[Closed] Dear Sparkies - Neon indicators yay or nay?

The isolators for our ovens do not have lights plus they are tucked away at the back of a base unit cupboard near the ovens - because who the hell wants to see them?!
(kitchen installed 3 years ago and 100% on electrical spec)

cheers sharkbait - seems to be a lack of ones without the neon light - mayb as i want them in a light copper/rose gold colour..

Can you remove the bulb?

mayb as i want them in a light copper/rose gold colour..

Bit of gaffa over the bulb will sort it! 👍

Or put it over your missus' specs, she won't notice the lamp.

I'm not sure the wiring regs require isolators anymore... so from that, any you do choose to fit wouldn't require any form of lighting, and just need to be rated for the cable/current.

thanks @funkynick, this was what i thought i had read. Cables are fine, they are over-rated (both 8 +10mm) for potnetial loads over the longish run - b'stard to wire up though - much swearing..

BS7671 (Wiring Regs) do not require any neon indicators on isolators.
Does your isolator have a socket integrated into it? Does it take up a single module or a double?

I’m not sure the wiring regs require isolators anymore

You should maintain a local point of isolation for the appliances

b’stard to wire up though

After you tightened BOTH screws in each terminal (make sure the bottom one has bitten down into the copper, and obviously that you've stripped enough insulation back to ensure it goes right to the bottom) so that'll be two in the L and two in the N, give the conductor a wiggle to settle it into the terminal, then give each another nip to make sure. There's a lot of current going through the terminals and that's what causes the arcing and destroys the termination point if it's in any way slightly loose. Then when settling the faceplate back into the backbox make sure the cables are dressed in the back to ensure there's no sideways strain on them and that they're not pushing against anything. You'll probably have to nestle the isolator(s) back gently to allow the cables to find their own space behind but don't force it as if you push them against something hard it may cause the insulation to thin over time and eventually trip the rcd, which'll be a pain. Make sure there are grommets in the box too, if there's not already.

@creakingdoor, thanks for reply. It's a single faceplate/module - no socket. They are located at worksurface level, so not tucked away, though i did think about having a blanking plate on a unit and having them all located there -got too complicated for me).. I've seen white ones sans neon.indicator but the fancy ones all seem to have lights.

ha grommets - i've had my hands slapped over that before i plastered - got loads of the bu88ers left..

but the fancy ones all seem to have lights.

It's very straightforward to remove the whole neon module from the back of the isolators (or at least it used to be when I used to get my hands dirty for a living!)

Just as another view, if you don't want random lights on everywhere you can switch them off. I've taking to switching our oven and microwave off at the wall rather than having it show me a clock that I never use. Just turn it on, use it, turn it off. I suspect the standby current is minimal but no harm in dropping it to zero. Neon light might be a handy reminder.

creakingdoor
Free Member
but the fancy ones all seem to have lights.

It’s very straightforward to remove the whole neon module from the back of the isolators (or at least it used to be when I used to get my hands dirty for a living!)

a little snip of the wires will do the job. i may just suck it up and use a dark marker over the lamps, some models seem to have relatively small ones..
https://www.screwfix.com/p/schneider-electric-lisse-deco-50a-1-gang-dp-cooker-switch-copper-with-led-with-white-inserts/746HX?tc=PB6&ds_kid=92700055281954484&ds_rl=1249401&gclid=CjwKCAjwyryUBhBSEiwAGN5OCFAEn6-TwAWKsOcotMghCL5meb7HmIAS6wqNxKsyCjGJXucl8MHPWhoCGv8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

not like these

https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-45a-1-gang-dp-cooker-switch-white-with-neon/49779

uurgghh

nickjb
Free Member
Just as another view, if you don’t want random lights on everywhere you can switch them off. I’ve taking to switching our oven and microwave off at the wall rather than having it show me a clock that I never use. Just turn it on, use it, turn it off. I suspect the standby current is minimal but no harm in dropping it to zero. Neon light might be a handy reminder.

cant do that, they've got wifi! (why i need wifi is anyones guess, other than the meat probe). The missus is famed for going round switching everything off - when we first met she kept turning the soddin router off leaving me confused as to why there was no internet all the time.

edit to add -we (me) now employ the " see no evil, hear no evil" mantra...

Or a similar vein, did anybody else's dad used to put a cloth over the VCR player (early 80s) so that the clock couldn't be seen by potential burglars looking in through the window at night (even though the curtains were closed)?

creakingdoor
Free Member
Or a similar vein, did anybody else’s dad used to put a cloth over the VCR player (early 80s) so that the clock couldn’t be seen by potential burglars looking in through the window at night (even though the curtains were closed)?

LO - YES!

2x 10mm and a load cable in a single box accessory! Good luck, that’s gonna be a nightmare to connect, maybe don’t get flat plate accessories to replace!

The big fat neon ones are easy to remove, not sure about the LED ones as the wiring may be different and more internal

Just to clarify... I wasn't suggesting that it's a good idea to remove the isolators, just that as they are not 'required' then there can be no requirements about illumination.

I'd always want some local isolation, we keep our cooker/oven etc turned off unless we are actually using it, just to stop little fingers playing, or my wife's bum from turning the hobs on!!

maybe don’t get flat plate accessories to replace

Gives an extra 10mm

I wasn’t suggesting that it’s a good idea to remove the isolators

👍

or my wife’s bum from turning the hobs on

Twerking while cooking! 😅

Just as another view, if you don’t want random lights on everywhere you can switch them off.

It takes me 5 mins to set up the time, day, month, year on 2 ovens (and of course they have to be in sync) so switching off is not an option!!

markspark
Free Member
2x 10mm and a load cable in a single box accessory! Good luck, that’s gonna be a nightmare to connect, maybe don’t get flat plate accessories to replace!

hence the swearing - though they are very deep back boxes.. - fairly certian mr sparky was been overly cautious with the induction one (the others are only 8mm) - the run is only about 30meters..

it takes me 5 mins to set up the time, day, month, year on 2 ovens (and of course they have to be in sync) so switching off is not an option!!

plus some ovens won’t heat up until the clock has been set

Yep.... which is why I have to go through setting everything on both ovens (plus they're the only 'clocks' in the kitchen).

Some single ovens only are rated about 3kw (13A) anyway (many are only 2kw (8.6A)), usually those where the grill and oven can't be used simultaneously (due to the way the switching works). A 6mm (it's not 8mm) will be fine as that's good for over 30A, depending on the way the cable has been routed (kept out of insulation), although if your sparky has done a good job that shouldn't be an issue.

Or a similar vein, did anybody else’s dad used to put a cloth over the VCR player (early 80s) so that the clock couldn’t be seen by potential burglars looking in through the window at night (even though the curtains were closed)?

Ours was unplugged overnight along with everything else in the house!

Not that there was much TV on after about 11pm in the 80s.

It takes me 5 mins to set up the time, day, month, year on 2 ovens (and of course they have to be in sync) so switching off is not an option!!

Does it really need to be set right though? Ours needs to be 'set' to work, just hold the clock button for 1 second and it'll set to 12:00. Turn it off when done and you'll never know it was wrong. Leaving it on 24 hours so it can connect to the wifi does seem especially crazy, though. Lucky there isn't an energy crisis, I suppose 🙂