Lighting for external covered corridor

[sparkie22]

Hi all

I have a covered corridor between my property and next door.

I've been tasked with adding lighting and sockets for gardening by SWMBO. The most convenient point to take a feed from is the utility room next to the corridor.

There is a double switched light which I had intended to take a feed off for the exterior lights by punching through the wall behind the switch and adding conduit/junction box. At the moment it is a single switch, and I want to replace it with a double switch for the exterior light. Photo shows the wiring as it was on the single switch, and second pic is the new double switch. I've had a go wiring it up having consulted some websites, but I can't for the life of me get the switching right. The lights would only come on (in the utility or the new one) when different combinations of the switches were thrown.

Any help greatly appreciated!

*EDIT*
SWMBO just come back with an external switch she wants to add in to the far end of the corridor, so now I need to try and factor that in...(4th pic)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1. There is no neutral present at the existing switch, so you cannot supply another light from it.
2. The new switch is not a 2-way one, so it cannot be used as one of a pair of switches controlling he same light(s).
3. You really need to spend some time learning how all of this works, or get an electrician in. You aren't going to be able to do it properly or safely if you don't genuinely understand what's going on, how lighting circuits are wired, how switches, and different types of switches work, etc.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+(basics+OR+101)
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+house+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• [wiki]Electrics%3ALighting[/wiki]
  
  
• [wiki]Electrics%3Abooks[/wiki]
  
  
• [wiki]Electrics%3Aindex[/wiki]

 

[stillp]

Where's the earth to the switch plate?

 

[ericmark]

You can use grid switches which will allow you to mix and match so a double pole switch so neutral is isolated in case any water ever gets in the lights and a two way switch and a grid frame and a front plate that is about the only way to get a two pole switch and a two way switch in the same plate.

You will also need a neutral as already stated and from the same protective device as the line, you can't mix and match neutrals.

To run a neutral from a ceiling rose can be a lot of work, personally I would be looking at sockets not lights for the supply. I used the LAP grid system to mix a socket and switch and fuse into a double socket box. Also handy for getting cables through a wall in a neat way, LAP do brushes on their grid system.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Cannot see your images. All you need to do is drag your JPG files onto the reply pane.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Pictures are big and very good here.

 

[JohnW2]

Cannot see your images. All you need to do is drag your JPG files onto the reply pane.

I (and clearly others) can see them fine (I'm using Chrome).

Kind Regards, John

 

[sparkie22]

Thanks for the info everyone. If the consensus is a feed from sockets, I'll investigate tomorrow and post again. Fits in well as the second half of the job was installing some IP rated sockets out there too.

Cheers
Sparkie

 

[Taylortwocities]

I (and clearly others) can see them fine (I'm using Chrome)

Ah, now I can see them.
Can't add anything to the above, though.