My house was rewired recently and it seems that the way light switches are wired is not what I am used to.
It used to be that the lighting mains cable snaked along from light fitting to light fitting with drops down to the light switches using the neutral as a switched line.
The new wiring seems to have a lighting mains cable going to each light switch with a switched supply going up to each light fitting.
Has the convention changed?
Robert
AFAIK, loop-in from fitting to fitting is still the convention.
However if the installation has a rather odd layout, or few/no pendants, or lots of low-level switched light sockets for table lamps
- then it may be easier to use a different layout.
Some smart lighting controllers also need a neutral in the switch-box, or provision might be made to use them in future by bringing neutral to the switch box.
Not really. What you are used to is still the most common ("loop in" is the name of the technique). However wiring switch to switch is also allowed and has different pros and cons. Probably more common on the continent though...
Our 1978 built house has the power going to the switches and back up to the light fittings. It threw at first, until I sorted out what was going on, as I expected the power to go from light fitting to light fitting, as the OP stated.
Dave
No 'convention' - just a more common way of doing things. You could have a mixture of both on a house which has been re-wired.
Most of the trendy designer light fittings these days are designed for the Jonny Foreigner system leaving no room for the 9 wires in the loop in system. Holes have to be cut in the PB ceiling to accomodate the connectors.
An even with space, you often fine the lack of a spare terminal for the switched live.
We _seem_ to have (haven't investigated properly yet!) a strange thing in our new house - singles with live looped switch to switch, and neutral looped fitting to fitting.
If so, isn't this the one that messes with induction loop hearing aid things?
Cheers, David.
"New" as in new to you, rather than newly built?
AFAIK that method was used in the 1970s and early 80s, particularly in houses built by certain large developers. The lines use a single-and-earth cable and the neutrals are just single sheathed (6181Y).
Yes :-(
Ehh? What?
Yes, 1973 built.
Thanks for the info. The house was built by a (small?) developer (Molton Construction I think) - though much of the rest of the estate was Barratts - also mid 1970s.
I think I might replace all this (if it's easy to do so). Depends how much plastering ends up getting done anyway.
Cheers, David.
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