Switching Problem!!

YorkshireBoy

gromituk wrote:

No, some electrical works need to be carried out by someone qualified to do so. This does not inclue the works proposed here (alteration to an existing circuit, indoors, and not in a bathroom).

...and here's the 'official' wording...

You do not need to tell your local authority's Building Control Department about:

repairs, replacements and maintenance work; or
extra power points or lighting points or other alterations to existing circuits (except in a kitchen or bathroom, or outdoors).
You need to tell them about most other work.

If you are not sure about this, or you have any questions, ask your local authority's Building Control Department.

http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1130907

I must admit, that as an electrical engineer, I'm a little surprised (and disappointed) that Part P allows 'Joe Public' to install additional sockets and lighting points when, in the OP's case, they clearly know nothing about what they are doing.

As has been pointed out by others, the dangers of 'mixing' upstairs/downstairs neutrals can have catastrophic consequences for anyone working on the circuit(s) at a later date.

Just my opinion - and I mean no offence to the OP.

gromituk

But had the OP known what he was doing, he wouldn't be posting here!

It's a bad idea to put a blanket ban on something like this. You won't stop those who don't give a toss about the law, and they are likely to be those who don't give a toss about whether or not what they do is safe. There is also the economic argument: isn't it better to install some more sockets in a ring main than have cascaded extension leads, etc? People who couldn't afford to employ an electrician to do this could well do it themselves, properly, thereby reducing the overall risk.

Yes, you can endanger yourself and others by doing domestic electrical work, but compare it to the problems caused by, for example, the hordes of people who chat away on their mobile phones while driving, and it puts it into perspective.

sam2142

Thankyou to all that replied to the question,

In the end i went with the option with tapping into the top floor light through the loft, then down the sides through a cupboard then down into the floorboards to the lowerfloor. So now have both lights now come using both switches on the floors. Quite simple to do, once the solution of the problem was found.

Sam

djohn2002uk

Originally Posted by djohn2002uk
Sam. It is possible to take a neutral from the lighting circuit downstairs but would certainly not conform to regulations.

gromituk.
Please DO NOT attribute sugestions that he should use a neutral from downstairs to a quote from me.
If you are going to join a thread half way through please take the trouble to read the thread thoroughly and from the beginning. You would then have seen that the sugestion was made earlier. You will also have noticed that he has used my sugestion almost to the letter.

tomstickland

I've only skimmed the subsequent posts, but it looks like the OP wants a light downstairs that duplicates the light upstairs. That's a simple wiring job - run cable from exisiting light to new light so that both bulbs are in parallel.


Edit: which you did LOL

Thankyou to all that replyed to the question,

In the end i went with the option with tapping into the top floor light through the loft, then down the sides through a cupboard then down into the floorboards to the lowerfloor. So now have both lights now come using both switches on the floors. Quite simple to do, once the solution of the problem was found.

Martini

Surely though, this new downstairs light does not conform to the current regulations! A two way light switch circuit for a landing light is fed from the upstairs lighting circuit. If someone (who is unaware of the new light rose in the hall) works on it after isolating the downstairs circuit they could get electrocuted if someone switches the landing light on!
That is why it is not a good idea to run circuits between floors!

Mr_Proctalgia

Borrowed Neutrals can be a real pain (not to mention dangerous) if you have RCD's they will not behave as expected either, so I recommend a simple parallell of the existing lamp as well.

Good Luck.

gromituk

djohn2002uk wrote:

gromituk.
if you are going to join a thread half way through please take the trouble to read the thread thoroughly and from the beginning.

I did, thank you very much. However, I don't have a photographic memory. Do you? And anyone else who doesn't have a photograpic memory could just as well have read what you said, without the accompanying explanation of why it is dangerous, and just gone ahead and done it. You simply said it was against regulations.

tomstickland

Surely though, this new downstairs light does not conform to the current regulations! A two way light switch circuit for a landing light is fed from the upstairs lighting circuit. If someone (who is unaware of the new light rose in the hall) works on it after isolating the downstairs circuit they could get electrocuted if someone switches the landing light on!
That is why it is not a good idea to run circuits between floors!

Many years ago I had the exact same problem when I isolated the upstairs ciruit so I could work on the landing light and found that it was live via the downstairs circuit. Any experienced electrician would be aware of this though. Like me now.