and would prefer to run the feeds in and out at the switches however this won’t be able to be achieved as the conduit to light switches will only fit on cable and I don’t want to damage the walls/plaster. I was thinking of running a 3 core cable from ceiling rose to light switch (live feed, switched live and connect neutral) and just leave the neutral connected to a choc block in light switch for if I ever go for smart light switches. Is this deemed ok to do leaving a floating neutral?

 

[Spoon]

Why not just not connect the Neutral at the ceiling rose? In future if its needed then connect it then.

 

[Pete999]

Why not just not connect the Neutral at the ceiling rose? In future if its needed then connect it then.

What Spoon said

 

[Strima]

Best practice would be to terminate unused cables to earth in case of future faults. A nail through a cable may not trip the protective device and leave a hanging cable live, at least terminated to earth it would trip the OCDP.

 

[westward10]

Hager make switches with neutral terminals not sure about others.

 

[littlespark]

Hager make switches with neutral terminals not sure about others.

I think it’s marked “loop” and it has no function for the switch. The terminal isn’t connected to anything. It’s just somewhere to park that extra neutral wire.

Is your installation fully piped? Just leave access to the central jointbox and run in singles. Add a neutral when you need it.
Otherwise, run your 3 core and earth, but it could be tight going round bends. Use lubrication

 

[Spoon]

Use lubrication

ooh er missus.....

 

[littlespark]

I just knew someone would take the bait.
1 point to @Spoon

 

[Spoon]

I just knew someone would take the bait.
1 point to @Spoon

But I'm easy to take the bait when it come to innuendos...

 

[*-jester-*]

... I was thinking of running a 3 core cable from ceiling rose to light switch (live feed, switched live and connect neutral) and just leave the neutral connected to a choc block in light switch for if I ever go for smart light switches. Is this deemed ok to do leaving a floating neutral?

Yep this is fine, just make sure you identify the neutral core with blue sleeve at both ends.

 

[westward10]

I think it’s marked “loop” and it has no function for the switch. The terminal isn’t connected to anything. It’s just somewhere to park that extra neutral wire.

Is your installation fully piped? Just leave access to the central jointbox and run in singles. Add a neutral when you need it.
Otherwise, run your 3 core and earth, but it could be tight going round bends. Use lubrication

It is marked neutral loop.

 

[GMES]

Used loads of Hager for that reason, they've been doing it for many years as well.
I don't know of Any others that do it.

 

[*-jester-*]

Used loads of Hager for that reason, they've been doing it for many years as well.
I don't know of Any others that do it.

The old MK Masterseal switches used to have one in the back box.
Edit: ...was it 'Masterseal'? The old outdoor switches with a rubber membrane in the front.

 

[Ian1981]

Hager make switches with neutral terminals not sure about others.

schneider lisse or whatever it’s call do as well.
You’ll sleep better now you know that I’m sure

 

[adsmith]

Hi guys thanks for the advice. I’ll keep my eye out for those switches. If not I will just terminate the wire to earth at both ends until required.

I had the floor boards up today looking at the lighting circuit and notice the feed from the CU went to a junction box and each room downstairs was fed via this junction box. Never seen it done like that before. Always either feeds in and out at switch or at ceiling rose. Is it ok this way?

 

[Spoon]

I had the floor boards up today looking at the lighting circuit and notice the feed from the CU went to a junction box and each room downstairs was fed via this junction box. Never seen it done like that before. Always either feeds in and out at switch or at ceiling rose. Is it ok this way?

If the junction box is 'maintenance free' then it's ok.

 

[Spoon]

Could always use these if you wanted to change them.

 

[*-jester-*]

...I had the floor boards up today looking at the lighting circuit and notice the feed from the CU went to a junction box and each room downstairs was fed via this junction box. Never seen it done like that before. Always either feeds in and out at switch or at ceiling rose. Is it ok this way?

Yeah, the junction box method was quite common when I was an apprentice but electricians soon realised that these junction boxes hidden under floorboards were hard to get to when it came to fault finding in the future, hence the reason why nowadays the loop-in ceiling rose is the preferred method.

 

[GMES]

I hate junction boxes and they shouldn't be used unless there's absolutely no way round it.

I'm sure there will be some one in their seventies along soon to tell me different.
Back in the good old days, during the WAR.

 

[westward10]

The junction box method was commonly known as two plate because ignoring cpcs the batten holder plate only had two terminals. Later this changed when loop-in terminals were introduced giving roses and battens three terminals to the plate hence, three plate.