AM2 Lighting

[YoungBart]

Hi all, I do apologise if this has been posted before, But I'll be damned If I can find it. I have my AM2 this week, and I'm fairly confident In all aspects of it (Famous last words). But I've just hit a snag while trying to work out the lighting.
Apparently the circuit is a 2 way and intermediate, wired in 1.5 t&e, with the feed going to the switch. (I can manage that bit)
and the strappers and switch wire are all ok, But what about the Neutral, I've just seen somewhere that says I need another legnth of cable between the first 2 way switch and the last 2 way switch with the Brown unused (in a connector) and the neutral Joining up with the feed Neutral and the Neutral from the light (again in connectors).
Anyway I've done a quick diagram (of sorts) does it look ok to you (from a technical point of view NOT artistically)

 

[murray2707]

How about feed and neutral into first switch, switch and neutral back to light from first switch. Then just a 3core t&e from first switch, with com joint through in intermediate switch to your last switch.

 

[Guest55]

im afraid your wiring layout is completely wrong young man.

it can be done using just a single 3 core & earth cable which will carry the neutral through the switches and onto the light.
the problem is you've taken the permanent live ( brown ) to all the switches when it should go no further than the common terminal in switch 1




it should be like above but with the neutral going through the switches on its way to the light.

 

[trebor]

I would say you have been looking at the ----------- website which is probably the cause of so many failures, take note of murray2707, far more accurate

 

[YoungBart]

Murray, I'm fairly sure the spec for the AM2 says the feed into one switch and the switch wire out of another switch, So unfortunately that is not an option. Biff I tried to draw my diagram using the info, from sparky facts (As trebor has said) website, And upon further investigation I have misread it, and shouldn't have continued my brown feed.

 

[trebor]

The spec says I can assure you 150% the feed from the db to sw1 next to the db, a 3 core and earth from sw1 via the intermediate to sw 3, the twin and eaearth fom the light back to switch 1, hence you will have two twin and earths in the first switch, screwless connectors must be used to marshall the neutrals and cpc`s, the common in the intermediate and also the lone cpc in switch 3, eg wagos

 

[YoungBart]

Thanks Trebor, I've evidently been fed duff information from the 'Sparky Facts' I've been focusing that much on the S plan that the Lighting has falled down the pecking order

 

[trebor]

youre welcome, by the way the common is grey, and dont forget to brown sleeve the grey and black in all switches

 

[KAS1]

How about loop in loop out system, T&E down to SW1 3c&E SW1-SW2 and 3c&E SW2-SW3 all done without the need for N at switch in this case as not necessary

How about feed and neutral into first switch, switch and neutral back to light from first switch. Then just a 3core t&e from first switch, with com joint through in intermediate switch to your last switch.

 

[Guest55]

How about loop in loop out system, T&E down to SW1 3c&E SW1-SW2 and 3c&E SW2-SW3 all done without the need for N at switch in this case as not necessary

its a requirement of the am2 exam to do it a particular way KAS , they wont have option to choose the 3 or so different ways of wiring the circuit.

 

[Garythenab]

im afraid your wiring layout is completely wrong young man.

it can be done using just a single 3 core & earth cable which will carry the neutral through the switches and onto the light.
the problem is you've taken the permanent live ( brown ) to all the switches when it should go no further than the common terminal in switch 1


View attachment 18975

it should be like above but with the neutral going through the switches on its way to the light.

Yep agree with with that. Thats how it was done when i done it 1 1/2 years ago

 

[YoungBart]

Ok, So a day to go and my nerves are rattling like crazy, I can barely hold my glass of scotch lol. I've got these 2 methods for my lighting, Can anyone tell me if they are both correct (They should all be functional) and wich of the two methods is best.

 

[Guest55]

no 1 is correct , no 2 isnt.

 

[KAS1]

If you draw the switch positions in, as in biff's drawing you'll be able to follow the diagram and determine as to why the switching works or doesn't, it's the easiest way.

 

[YoungBart]

The 2nd method is just what I could decipher from a message a friend sent me, so possibly he's got confused or I've missed a point a copy of the message 'the feed in goes in the bottom of switch (L1) and the feed to the light from (L2) of same switch then strappers as normal between switches terminal block on common at intermediate tho I think your way works aswell there is no need for the connector in the first switch you just make use of the switch terminals instead if u do it my way plus that's how I did it and I passed...eventually!! '

I can see now with the switching paths that it won't work.
Just wondering if my 1st method will be ok with it having 2 connectors at the first switch (Neutral, SL+C, CPC)

 

[ackbarthestar]

From what I can see, youngbart, both of your drawings are correct, that is, both will work.
The easiest one is to grasp is your top drawing and probably the one to remember

The top one is an adaption of a two plate wiring system and the bottom one is an adaption of of a three plate wiring system.

Now whether it is acceptable to use a 2-plate method in T&E or whether it acceptable to take a neutral down to the switch for a 2-plate method are open to debate.

However, if you are still in doubt I would draw out 16 little diagrams, tedious I know, but you'll have a handy reference for the future.

 

[somersetsparks]

I thought they used singles for the lighting on the AM2? how times change, T+e for everything now :-(

 

[ackbarthestar]

I thought they used singles for the lighting on the AM2? how times change, T+e for everything now :-(

If its conduit wiring then it should be by convention 2-plate wiring.
If i remember rightly, there is both T&E and singles used on the AM2. I can't remember whether or not they use T&E for the lighting though.

 

[Hants-Spark]

If its conduit wiring then it should be by convention 2-plate wiring.
If i remember rightly, there is both T&E and singles used on the AM2. I can't remember whether or not they use T&E for the lighting though.

It was singles when I done mine some 25yrs ago but they never told you how it was to be wired you could do it however you wanted, 2 or 3 plate.

 

[somersetsparks]

It was singles when I done mine some 25yrs ago but they never told you how it was to be wired you could do it however you wanted, 2 or 3 plate.

Same when I done mine 5 years ago, seem to remember it had a landlords override switch as well.