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TonyDuell · 2nd Sep 2020, 2:32 pm

Since we are talking about fixed wiring now....

I once saw a room with 3 wall lights and no apparent switch for them. The switch on the wall by the door controlled the ceiling light. No built-in switches on the wall lights.

It turned out that the wall lights were connected by tiny 2 pin connectors (no way rated for mains!) to 2 core flexible cable (looked to be about 3A rating). This was run in flexible plastic tubing (not proper conduit) in the plaster to the nearest 13A double socket on the skirting board. The neutral wire was connected to the neutral terminal of the socket along with the ring main cables, the live wire to the light was (badly) soldered to a rivet on the back of the socket assembly that happened to hold the output-side switch contact in place. So the socket switch controlled the light. Just to complete the bodge, the wires were all soldered together before being put in the socket screw terminals, of course the solder 'crept' leading to bad connections there.

And note the 3A cable/light connected to a ring main with no extra fuse...

2nd Sep 2020, 2:32 pm	#74
TonyDuell Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Biggin Hill, London, UK. Posts: 5,220	Re: Bodges Since we are talking about fixed wiring now.... I once saw a room with 3 wall lights and no apparent switch for them. The switch on the wall by the door controlled the ceiling light. No built-in switches on the wall lights. It turned out that the wall lights were connected by tiny 2 pin connectors (no way rated for mains!) to 2 core flexible cable (looked to be about 3A rating). This was run in flexible plastic tubing (not proper conduit) in the plaster to the nearest 13A double socket on the skirting board. The neutral wire was connected to the neutral terminal of the socket along with the ring main cables, the live wire to the light was (badly) soldered to a rivet on the back of the socket assembly that happened to hold the output-side switch contact in place. So the socket switch controlled the light. Just to complete the bodge, the wires were all soldered together before being put in the socket screw terminals, of course the solder 'crept' leading to bad connections there. And note the 3A cable/light connected to a ring main with no extra fuse...