Re: Contemplating house rewiring - advice?

[James - SJ Computers <james@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All lighting circuits do require a neutral (they wouldn't work if they
didn't have one). A standard ceiling rose has a loop in / loop out for both
line and neutral.

Standard lighting control (1/2 way / intermediate switches) don't have a
neutral as such. In domestic wiring you'd drop a standard bit of twin and
earth to the switch and utilise the neural of the pair as a switched live,
and sheath it accordingly, of course.

Regards

James

Sent from my iPhone

On 24 Nov 2012, at 17:59, "Alan Middleton" <yahoo@xxxxxxx>
wrote:

> I thought most HA lighting systems required a neutral which isn't the
norm in UK lighting. If that is true (and I'm not 100% sure) I'd concider
rewiring with one present.
>
> ----- Start Original Message -----
> Sent: Sat, 24 Nov 2012 14:06:24 +0000
> From: James Reed <james@xxxxxxx>
> To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Contemplating house rewiring - advice?
>
> > Thanks Paul, this is very helpful.
> >
> > I can see that the star wiring may be problematic, particulary
trying to
> > explain it all to SWMBO when there will be higher costs etc.
> >
> > I will pursue the pink CAT5 idea as you suggest. So far as
topology
> > goes, I guess the idea would be to terminate as much as possible
of it
> > in a single place, but again thinking about aesthetics could you
have
> > nodes at each floor with links between them? I read the Idratek
wiring
> > guidance which seemed to suggest such a thing might be possible.
Again I
> > want to try and put it in a way which makes it easy for the
sparks to
> > follow as I imagine they won't have much experience of this sort
of thing.
> >
> > James
> >
> > On 24/11/2012 1:11 pm, Paul Gordon wrote:
> > >
> > > Yup, you've answered your own question pretty well James...
> > >
> > > To give yourself the utmost flexibility in your future
selection of what
> > > system to go for, if you both star-wire the mains cable
*and* run some
> > > control cable into each backbox as well, I think you've
pretty much
> > > allowed
> > > for any possibility.. and even if you end up not using one
or other cable,
> > > at least you have not limited your options in any way, and
cable is -
> > > comparatively - cheap.. (compared the HA modules you will
eventually
> > > connect
> > > to them!)
> > >
> > > Couple of thoughts..
> > >
> > > Star wiring the mains isn't the "norm" in the UK,
so your sparkies may be
> > > resistant to the idea... it will increase cable costs - both
in that you
> > > will use more of it - the ring main topology was thought up
to
> > > minimise the
> > > quantity of cable required I believe, - and I think you have
to uprate the
> > > mains cable you use... - your sparks should know about that
assuming they
> > > know their onions...
> > >
> > > For control cable, even though you seem to have rejected
CBUS for now, you
> > > would still get benefit from using CBUS's pink CAT5 cable as
your control
> > > wiring.. - it's not specific to CBUS - it's just bog
standard CAT5
> > > cable on
> > > the inside, - but the pink outer sheath is certified mains
rated, so
> > > you are
> > > allowed within the UK wiring regs to bring that cable into
the same
> > > enclosure where mains is present... - that is not permitted
with
> > > "ordinary"
> > > computer CAT5 cable - which can be obtained quite a bit
cheaper...
> > >
> > > CAT5 cable at each socket and switch backbox shoud cate for
just about any
> > > wired HA system, although I believe there are a few options
available that
> > > require the use of their own proprietary control cable..
personally I
> > > wouldn't give consideration to any HA system that imposes
that demand, but
> > > that's just me... - for me, if CAT5 isn't good enough, then
I'm not giving
> > > that system my money...
> > >
> > > Paul G.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx <mailto:ukha_d%40yahoogroups.com>]
On
> > > Behalf Of
> > > James Reed
> > > Sent: 23 November 2012 20:00
> > > To: UKHA_D Group
> > > Subject: [ukha_d] Contemplating house rewiring - advice?
> > >
> > > Hi
> > >
> > > I've just moved in to a largish victorian terrace. The
wiring is not
> > > in good
> > > condition, and as we are planning to stay for some time I'm
contemplating
> > > having the whole house rewired.
> > >
> > > I'm keen on home automation but haven't really got the money
(or the
> > > permission from HQ!) to install all the modules etc now. I'm
> > > interested in a
> > > wired system such as Idratek (have looked at Cbus but seems
too
> > > expensive by
> > > comparison).
> > >
> > > I've got some electricians coming round, and basically what
I am asking is
> > > what sort of wiring would I need to give me options in the
future to
> > > add kit
> > > bit by bit? I was thinking that I would need control wires
run along with
> > > the mains cabling for the lights at least - any suggestions
how?
> > >
> > > ALso should I be considering 'star wiring' of the lighting
circuits?
> > >
> > > What I'm trying to balance up is making the most of the
opportunities
> > > presented by a rewiring whilst keeping costs as low as I
can. I'm going to
> > > have a number of years of leisure to install modules etc,
but
> > > (hopefully!) only one shot at the rewiring.
> > >
> > > I'd be really interested to hear views / opinions
> > >
> > > James
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> ----- End Original Message -----
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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