Wiring Garage for Garden Lights

diymonkey

Hi everyone,

I'm currently working in my Garden & Garage. Basically, I've wired up 3 lights in the Garden (1 for each wall). The 1.5mm wiring is going from the Garden lights to the garage power source.

I have bought a triple 2-way switch which will be located inside the garage. I want to simply be able to switch on/off each light per button.

Looking at the photos below, can you please tell me how this can be done?

Thanks very much for your help.

TheCyclingProgrammer

can you please tell me how this can be done?

By calling an electrician. No offense, but if you weren't sure about how to do this before starting you probably should have got an electrician in in the first place.

diymonkey

I understand what your saying, however I am trying to save money by doing the practical job myself and then the electrician will check and approve it.

Mr.Generous

The switch is a break in the live side of each light's wiring, which is a circuit. Imagine wiring out to all three lights without a switch (you are going to need at least a separate live for each lamp to be able to switch individually). When you add the 3 gang switch you are just interrupting the live to each lamp. Your switch is 2 way but can be used as 1 way, you will only be wiring to 2 terminals in each switch and joining the neutrals at a terminal block. Outdoor lights will normally require an earth. That is as simple as I can explain it, if you don't understand I would call an electrician or your going to waste a lot of time. New outdoor installation (ie your lights) must be capable of being isolated separately to the house and be rcd protected.

Risteard

diymonkey wrote: »

then the electrician will check and approve it.

Hardly. For one it wouldn't pay them to do that - secondly, they can't if they haven't been there to inspect the work as it took place.

Hasbeen

I would second the posts advising you to get an electrician.

But as per post 3.

Your existing switch has one mains cable in from fuse box with live and neutral. It also has one cable in from your garage light.

The neutrals are joined and the fuse box live it inserted top switch, the garage light red live is inserted bottom switch.

To do what you are wanting it would perhaps be better to run new live/neutral cable from fuse box to new light switch join all the 3 neutrals from the garden lights to the cable neutral.

Insert the new live feed cable into the new switch top connector, connect that connector to the middle top connector and connect middle to the top of last one.

Connect the 3 live garden lights to each of the bottom connectors.

Connect all earths if that a metal switch it has an earth as well.

They should be fuse rated at 5amps not 16 as I take it that's the garage power fuse?

That's one way of doing it, a sparky would be better and do it all as per correct procedures though! and also install RCD protection possibly new RCD /circuit breaker fuse box unit which would also protect garage whilst they are there, etc

blackshirtuk

diymonkey

Thanks very much guys for all your advice. I've printed out blackshirtuk's excellent example of diagram which is exactly what I was looking for. Just to be clear each of my 1.5mm wiring has a L,N & E - same as the diagram.


My question only question is that Hasbeen has suggested I pull another separate live/neutral cable, but this is not practically possible due to the location of garage & our drive. So I'm thinking of using the live/neutral from current single switch which powers the garage lights. Is this possible and what would I need to do?

Hasbeen

diymonkey wrote: »

Thanks very much guys for all your advice. I've printed out blackshirtuk's excellent example of diagram which is exactly what I was looking for. Just to be clear each of my 1.5mm wiring has a L,N & E - same as the diagram.


My question only question is that Hasbeen has suggested I pull another separate live/neutral cable, but this is not practically possible due to the location of garage & our drive. So I'm thinking of using the live/neutral from current single switch which powers the garage lights. Is this possible and what would I need to do?

As per the diagram run new cable from live side on existing light switch and connect new cable neutral to neutrals at switch.
I suggested running new cable from garage supply as per your photo??

Is the switch showing in your photo in the garage? It has a socket underneath, can you not connect cable/flex to new plug with 5 amp fuse and connect the other end to switch as per the diagram

kinger101

This is a very cheap job for an electrician. And the bonus is, if and when you come to sell you house, you won't have trouble filling in the TA6 form. If I didn't run a mile after seeing DIY electrical installations, I'd at least be demanding the vendor pays for an electrical inspection.

diymonkey

Sorry for the late reply guys. Just been very busy. I just want to let you know, that all is working well after using the diagrams. So thank you to all of you for your input.