I am trying to move a 3 gang (all 1 way) switch from one side of a door to the other.
I want to use 2 x 1.5mm T&E cables, which is all I have at hand, in this way:
Cable 1: Brown - common Live Blue - Switched live for switch 1
Cable 2: Brown - Switched live for switch 2 Blue - Switched live for switch 3
Earth joined and connected on either end.
The "old" switch location will be plastered over and I intend to label the cables in the new location.
Is this acceptable?
Yes - absolutely fine, IF all lights are on the same breaker (the one place you might fall foul is the hall or landing where switches might carry feeds from upstairs and downstairs circuits). You cannot mix circuits (as in CU circuits) in one cable.
You'd want brown sleeving on the blue wires.
What route will the cables take? permitted zones are 150mm from the edges of walls/ceilings, or within the horizontal or vertical bounds of the wiring plates,
the wires to the new switch should be fine if you go horizontal or vertical from there, but if you're going to remove the old switch and not put a blank plate there, it won't leave a clue to anyone that wires are there and plastered over.
Cables are running around the door frame.
I'll probably cover with a blank plate, as it will be hidden behind the door anyway.
Thanks a lot!
All 3 lights are on the same lighting ring.
on surface? that would be ok, but in any gap between door casing and architrave wouldn't
I know... ;-)
Couldn't remember whether it was you who earlier had linked to an american site showing how to do it that way :-P
Noting the point earlier about cable routing and sleeving the cores, then it all sounds fine.
The only core you can never "mis-use" is the uninsulated CPC/earth.
Since its likely that the wire drops straight from the ceiling to the switch, could you not carfully break out a bit of plaster near the ceiling to expose the cable. Then you could cout it, crimp on an extension and wire across the top or the door in the top 150mm zone and then down to the new switch.
If its a upstairs light, then just move the entrance point of the cable to the switch in the loft (or fit a pull switch for a low hassle solution).
Sepaate red, green and blue cords for the three gangs? :-P
It is in the ground floor of a two floor house. Rooms are all decorated (lining paper, coving along the ceiling, etc), and I simply cannot be bothered doing it all again, so minimal disruption is what I am after.
Yup, three pull switches may not look so good!
Sorry, was forgetting that bit!
Great! Thanks a lot.
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