Neutrals to switches ??

[mark28118]

Some guy at works tyrying to tell us that your no longer allowed to bring a neutral to the switch if the switch isn't double pole, but he says he cant find it in the regs....is he talking sh1te ? Where does it state this if he isn't...

Cheers

 

[Knobhead]

Your in Afghanistan, is you’re mate on Mars. If circumstances dictate a neutral at a switch then so be it. Best thing out for faultfinding, OK it’s a bit of a pain if the box isn’t deep enough.

 

[Deleted member 9648]

There's nothing that can really be added to this......'till E54 gets involved again....:devil2:

http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...rical-forum/33489-poll-neutrals-switches.html

 

[malcolmsanford]

There's nothing that can really be added to this......'till E54 gets involved again....:devil2:

http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...rical-forum/33489-poll-neutrals-switches.html

There is now mate 559.6.1.100, Though won't mention why the neutral should be there

 

[Richard]

Mayday mayday - Dive dive dive!!

 

[Richard]

There is now mate 559.6.1.100, Though won't mention why the neutral should be there

Hi Mal,

Is this in the new regs? Sorry I havn't got my copy just yet, would you mind breifly elaborating on what it says?

Thanks

 

[malcolmsanford]

Hi Mal,

Is this in the new regs? Sorry I havn't got my copy just yet, would you mind breifly elaborating on what it says?

Thanks

No probs Rich

"Consideration shall be given to the provision of the neutral conductor, at each switch position, to facilitate the installation of electronic switching devices"

​So are all now going to wire a neutral to a switch, just in case in the future you need it?

 

[mark28118]

so from now on when designing the installation, consideration shall be taken into account when deciding weather a neutral should be taken to switches. Basically we'll be seeing alot more neutrals at the switching device ?? Hes wrong then, its ok i'll let him off he's irish

 

[Deleted member 9648]

There is now mate 559.6.1.100, Though won't mention why the neutral should be there

Hadnt come across that one.....like I needed an excuse to run feeds to switches anyway!

 

[SPARTYKUS]

Cool. Always enjoy a neutral at the switch. Very handy for that outside security light.

 

[electromonkey]

Cool. Always enjoy a neutral at the switch. Very handy for that outside security light.

Or that extra socket to spur to......

 

[Octopus]

There is now mate 559.6.1.100, Though won't mention why the neutral should be there

Can anyone "shed" any light on why this has been added??

 

[Darkwood]

Its never been against regulation but various councils stipulated it wasnt to be done to avoid confusion with the switchwire if done in black/blue...... it was word of mouth that spread through the industry but with no real backing so much so that a clark of works on one site i did told us to remove the Neutrals, i had to download the relevent info before he'd believe me and presented it to him with a job spec asking for switch mount buzzers to be installed when key switch was operated for e/m lighting, after he made us feel incompetent in front of customer it was nice to have him eat humble pie..... didnt get any hassle after that from him.

 

[malcolmsanford]

Can anyone "shed" any light on why this has been added??

To be honest it does seem strange that the IET have taken the trouble to introduce a specific reg like this. As said having a neutral at a switch was never "against the regs", but something that over the years as grown into myth status.

On many commercial/industrial neutrals were taken to switches for neons.

As for why it's introduced now be nice ot have someone from the IET explain the rationale behind the new reg. I can only assume that it is geared toward lighting installations because it is in section 559.

 

[pjcomp]

I think the rationale is in the wording - "consideration should be given ... for future controls". Someone at IET is trying to future-proof. As said, handy for that outside light feed, similarly it'll be handy when "smart" controls become more prevalent that there'll be a full set of LNE at the switch and we won't have to chase out to bring a neutral into play.

PJ

 

[UNG]

Its never been against regulation but various councils stipulated it wasnt to be done to avoid confusion with the switchwire if done in black/blue...... it was word of mouth that spread through the industry but with no real backing so much so that a clark of works on one site i did told us to remove the Neutrals, i had to download the relevent info before he'd believe me and presented it to him with a job spec asking for switch mount buzzers to be installed when key switch was operated for e/m lighting, after he made us feel incompetent in front of customer it was nice to have him eat humble pie..... didnt get any hassle after that from him.

I always find revenge is best served up in a similar situation so the customer can see what kind of dick he's employed to oversee his project

 

[RWJ]

Can anyone "shed" any light on why this has been added??

They have probably read the heated debate on here..... Which if you've visited their forum you know they view this one, they have referred to and quoted us many times and often have their own debate off the back of ones started here

 

[Engineer54]

I see there are some still trying to put words into my mouth that i've never actually said!! lol!!
Never said at any time, that neutrals shouldn't be present at light switch positions. If they are needed for an application that's more than fine with me. Using switch positions merely as a junction box is another matter altogether. And my views on that senerio hasn't changed and nor will it change...

 

[Octopus]

They have probably read the heated debate on here..... Which if you've visited their forum you know they view this one, they have referred to and quoted us many times and often have their own debate off the back of ones started here

If the IET are reading this forum on a regular basis they must realise that they produce really badly worded documents. Its useful having some flexibility but you need a BA in English to understand some of them. Maybe they could get the next version of the regs reworded by the plain English society!!

 

[Engineer54]

If the IET are reading this forum on a regular basis they must realise that they produce really badly worded documents. Its useful having some flexibility but you need a BA in English to understand some of them. Maybe they could get the next version of the regs reworded by the plain English society!!

The last ''Plain English'' written Reg's was the 14th Ed!! lol!! It changed in the 15th in preparation for BS7671, ie BS written English!!