Are the additional lives in a switch unnecessary?

[DanMcLiverpool]

Potentially a bit of a simpleton type question this, so please bare with me.

I've taken off a traditional switch, I have 3 lives, 3 switched lives. Nice and simple.

I have a smart switch to fit (don't worry, it's a 'no neutral' switch, this isn't a "where's my neutral" thread!) - effectively, this will work with just 1 of those lives fed in, and the other 2 lives blocked off for safety.

To trial the switch I just put the 1 live in and blocked the other 2 lives off since getting all 3 cores under one screw felt 'hacky', obviously they fit but anything being 'crammed in' to me is a bit of a red flag.

What is the safer option here? To block the lives off or to get them all under the screw? Is there anything in terms of 'load' I need to consider with taking away 2 live cores from what's being fed into the switch?

EDIT: 'blocked off' perhaps not the right term here, I mean put them in a block.

 

[westward10]

Can you show a pic of the existing switch.

 

[DanMcLiverpool]

Ah I can't unfortunately, sorry. I'm not in that property.

EDIT: Scratch that, I found the pics. New switch is first pic, as it was previously is second pic.

It is a 3 gang switch, in each switch there's a live and a switched live.

In the new switch, it's L, L1, L2, L3. In the L I've chosen one of the 3 existing lives, and dismissed the other 2. In L1, L2 and L3 is where the 3 switched lives are.
[automerge]1587631412[/automerge]

 

[westward10]

Are those three switches all from the same circuit.

 

[DanMcLiverpool]

They are all on 'downstairs lighting'. Does that answer the question or do you mean more specifically which circuit from that?

 

[James]

They are all on 'downstairs lighting'. Does that answer the question or do you mean more specifically which circuit from that?

same circuit breaker? (trip switch)

the thing to be carefull of is avoiding either joining 2 circuits together or feeding a live from, example downstairs lighting circ 1 and returning via downstairs lighting circ 2 (neutrual)

I would not join any of the lives together, just terminate each spare into a separate connector.

the most likely place to encounter more than 1 circuit inside the same switch is a landing light switch and/or front door hall light switch.
you sometimes have 3 different feeds there
1. downstairs lights
2. upstairs lights
3. outside lights.

 

[DanMcLiverpool]

same circuit breaker? (trip switch)

the thing to be carefull of is avoiding either joining 2 circuits together or feeding a live from, example downstairs lighting circ 1 and returning via downstairs lighting circ 2 (neutrual)

I would not join any of the lives together, just terminate each spare into a separate connector.

the most likely place to encounter more than 1 circuit inside the same switch is a landing light switch and/or front door hall light switch.
you sometimes have 3 different feeds there
1. downstairs lights
2. upstairs lights
3. outside lights.

Cool, that's great mate really appreciate your reply.

I'll do that, get them into a separate block. I see what you mean now about joining the circuits.

Yes - they are on the same circuit breaker, but belt 'n' braces I'll get them into separate blocks anyway.

I wondered whether somehow the additional lives would offer a better/safer/more efficient way feeding the additional lights, but I guess not.