switch to outside lights from gate

[thaibeachlovers]

The beloved wants me to install a switch to the outside lights from the gate- 30 meters from the house. I thought I will use 2.5 mm wire encased in yellow tubing with a waterproof cover over the switch.

The tubing will be screwed to the wall at 2.5 m high, not buried

Is that OK?

Thanks.

[Jdietz]

Wouldn't it be better to wire up the switch to a relay at the lights? Relay will require almost no power to operate so you can use tiny wires instead.

[thaibeachlovers]

Wouldn't it be better to wire up the switch to a relay at the lights? Relay will require almost no power to operate so you can use tiny wires instead.

You are probably correct, but trying to explain what a relay is at Global House is a step too far. Even aquiring a waterproof switch cover was a major operation that my Thai wife found difficult to explain to the myriad of ( unhelpful ) floor staff. Home Pro does stock waterproof boxes with no corresponding switch plates though. As for an actual waterproof switch 555555555555555555.

[Crossy]

I would use 1.5mm² for such a short run, wire it for 2 way (3-way for our friends across The Pond), so you can on or off at the gate or inside the house.

[thaibeachlovers]

I would use 1.5mm² for such a short run, wire it for 2 way (3-way for our friends across The Pond), so you can on or off at the gate or inside the house.

Thanks, but too late. I already made it.

However, I'm having a chuckle to myself as the SIL ( it's a long story ) decided she wanted to be able to turn the lights on and off from the gate when no one is living in the house and therefore it would have to be wired up to the mains on the outside of the mains on/ off breaker. I refused to do that and wired it on the safe side of the consumer unit ( ie circuit breaker in line ). So when I was away, they got some incompetent that claims to be an electrician to wire it into the outside of the mains breaker- sparks, flames, melting insulation, melting switch- basically 1000 baht gone in an instant.

Now he's going to come back tonight to replace it all, but I have a BAD feeling that it's all going to be a really dangerous result. I told them that he has to include a circuit breaker, but I'm not holding my breath.

Of course, I'm refusing to have anything to do with project now, and have left the house till hopefully it's all over, and I can shake my head and mutter Mai dee, mai dee when I go back.

What can one say, except TiT.

PS the wire insulation melted, but the 2.5 wire was unharmed.

Edited July 15, 2015 by thaibeachlovers

[IMHO]

I would use 1.5mm² for such a short run, wire it for 2 way (3-way for our friends across The Pond), so you can on or off at the gate or inside the house.

Thanks, but too late. I already made it.

However, I'm having a chuckle to myself as the SIL ( it's a long story ) decided she wanted to be able to turn the lights on and off from the gate when no one is living in the house and therefore it would have to be wired up to the mains on the outside of the mains on/ off breaker. I refused to do that and wired it on the safe side of the consumer unit ( ie circuit breaker in line ). So when I was away, they got some incompetent that claims to be an electrician to wire it into the outside of the mains breaker- sparks, flames, melting insulation, melting switch- basically 1000 baht gone in an instant.

Now he's going to come back tonight to replace it all, but I have a BAD feeling that it's all going to be a really dangerous result. I told them that he has to include a circuit breaker, but I'm not holding my breath.

Of course, I'm refusing to have anything to do with project now, and have left the house till hopefully it's all over, and I can shake my head and mutter Mai dee, mai dee when I go back.

What can one say, except TiT.

PS the wire insulation melted, but the 2.5 wire was unharmed.

All of that could have been mitigated by using a 160 Baht remote: http://www.banggood.com/Wireless-1-Channel-220V-Lamp-Remote-Control-Switch-Transmitter-p-959061.html

Edit: Apologies I didn't read this post until now, that sucks

Edited July 15, 2015 by IMHO

[thaibeachlovers]

I would use 1.5mm² for such a short run, wire it for 2 way (3-way for our friends across The Pond), so you can on or off at the gate or inside the house.

Thanks, but too late. I already made it.

However, I'm having a chuckle to myself as the SIL ( it's a long story ) decided she wanted to be able to turn the lights on and off from the gate when no one is living in the house and therefore it would have to be wired up to the mains on the outside of the mains on/ off breaker. I refused to do that and wired it on the safe side of the consumer unit ( ie circuit breaker in line ). So when I was away, they got some incompetent that claims to be an electrician to wire it into the outside of the mains breaker- sparks, flames, melting insulation, melting switch- basically 1000 baht gone in an instant.

Now he's going to come back tonight to replace it all, but I have a BAD feeling that it's all going to be a really dangerous result. I told them that he has to include a circuit breaker, but I'm not holding my breath.

Of course, I'm refusing to have anything to do with project now, and have left the house till hopefully it's all over, and I can shake my head and mutter Mai dee, mai dee when I go back.

What can one say, except TiT.

PS the wire insulation melted, but the 2.5 wire was unharmed.

All of that could have been mitigated by using a 160 Baht remote: http://www.banggood.com/Wireless-1-Channel-220V-Lamp-Remote-Control-Switch-Transmitter-p-959061.html

Edit: Apologies I didn't read this post until now, that sucks

Thanks for the suggestion, but the lights would still be wired into the outside of the mains breaker so still dangerous and I presume illegal.

Actually, I'm not upset as the SIL paid for it all, and it was her idea to do something dangerous, which came back to bite her on the bum. I know more than they do about electrics ( and I don't know that much ), but they wouldn't listen to me when I told them it was a bad idea.

BTW the BIL wired up a cable to the outside of the mains breaker WITHOUT a cover, which meant I was lucky not to stick to it and burn to death when I found it while cleaning up the carport.

[Crossy]

You can lead a horse to water ...

[thaibeachlovers]

Update- the electrician came back to replace all the damaged cable, and added a mains on off switch to the wire from the main on/off knife switch where the outside cable enters the house. So still no circuit breaker in the line, but at least I can add one myself without fear of being electrocuted while doing so.

Naturally, all the joins are twist and tape.

[Crossy]

Does it now function without going bang?

[thaibeachlovers]

Does it now function without going bang?

Indeed yes, but there is still the potential for a person to go bang if they touch an exposed wire. The switch was in a waterproof box purchased in Global House and there are no equivalents in the village ( nearest Global is 2 hours away ) so the switch he used is the wrong size and leaves a gap between the mounting plate and the switch. Something else I'll have to replace when I go back to the village.

BTW I guess it's been a while since you moved into the new house- how's it working out? I followed the thread you wrote about building it with interest.

Edited July 17, 2015 by thaibeachlovers