Mini Smart Switch with a DIY box or a simple UK Plug to switch box

If a smart power plug is currently overpriced, using a Mini Smart Switch can be an alternative method, especially if it’s going to be a permanent change. However without any case or box it’s a safety risk. Adding a DIY simple plug power box and a socket might make sense, if you’ve got them spare. Essentially making it an extension lead.

Links & References

Simple Plug in Light and Switch – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXaCaA4CEAw

Electrical Wiring Colours – A Complete Guide | RS
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/content/discovery/ideas-and-advice/wiring-colours-guide

Wiring a Mini Smart Switch to control a UK one way lighting circuit

In my case I have one light switch that controls one light bulb. There is 3 bus bars, one 2-slot and the other two 3-slots. The current wiring would basically be like this:

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified electrician. I’m self-taught and this is actually only for my own notes.

Remember, turn off the power anytime you are touching the wiring, I also recommend telling people in the accommodation that you’ll be turning off the power and not to turn it on without informing you.

Power

Live IN (commonly brown wire) to a bus bar (lets label this live bus bar)
Neutral IN (commonly blue wire) to a bus bar (lets label this neutral bus bar)
Ground/Earth (commonly green and yellow striped wire IN to the ground/earth bus bar.

(this is passing the live, neutral & ground to the next room)
Live OUT (commonly brown wire) to the live bus bar
Neutral OUT (commonly blue wire) to the neutral bus bar
Ground/Earth (commonly green and yellow striped wire IN to the ground/earth bus bar.

This means we have 1 slot left on both the live & neutral bus bars

Light Switch

One end connecting to the 2-slot bus bar and the other end connecting to the live bus bar.

Light Bulb

Live (commonly brown wire) (positive end of the light bulb) connects to the 2-slot bus bar (switch).
Neutral (commonly blue wire) (negative end of the light bulb) connects to the neutral bus bar.

Now we should have filled all slots on the 2-slot and both 3-slot bus bars. We’ve basically connected power to the live and neutral bus bars (and the ground/earth connected too).

If unsure which cables are Live and neutral in/out, you should disconnect them and using a multi-metre (set to AC) probe a set of brown and blue wires till you get the 240v, this would be your IN. You can also switch on the light switch and you’ll tell which lines are your switch wires.

Links & References

Wiring Diagram For a One Way Lighting Circuit Using the 3 Plate Method – Connections Explained – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fixa_1jp55c

Electrical Wiring Colours – A Complete Guide | RS
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/content/discovery/ideas-and-advice/wiring-colours-guide