Connect the live cores of the split circuit cable to one terminal, the neutral cores to another and the earth cores to a third – adding green/yellow sleeving. Fitting a light switch can be a simple or complex task, depending on what light switches you're replacing or adding. Old Fashioned Fabric-covered Electrical Cable in brown or antique gold (ring us to ask for a free sample!) There are many types of light switches available. Some only control a single light, while others can have multiple switches to control multiple lights from one place.

If you find your screw terminals are loose, don’t be tempted to just tighten the screws with a standard screwdriver. Standard screwdrivers are not enough to protect you! VDE screwdrivers are required for safe tightening of screw terminals. VDE screwdrivers protect you with up to 1,000V and with 230-240V there that can potentially harm you, it’s important that the right tools are used. Connect the brown core of the light cable to the switch drop’s blue core, its blue core to the circuit neutrals and its earth to the earth terminal. With loop-in wiring Inside the ceiling rose of a pendant light there are four terminals: loop in, neutral, switchline, earth. Power comes into the light via a cable from the consumer unit, containing line, neutral and earth wires. Cabling used for lighting circuits is two core and earth, which include a line, neutral and an earth core. Earth is identified by green and yellow sheathing, neutral is blue and line is brown. The line conductor is used in the switchline and loop in terminals. Loop in allows you to carry electricity from one lamp to another lamp. White plastic switches are often the default switch people go for but consider if other colours and finishes would suit the décor better. For example, brushed or polished chrome or slate grey are perfect finishes to match contemporary décor. Or if the décor is more traditional, there’s antique brass or wood effects. Also, think about how the colours will complement or match other items in the room, such as appliances, door handles or window openings. And don’t forget, you can choose different colours and finishes for different rooms if necessary.If you're planning to change or add switches throughout a home, it's worth thinking ahead about how many switches you need to ensure you get the right amount. Go from room to room and count how many lights need to be controlled. Then work out if any of these can be combined on a 2-gang, 3-gang or 4-gang switch and whether, in some cases, you need to control one light with multiple switches. It was popular in the 1960’s to borrow a neutral for a two way lighting circuit and problems commonly crop up now, when a neutral is borrowed from another circuit to complete a two way lighting circuit. You will notice that you have an additional neutral in the lighting circuit through a visual inspection or when fault finding. Three or two way light switch wiring may be more complicated. A like-for-like replacement should be easy for a competent DIYer. However, caution should be taken when working on multi-way switches. The lights they control should be connected to the same circuit, but there may be live cables on another switch if they're wired incorrectly. At the new rose, connect the brown core to the terminal marked ‘live’ and the blue core to the terminal marked ‘neutral’. The most common light in homes is a pendant, from which you can hang a variety of lamp shades, fixtures and chandeliers. Important parts of the pendant light are the ceiling rose, the cables that connect within the ceiling rose, the shroud that protects you and the light bulb fitting.

Pendant switches also have a surface that's designed to accommodate the human finger or hand. This is so the electronic switch can be pushed easily. How to fix a borrowed neutral is to safely remove the borrowed neutral and make safe, then replace the cable with the right number of cores of the lighting circuits. Due to cable being fiddly to replace, an electrician will need to come in and replace your whole lighting fixture to ensure it is safe for you to use. We have a selection of Reproduction Period Lighting at our shop in Leek. Look at the Light Fittings & Lampshades section for a preview.

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It will need replacing, as the light bulb cover (the shroud) is there to protect you from touching any live parts.

Run a spur cable from the original ceiling rose. This connects its brown core to the same terminal as the switch drop blue core (which should carry a length of brown PVC sleeving to show it can be live) and its blue core to the neutral circuit cores. The earth core goes to the earth terminal. Switches also come with different profiles, describing how the switch stands out from the wall. For example, raised profiles with rounded or square edges stand a few millimetres out from the wall. There are slim raised profiles that stand out less. And there are flat profiles that are almost flush with the wall. Flex can only support a very lightweight bulb and shade, so fittings over 2 kg must be supported by a chain. Ceiling light fittings with metal parts must be earthed via three-core flex unless they’re labelled as double-insulated. With junction-box wiringHomeowners or businessowners often replace their light switches simply because they want to update them to suit their room décor. But, for safety, they should be replaced if they’re showing any of the following signs of wear and tear: Add the perfect finishing touch to your period home with our great range of period light switches and other vintage light fittings, including a range of classic lamp shades and traditional light switches: Dimmer switches are ideal for rooms where people want to relax in softer light, such as living rooms and bedrooms. So, consider if a dimmer switch is needed. If so, ensure the light bulb used in the connected fitting is compatible with a dimmer switch. If not, simply change the light bulb. Please copy the voucher code, go to the basket and paste it into the voucher code box. To the Cyber Monday Sale It is not possible to have two dimmers on a two way circuit. But it is possible to have one dimmer switch and a standard switch on a two way lighting circuit. The switch will therefore control when the light is on and off, with the light level set by the dimmer.