how to add bathroom switch to permanent live wires.

[arma]

Hi all
This is the first time i have posted here so bear with me
My problem i have is that i have a permanent live wires hanging out of the bathroom wall and i would like to add a switch pullcord to run a light off it, i think it has something to do with the lighting cuircuit because there used to be a flurecent shaver point lamp type thing there before but that has been removed and binned cos it was awfu
I have a bought a 5x40watt round bulb type lamp from ikea suitabe for bathroom use but it had no switch built in so i have also purchased a single way 6 amp pullcord. Can someone please explain how best to put these two together so that i can have a lamp that i can turn on and off The only connections in the pull cord are "C" and "L1" and "earth" and the permanently live wires are red and black comming out of the wall.

I do hope someone can help me today as i wanna finish the tiling before i go back to work tommorow )

Thanks

Tim

 

[Big_Spark]

You have three "wires" coing out of the wall yes?

One Red, One Black and one (hopefully) green/yellow (it may have lost it's sleeving and be bare copper)

The RED is the live feed in, this is connected to the C terminal of the switch, the L1 terminal then feeds the L terminal in the light fitting.

The BLACK is the neutral, this needs to be connected to the Black/Blue or N marked terminal in the fitting.

The Earth (Green/Yellow) should go to the switch earth terminal, then be continued to the Light fitting earth terminal.

 

[arma]

Yes i do have 3 wires 1 red, 1 black, and one bare copper one. The only connections i have to play with are on the new pull cord switch are "C", "Earth", and "L1". The only connections i have on the light fitting are "N" and "L". can you please explain again using what i have to play with )

thanks

Tim

 

[Albert]

Would it be wrong to say that the black (neutral) should be marked with a red sleeve?

 

[breezer]

albert, yes it would be wrong, since in this case it is a neutral.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Arma - this is such a simple, easy, trivial task, that if you have so little idea of what a switch does, and how electricity flows, and you really can't understand what FWL wrote then you should not be doing this yourself.

 

[Big_Spark]

Yes i do have 3 wires 1 red, 1 black, and one bare copper one. The only connections i have to play with are on the new pull cord switch are "C", "Earth", and "L1". The only connections i have on the light fitting are "N" and "L". can you please explain again using what i have to play with )

thanks

Tim

Tim, Red in the wall to C
L1 on switch to L on light
Bare Copper should be sleeved and connected the Earth, this should also link to the light, but a connector block is sufficient if there is no earth terminal as the fitting is likely double insulated.
Black in the wall needs to connect to the N in the light fitting.

 

[Albert]

albert, yes it would be wrong, since in this case it is a neutral.

DUH!!!!!

 

[kendor]

If the previous unit was a shaver switch unit then i would think it's likely that you have RED live and BLACK neutral there, YOU MUST try to find the Fuse/Breaker for this circuit and make sure it is dead before you do anything else including more work around those wires, the other thing you mention is attaching the pullcord to a wall, not recommended they are designed for ceiling mounting as wall mounting will cause wear both to the cord and the switch cover.
Once you have mounted the light fitting's base and Pull cord switch properly connect the neutral directly into the light fitting then wire a Twin and earth cable to the Pull cord switch red to C and black(put red sleeve on this) to L1 and back at the light fitting join the two reds together into a connector block and tape it up connect the remaining black from the twin and earth cable you installed to the live terminal of the light fitting (again red sleeve it).