On 11/06/2021 15:10, wrote:
On 11/06/2021 14:59, John Rumm wrote:
On 11/06/2021 14:24, wrote:

In the process of removing an over-sink light and shaver outlet I
switched off the ceiling switch (I presume there used to be a light
fitted that did not have an integral switch), the light went off so I
was about to get to work but something made me check first.

You mean they had wired the over sink shaving lamp so that it was on
the switched feed to the main room lamp? Might be ok from a lighting
point of view, but you can only shave or charge your toothbrush with
the light on!

No. Most of the bedrooms have washbasins with ceiling switches just for
the shaving lamp, switched independently from the room light.

ah, ok makes more sense.

Long story short: inside the ceiling switch the red wires were joined
and the blacks went to the switch (one of them had red sleeving on
it) resulting in neutral switching and a permanently live feed to the
light! I'm getting a bit blasé in my old age so this near miss is a
good reminder to check!

Or just turn off the whole circuit...

Very true (and that's the correct thing to do) but then I wouldn't have
noticed the problem.

true, or risked electrocution!

I've just stripped the paper underneath where the light was and
someone has written "live!" on the wall - presumably, 20 years ago
they got the surprise that I narrowly avoided today.

Well done to the writer of the note, shame the person doing the
wallpaper did not re-instate the warning. Having said that, you would
probably not be able to see it until the lamp was removed anyway!

True, but I would have preferred them to get a sparky to investigate and
correct the cock-up.

Indeed - depends on who wrote the note I suppose - probably not the
original wirer.



--
Cheers,

John.

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