Can I get a single light switch with a neon light??

[dummer]

Hi All.
I have an integral garage with the light switch situated in the kitchen. The light is very often inadvertently left on, but because there is a door between the kitchen and the garage it can go unnoticed for days.
I thought it would be simple matter of changing the existing single pole switch for one with a built in indicator showing that the light is on, but when I went to B&Q I couldn't find one.
The only one that I thought might do was a 20amp double pole, but on further investigation this won't do the job.
Is it possible to get a simple, single pole light switch with an indicator to show that the light is on? If not, someone should invent one and get down to Dragon's Den!
Thanks for any help.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Why do you think the 20A one will not do the job?

You can tell if the light is on by the position of the rocker or normally by the light being on.

 

[Spark123]

For the same reason as the 20A version is not suitable ie you probably don't have a neutral at the switch a normal light switch with neon will also be unsuitable.
You used to be able to get neon back plates which indicated the light is off, as I don't know what type of light it is I don't know if they will be suitable

 

[AndyPRK]

The first thing to do with the electric off at the main fuse box is to pull the light switch forward and see if there is a neutral in the back box.

This would be 2 or 3 black or blue wires joined in a terminal block and not connected to the front switch.

If you have such wires a 20a switch would work.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Oh yes, I'll get me coat.

 

[dummer]

Why do you think the 20A one will not do the job?

You can tell if the light is on by the position of the rocker or normally by the light being on.

It's a very thick wall and I can't see the light shining through it.

 

[dummer]

The first thing to do with the electric off at the main fuse box is to pull the light switch forward and see if there is a neutral in the back box.

This would be 2 or 3 black or blue wires joined in a terminal block and not connected to the front switch.

If you have such wires a 20a switch would work.

Thanks AndyPRK. There are just three wires - brown, blue and earth. Presumably it's a no go for a neon switch then?

 

[AndyPRK]

As spark indicated you maybe able to fit a neon surround TO LIGHT UP WHEN THE GARAGE LIGHT IS OFF.

or what I did was to paint some red paint on the edge of the switch so you would notice it was on.

 

[dummer]

As spark indicated you maybe able to fit a neon surround TO LIGHT UP WHEN THE GARAGE LIGHT IS OFF.

or what I did was to paint some red paint on the edge of the switch so you would notice it was on.

Red paint seems the way to go!! Thanks.

 

[JohnW2]

Thanks AndyPRK. There are just three wires - brown, blue and earth. Presumably it's a no go for a neon switch then?

Would it be any use to you to have a neon which worked 'back to front' - i.e. the neon would be on when the garage light was off, and off when the garage light was on?

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

As spark indicated you maybe able to fit a neon surround TO LIGHT UP WHEN THE GARAGE LIGHT IS OFF.

As I've just sort-of implied, it's also possible to tweak many a DP switch with neon to do that - depends on how 'movable' the connections to the neon are!

Kind Regards, John

 

[AndyPRK]

John I'm amazed you would suggest such a thing invalidating the type testing lol

 

[JohnW2]

John I'm amazed you would suggest such a thing invalidating the type testing lol

I'm tempted to indicate how much I care about the 'type testing' of light switches

In fact, on reflection, one doesn’t actually have to tweak the switch at all, so ‘type testing’ does not have to be affected!! If one uses Lin and Lout for the SP switching, all one has to do is add a link between Nout and Lin to get the desired ‘reverse neon’ functionality (assuming neon is connected between Lout and Nout).

Kind Regards, John

 

[dummer]

Thanks AndyPRK. There are just three wires - brown, blue and earth. Presumably it's a no go for a neon switch then?

Would it be any use to you to have a neon which worked 'back to front' - i.e. the neon would be on when the garage light was off, and off when the garage light was on?

Kind Regards, John

Probably not to be honest. My wife gets confused enough as it is! I would imagine that she would be constantly switching it on, thinking that because the neon light isn't on, the light won't be!

 

[JohnW2]

Probably not to be honest. My wife gets confused enough as it is! I would imagine that she would be constantly switching it on, thinking that because the neon light isn't on, the light won't be!

I can understand that. It was just a thought since, as I pointed out in my last post, it would have been very easy to achieve that functionality with one of those B&Q DP switches.

It sounds as if you are down to the red paint, then, because, as everyone has said, without a neutral you can't get the neon to come on when the garage lights are on!

Kind Regards, John