[Question] Changing colours for the switch connection

[jinxster]

Dear All

I am an engineer but do not have a wiremans license since I didnt do the trade test.

I dont do this for a living but I was helping out with cabling and roofing at a friend's house on the weekend.

The electrician (a different friend I hadn't met before) suggest (actually is going to) use flat twin and earth cabling for all connections.

Apart from making the cabling work crappy. I would rather go and buy house wire and conduits and work that way. In fact I have 40m or so of red, black and yello/green left over from a time when my house was rewired.

This idea isn't really a major issue to me, until it comes to the switches for the lights.

Basically 3 wires (of the flat t&e) used to take hot down once and up twice. Meaning black and earth are now actually being used as hot.

This causes some alarm bells to me since these things are standardised so the next guy knows whats happening without tracing all the cables.

It most likely will never happen, becuase most people check first, but if you accidentally thought earth was earth on that cable and strapped it into a bigger earth, showerhead maybe, we would probably see a repeat of Builder electrocutes customer for the third time. Only this time it is a friend "donating" his trade test services to get a CoC, not a builder cutting corners.

Is this acceptable practise?

Many thanks

[bergie]

definitely not acceptable. its highly dangerous. i'll piss on him,so at least he can smell like a sparky.

[dfsa]

Dear All

I am an engineer but do not have a wiremans license since I didnt do the trade test.

No Offense Mate, but I would worry if you do an engineering design job for me. Even if you are a mechanical engineer, then you would know the basics on electrical requirements.

[Dave A]

No Offense Mate, but I would worry if you do an engineering design job for me. Even if you are a mechanical engineer, then you would know the basics on electrical requirements.

That seems a bit rough given Jinxster is the one raising the alarm

This causes some alarm bells to me since these things are standardised so the next guy knows whats happening without tracing all the cables.

Of course a seasoned electrician wise to the shortcuts Saffers seem to be prone to would probably notice...

[dfsa]

That seems a bit rough given Jinxster is the one raising the alarm

Not really Dave. jinxter would understand what I mean. That is why I said I do not mean to be offensive. As an engineer jinxter already answered his own question. Now even if it is just a friends house that he is helping out, he should have straight away put the friends electrician friend on the spot and demanded that the guy do it the correct way.

If something go wrong in the future, then his friend will be held liable and the insurance company might not pay out. As an engineer jinxter should know this.

[Dave A]

OK. That helps.

Unfortunately text doesn't always communicate the tone of the messenger that well.

[jinxster]

Not really Dave. jinxter would understand what I mean. That is why I said I do not mean to be offensive. As an engineer jinxter already answered his own question. Now even if it is just a friends house that he is helping out, he should have straight away put the friends electrician friend on the spot and demanded that the guy do it the correct way.

If something go wrong in the future, then his friend will be held liable and the insurance company might not pay out. As an engineer jinxter should know this.

@Dave, thanks for spotting that I was the alarm bells guys.

@dfsa - You spot on ... 99% to you. The wife and kids are the major concern here since it is her parents that got me involved.

When I said that the electrician said no, he does it all the time. I asked specifically how you wire the switch. The friend and electrician though it was because i didn't know about 3 wires but alas it was only to be sure... 1 cable down the wall and 3 wires joined.....

The reason I docked you 1% is becuase I actually posted this on the internet to get other professionals "seconding" since the friend doesn't believe me. Hopefully my tag comes up on the google search when I tell him to google: Changing colours for the switch connection.

Many thanks.

This has got to be the most professional free forum on the internet

[AndyD]

You do get a 3-core plus earth flat cable as well as just twin and earth although you'll be hard pushed to find a supplier in this country. I've ordered it through Atlas Cables in JHB in the past.

[Leecatt]

You do get a 3-core plus earth flat cable as well as just twin and earth although you'll be hard pushed to find a supplier in this country. I've ordered it through Atlas Cables in JHB in the past.

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Just use Norse 3 core and earth with metal stiffening which you can get anywhere