New guy looking for advice on installing smart light switch.

[Lee Wright]

Hello everybody,
Just needed some expert advice on installing some smart light switches. As you can see from the images it looks like I have a neutral at the switch but where does the 2 wires going into 1 go and where does the wire going into L go on the smart light switch?

 

[Taylortwocities]

You are going to need a test meter.
Either the single brown, or the two browns will be the permaanent live.
Use your test meter to find out. One will have a permanaent 230v reading (live feed) and the other will go on and off with the switch (thats the switched live out to the light itself.)

If I were a betting man (I'm not) I would expect the two browns to be the permanent live. But there's no guarantees with this sort of thing.

 

[Lee Wright]

You are going to need a test meter.
Either the single brown, or the two browns will be the permaanent live.
Use your test meter to find out. One will have a permanaent 230v reading (live feed) and the other will go on and off with the switch (thats the switched live out to the light itself.)

If I were a betting man (I'm not) I would expect the two browns to be the permanent live. But there's no guarantees with this sort of thing.

Thanks for the reply. Looks like I'll have to buy a test meter then to make sure

 

[Taylortwocities]

It's an essential tool, if you are doing electrical work! They are cheap enough at Screwfix/the sheds, etc....
You'll need to check at each switch, in any case.
PS, hope you have a neutral at each switch?

 

[Lee Wright]

It's an essential tool, if you are doing electrical work! They are cheap enough at Screwfix/the sheds, etc....
You'll need to check at each switch, in any case.
PS, hope you have a neutral at each switch?

I'll go to screwfix after work thanks.
I haven't checked the other light switches yet to make sure they've got a neutral but I will do before I start buying the smart light switches. Do you not think there will be a neutral at every switch??

 

[littlespark]

Agree. Most likely the 2 browns together are the permanent live and the single brown is switched live.

If you’re buying a test meter, get a good one. A neon screwdriver type cannot be trusted.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Most likely the 2 browns together are the permanent live

It depends. If he has two light fittings controlled by the switch, the two browns could be the switched lives to the two switches.

 

[Lee Wright]

It depends. If he has two light fittings controlled by the switch, the two browns could be the switched lives to the two switches.

There's only 1 light fitting controlled by that switch by the way Should probably have mentioned that. Sorry.

 

[Lee Wright]

Agree. Most likely the 2 browns together are the permanent live and the single brown is switched live.

If you’re buying a test meter, get a good one. A neon screwdriver type cannot be trusted.

Would this be ok for what I need?

 

[Taylortwocities]

It’ll do. I’m not a LAP fan, but adequate for what you want to do.

Do you not think there will be a neutral at every switch??

Some of my switches have a neutral ( the new ones that I installed) most of them don’t.
There’s only one way to find out, test and inspection.

 

[littlespark]

Make sure you set the multimeter to the correct range before testing a live cable.
There was a recent thread about a new multimeter, wrong setting, a live cable and a big bang.

Test between a brown live, and the blue neutrals in the connector block.
Once you find out which is live, and which is switched live, isolate the circuit before changing the switch. … Had to say that

 

[Lee Wright]

Make sure you set the multimeter to the correct range before testing a live cable.
There was a recent thread about a new multimeter, wrong setting, a live cable and a big bang.

Test between a brown live, and the blue neutrals in the connector block.
Once you find out which is live, and which is switched live, isolate the circuit before changing the switch. … Had to say that

Ok mate thanks for the advice.