Electrical Switches Installation And Sockets

One-Way Lighting Circuit Modified for Two-Way Switching

Here are some helpful diagrams that show how lighting operating on a one-way switch can be changed relatively easily for two-way switch operation.

Turn off the consumer unit and remove the appropriate circuit fuse / miniature circuit breaker first before working on any electrical circuit, once the cable is installed make the connections to the two-way switches as shown.

show the original switch connected with original (old colours, twin Red and earth) switch-wires and the additional two-way switch linked with cable in the new colours, which in the case of three core and earth are Brown, Black, Grey and an earth-wire which should be covered with Green and Yellow sleeving. This is because electrical cable is only available to buy in the new colours.

Whenever an electrical installation uses both colours of cable, a self-adhesive warning label should be stuck to the front of the consumer unit.

The label normally reads:  CAUTION  –  This installation has wiring colours to two versions of BS7671. Great care should be taken before undertaking extension, alteration or repair that all conductors are correctly identified. These labels can be obtained from most electrical wholesalers for a few pounds as a cash sale.

Outdoor installation hints and tips

We want you to get the most from your Hive View Outdoor. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect spot to position and install it.

Hive View Outdoor automatically starts recording if it detects motion or sound. But switch on people detection and it will only record if it picks up a person.

Here’s how to get person detection working for you:

Height: Make sure your camera is just above head height, between 2-2.7m (or 7-9 feet) from the ground.

Angle: Your camera needs to be slightly tilted down – around 30° (see image 1 below). Any more than 40° and your camera might not be able to see a person’s face, especially if they’re wearing a hat or hoodie.

Range: For person detection, the range of the camera is 12m/40 feet during the day and 4.5m/15 feet at night. If you want to monitor an area further away than 12 metres, the best thing to do is set your camera to motion detection rather than person detection.

Testing: When your camera is set up, walk past at the maximum range you need. If it doesn’t detect you, try switching motion detection on the settings screen in the app.

For porches and entrances use full motion detection.

Person detection is ideal if you want to detect people from other movements. But if your camera is tilted down and monitoring a small area like your entrance or porch, you might not need it. Instead, set your camera to motion detection to make sure it captures everything.

Keep your camera in the shade.

Hive View Outdoor is weatherproof and designed to work between -20 to 45C (-4 to 113 F). Just make sure it’s well ventilated and not positioned in direct sunlight. This avoids overheating, and your camera being triggered by a sudden change in brightness like the sun going behind a cloud.

How Much Does It Cost to Replace a Light Switch?

The cost to replace a light switch is $50 to $200. The difference depends mostly on the type – standard, double, dimmer or timer switch.

If you have a light switch that no longer works, it needs to be replaced. Unless you are unfamiliar with electrical work, it’s wise to bring in a professional. An electrician can help make wiring a light switch hassle-free. He’ll also be able to install an upgraded light switch that can make your life a little easier.

Switches with extra features like dimmers or timers can really amp up the functionality of a simple switch. While these may cost a little more than your standard light switch, they offer a few benefits that may be worth the extra price tag.

Home Electrical Upgrades and Costs

When you call an electrician into your house, you’re trusting them to know what they’re doing. Check out our tips on avoiding expensive upgrades you don’t need.

Standard Light Switch Replacement

A single light switch is the most standard “on and off” switch you have in your home. It turns on and off one item, such as a light or a fan. Over time, the crisp up-and-down click of the switch begins to wear out. When you feel this happen, it’s best to replace the switch before it completely fails to operate.

Tips For Professional Wireless Access Point Installation

Congratulations! If you’re reading this, you probably purchased a new wireless system or are thinking about it and are looking-up some of the best practices for performing your wireless access point installation. Before you begin, it’s important to know that there is more to WiFi than meets the eye, and things you may not consider, like where and how you mount the access point, matter a lot more than you think.

Wireless access point installation isn’t difficult but if you get it wrong, you will feel the pain. We’ve seen some really funky installations and have heard horror stories from clients about so called “tips” that they received from self-proclaimed wireless service experts. Our clients have told us that other providers recommended mounting access points at 45 degree angles or waiting up to 7 days for wireless signals to propagate within their office. Knowing that people have paid other service providers for such terrible advice is simply horrifying and we’re here to tell you the truth. Part 1 of our tips for installing wireless access points will focus on your network requirements, your existing network environment, as well as, the physical installation. Part 2 will focus on advanced network configuration and how to prime your wireless access points for peak performance.

Whether you’re installing access points at a large office, home, warehouse or open area like a park or boardwalk, taking the following steps will typically leave you with a usable WiFi network that will stay connected and provide that bandwidth throughput that you expect

Understand all of your network requirements

Knowing your network requirements is perhaps the most essential stage of any WiFi installation. Think about how many people, or more specifically, how many devices, will be connecting to the network and what types of activities they will be doing online. Jot your notes down or even create a spreadsheet to capture your thoughts in an organized fashion and make the rest of these steps a whole lot easier.

Choose the right equipment for your wireless network

Once you determine your requirements, it’s a lot easier to find the right access point, but the large selection can still present a challenge. There are so many options on the market that even wireless professionals find themselves overwhelmed trying to pick the best access point for their customers’ budget and requirements.

Setting up the Wemo Smart Light Switch

Installation of the Wemo Light Switch to the electrical line

It only takes a few minutes to set up your Wemo Light Switch.  If you are unable to identify which is a load wire and a line wire, or is unfamiliar or uncomfortable with electrical work, please call a professional electrician.

Electrical Installation Requirements

A Neutral wire (requires all three AC electrical connections at the wall switch)

A single pole light switch (not compatible with lights controlled by more than one switch)

IMPORTANT:  The Wemo Light Switch is not designed to work with metal faceplates because they interfere with the Wi-Fi signal.  It is recommended to use the light switch for residential and dry indoor locations only.

Shut OFF the power at the circuit breaker for the switch you are replacing.  You may need to shut OFF more than one circuit breaker/switch to make sure the switch you’re working on is powered OFF.