On Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:28:34 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Doctor D wrote:
I was also taught (I hold C&G under the 15th edition) not to connect
separate circuits to the same face plate. I would have wired the landing
light to the downstairs circuit, or had the two way landing switch
(upstairs circuit) in a different location to the hall (downstairs
circuit) and not sharing a face plate or back box.

You wouldn't like my place, then, where you can switch on or off all the
landing lights from the front door - three floors on three circuits. And
the idea of using separate switches is a no-no aesthetically. Nor would I
have all the landings on the same circuit either for safety reasons.

An old GF needed a mid-flight light (she's disabled and has to have good
lighting) so, while I was doing the job I wired all 3 to 1 2-way circuit
and at the same time rewired so that the whole lot came from 1 circuit.
I don't like the system where the 2 circuits are linked by the stairway
lights.

Trouble is, all the plates are metal and the [separate, 2-way] board for
lighting doesn't even have an earth to it - I suggested that she put
another coat of laquer on :-)
In the sixties it was not uncommon to "borrow" an neutral from the
upstairs lighting circuit for the landing light despite it being
powered from the downstairs circuit.

It was as big a bodge then has now. Luckily RCDs prevent such bad
workmanship.


--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.