3 Pole fan isolator, Pull cord, Led always on?

[Safety First]

Hi all,

This is re bathroom fan (with timer) isolator switch, that is connected to our bathroom lights.

Sparky fitted switch but we (realised that we) need pull cord.

I drew a diagram of the wiring of the switch (push button).

IN
L1 (Brown) L2 (Black) N (Grey), Earths connected to Switch earth point.

Out
L1 (Brown) L2 (Black) N (Grey)

Transferred all wires to same labelled locations (in pull cord version)
Pull cord isolator switch now seems to work fine,... but led is always on- if fan is isolated AND if it is not.

This is wrong, right ?

On second thoughts, if the bulb/led blew, you might get shocked if your relied on it's being off to indicate fan being isolated??? Maybe just answered my question but still not sure

Many thanks for any and all replies...

 

[stillp]

You shouldn't use a simple pull cord as an isolator, as you cannot tell from the position of the switch if it is isolated or not. Why did you decide you need one?

 

[Safety First]

Thanks for your input StillP
I have used a 3 pole pull cord isolator switch, not a light switch!
My wife cannot reach the switch (at ceiling height), for example at night to stop the kids' loo-visits turning on the extractor fan and disturbing us.
She can now isolate the fan (without a chair!).

The problem I have is that I cannot see if the isolator has isolated fan as the led/bulb on the switch is always on...

 

[Safety First]

Thinking about it,.... I must have wired it up backwards. Current for Led/bulb should be taken from fan side of the switch- so gogin out when the fan is isolated.
In my case (wrong, now) the current is coming from the supply side, and so always on.

Will turn the wires around and see...

 

[sparkwright]

My guess is that the original fan switch didn't have a neon, and that the original electrician got all his INS and OUTS the wrong way round. Without a neon, it would make no difference which was in and which was out.

If so, trying swapping the in and out around.

 

[sparkwright]

Ah, you've answered your own question!

 

[stillp]

One of the characteristics of an isolator is that its state is visible.
You have the LED (actually it's more likely a neon) on the input (line side) of the switch, not the output (load side).

 

[Safety First]

Thanks (for replies), and sorry (for premature/daft question)!

 

[JohnW2]

One of the characteristics of an isolator is that its state is visible.

Indeed so. However, although the OP is using the words 'isolator' and 'isolated' (and that's what may well have appeared 'on the box' of the accessory he's using), it would seem that he's using it as a functional switch.

As you say, if he connects the 'switch' the right way round, the neon should give him the indication of the state of the switch which he desires (functionally).

Kind Regards, John

 

[Safety First]

EDIT removed the quotes as cannot work the 'code'

But.... Thanks JohnW2- this raises a point and further question then...

I guess we are using this switch quite a lot.... Should we not be using it in this way, or this often?
Normally one can hear the fan- to know if it's on or not. Prior to installing this pull switch, I'd often find that no-one had gotten the chair (!) and turned the fan back on in the morning and the bathroom (and upstairs) was full of moisture...

I know we can get a humidistat fan, but I could not really deal with it coming on during the night, hence isolating it last thing at night.[/QUOTE]

 

[Safety First]

My guess is that the original fan switch didn't have a neon, and that the original electrician got all his INS and OUTS the wrong way round. Without a neon, it would make no difference which was in and which was out.

If so, trying swapping the in and out around.

True! Old isolator did not have a neon. I will switch the wires around. Thanks!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Edit - I have got the threads confused but still may be relevant.

Edit 2 - No, it isn't.

 

[sparkwright]

Is this not just a timer fan, and the switch is there primarily for maintenance, and also being used to turn the thing off at night to prevent the fan disturbing people when someone goes to the loo?

 

[Safety First]

Was the original switch to operate the fan independently of the light or to switch it off during the night?

Is this not just a timer fan, and the switch is their primarily for maintenance, and also being used to turn the thing off at night to prevent the fan disturbing people when someone goes to the loo?

I think sparky fitted isolator as regs- so that person must be able to isolate (on 3 poles) the fan when needs be.

We then started to use the isolator as means to stop noise of fan working at night.

The old isolator, and the new one, never affected the lights.

Providing the fan is on, the timer works fine.

 

[Safety First]

God, I'm sorry if I have confused things... I have

Is this not just a timer fan, and the switch is there primarily for maintenance, and also being used to turn the thing off at night to prevent the fan disturbing people when someone goes to the loo?

....Yes, exactly.