8ball Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Howdy people, I am on a mission to sort out and identify the wiring in the loft so as future lighting and electrical needs are a bit easier to complete. I know nothing about electrics so identifying which grey wires are lighting or for plug sockets is beyond me so was wondering if there is a gadget that can help me identify these circuits. I had this idea in my head of turning of all the plug sockets at the main fuse board and then going into the loft to see which wires are still live with a detector of some sort, hopefully this would identify my lighting circuits. Any help on the above would be greatly appreciated, Ta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Tou need a voit stick or voltage detector pen. Something like this http://www.screwfix.com/p/fluke-1ac-ii-voltage-detector-pen/85949 Turn on circuits one at a time and use the pen to see which are live, and them label them with a marker pen. Note for lighting circuits, turn all the lights on when testing as some lighting cables will appear dead when the lights are turned off. This, imho is the only use for these devices, they should never be used to prove a circuit is dead before working on it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyshouse Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) It is unlikely any of the wires in the loft will be for anything other than lighting (some bungalows excepted). Check size by measuring carefully and comparing with wires near the consumer unit most difficult is to distinguish between three core used for smoke alarms, two way switching and double switches and ring main cable thickness will tell yo rather than width. very big fat cabled can be for shower. Edited September 12, 2016 by tonyshouse 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ball Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 Thanks for the fast replies, the tester pen is just what I was looking for so I'll get one on order. tonyshouse I did run across a few mains cables up there which is from the boiler cupboard with the immersion heater, honeywell controller and also power for the Monsoon shower pump again thanks for the advice guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ball Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 Being as I'm so tight and always like a bargain would this tester be adequate for the job at hand? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01ALAP1B6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2MSF66EGL2H2G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 Well if you really want cheap http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Voltage-Tester-Pen-90-1000V-AC-Non-Contact-Electric-Volt-Detector-Sensor-UK-/131754093686?hash=item1ead27ec76:g:bTwAAOSwmmxW6Wph 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8ball Posted September 12, 2016 Author Share Posted September 12, 2016 5 minutes ago, ProDave said: Well if you really want cheap http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Voltage-Tester-Pen-90-1000V-AC-Non-Contact-Electric-Volt-Detector-Sensor-UK-/131754093686?hash=item1ead27ec76:g:bTwAAOSwmmxW6Wph I'll pass on that due to having to purchase rubber gloves and a hard hat which will be at least another 15 to 20 quid plus I'd like to keep whats left of the hair on my head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryE Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 (edited) It's worth getting to grips with the basic permutations for wiring a single and multiple lights from a switch, from two switches (which you will probably have) and triple ganged switches (which you may have). Recognise the difference between 2+E and 3+E cable profiles, and remember that lighting power is usually daisy chained so just because a cable is live doesn't mean that it is only for one light. I'd also build up a basic layout map, so you can identify and eliminate cables as you go on, so that there are less options for the remaining unidentified ones. This is also best done a a two person job: one to switch and one to test Edited September 13, 2016 by TerryE 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted September 15, 2016 Share Posted September 15, 2016 On 12/09/2016 at 14:03, ProDave said: Well if you really want cheap http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LED-Voltage-Tester-Pen-90-1000V-AC-Non-Contact-Electric-Volt-Detector-Sensor-UK-/131754093686?hash=item1ead27ec76:g:bTwAAOSwmmxW6Wph That's scarily close in looks to my Fluke! Straight from the Kyoto Dangerous Toy & Lawnmower Factory no doubt! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted September 15, 2016 Share Posted September 15, 2016 Physical size of the cable can give you a hint as to what it is, tbh it probably will be what you think: https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.cablesbritain.com/pdf/powergen/booklet/6242y.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwihloPQ6JHPAhVsL8AKHX0YA2cQFgguMAA&usg=AFQjCNEjiv056x6g4wlzJAImbkd34RXx_A BUT it's not guaranteed, plenty of diy lighting installs all done in 2.5mm etc from the boot fair! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now