Putting a switch on festoon lights

[angelboy]

I have a set of festoon garden lights that come with a standard 3 pin plug. These lights have no earth, just the live and neutral.

I bought a plastic exterior light switch with the intention of splitting the 2 core cable and putting the switch in-line but I'm confused about which wire goes where.



The RCD protected outdoor socket the lights are plugged into has been installed by an electrician.

I've wired mobile lights before with an in-line switch and assumed these would be the same but they're not.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Have you moved the black wires?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Are they for an indicator light ?

 

[Sureitsoff?]

Are they for an indicator light ?

looks like it

 

[angelboy]

Have you moved the black wires?

No - that's as it was. It's for an indicator light which can be wired up 3 ways - on when the switch it on, always on, on when switch is off.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Which way would you like it?

 

[angelboy]

Which way would you like it?

On when there's power to the switch I think would be best.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok.

 

[angelboy]

Ok.

View attachment 191223

I'll try that later and let you know how I get on.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just out of interest, I can think of no reason that the wire I have marked REMOVE would ever be needed.

Does anyone have any idea?

Everything else the same
Connect wire A to:
Terminal 1 - for indicator always on (when switch supply is on)
Terminal 2 - for indicator on when light on
Terminal 3 - for indicator on when light off (when switch supply is on)

 

[flameport]

L and SL at the switch with no neutral, with the wires connected as supplied the indicator would work with the light off assuming it had an incandescent lamp installed.

 

[EFLImpudence]

L and SL at the switch with no neutral, with the wires connected as supplied the indicator would work with the light off assuming it had an incandescent lamp installed.

Would it?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Yes. Of course.

 

[angelboy]

Ok.

View attachment 191223

Many thanks! It worked like a dream!

 

[EFLImpudence]