Light Switch Wiring

You should perhaps mention when you say "it doesn't matter which way the two black wires go" that it only applies to countries that use DC.
Pretty important. We get the internet over here too..

Are you a Builder or a Electrican? My guess is your a builder who knows a bit about Electrical..
I see it all the time in my job,builders who think they know a bit about Electrical..
Oh and by the way 110v is not high volatge.Its standard voltage in America the same way 220v is standard here,440v is High voltage
I suppose you won't post this comment now....

Im a Electrical Contractor for the last 24 years I know exactly what I am talking about.We are way ahead in Europe,go ask someone who is a Electrician in your own country in Britain he will tell you
Plus I don't need someone from the British Isles apologising for me I am Irish not British.

You're welcome. I wish I could see the UK switches. I have no clue how you do it over there. No worries about the complainers. They just eat too much Grumble Soup.

Thanks Tim for the very clear explanation. I'm wiring a new switch into my table lamp with 3 terminals. We have 240V in UK but the principle I suppose is the same. Wasn't sure what the ground was for since there is nowhere to 'ground it to' on a table lamp. Guess I should leave it disconnected? Oh,let me apologise for the idiot Laoislad. Just provocative for no reason & post on different places in youtube. Anyway more importantly thanks, now I know the essentials.

Well you people in Europe are way behind us here in the US, you guys have loads of bad methods for just about anything and everything.

(and I don't need to explain because I'm just an idiot talking outta my ass, trying to find a way to feel superior to everyone else... Long Live The Queen!!! I mean.. THE U.S.A!!!)

Laoislad, next time you feel like spewing S**t out of your ignorant mouth, save everyone the trouble and shut the hell up, everyone has many different ways to get the same job done.

Thanks! Yes, I could tape hundreds of videos about all aspects of electrical work. But I have so many other topics to cover that I just try to show the simple methods. I can tell you there is a need for these videos. If you have the time, you should try to do some. People will really appreciate seeing your knowledge. I'm convinced I'd learn from you as well!

You're breaking the hot, or black line, between the fixture and the feed with the switch when you wire up. What you did was the same as twisting the white and black together, you created a short when the switch was in the ON position. The white/neutral gets tied to the outgoing white and is not tied to the switch at all, which is what Tim showed. There are plenty of wiring books in the libraries, book stores and even in the electrical isles at home improvement stores so read up, dont kill urself

Lucy you use way different in EU. If you want a copy of the regs just spend some of your schillings and buy the 2008 NFPA NEC, or National Electrical Code put out by the National Fire Protection Association. As for not encouraging it almost sounds like you are either paranoid, or an electrician that hates homeowners maintaining their own property. Sure no one in the UK wants to mess with it, you use 210/220V, we use one phase and a neutral or 110/120V.

As Tim mentioned it may be that the duplex receptacle has had the bridge broken out and each outlet fed from a different source - the one that works is unswitched and live all the time and the non-working is switched and you havent figured the switch for it. If you take the box cover off and there are separate wires to the top screws and also another set to the lowers (2 blacks and 2 whites) then it might be switched. Migh be the contacts inside are bad too - replacement would be the best start.

I have to agree and add that EU uses different fixtures and methods than we do. Tim you followed everything as it should be, I could say it's per NEC rules even. Heck it's just 2 screws to open and close a circuit and a ground to chassis/earth. One thing left out though is 2 wiring methods - one where the feed comes into the switchbox, breaks the hot then exits to the fixture, the other where the feed goes to the fixture and a wire is dropped and both B and W are used as the switch in & out.

Thanks for your comment. You left me a hole so wide in your comment, that I could fly a 747 through it. But I'll leave all that to the imagination of each person that reads what you wrote. What a shame about your attitude.

You guys in America are way behind us here in europe and Ireland...Some very bad methods been shown on this video

The one may be operated by a wall switch. Is there a switch in the room that seems to do nothing? If not, an electrician should look at in for you.

Ok, I have an outlet with the top one not working and the bottom one does. What would cause this and is it dangerous.