Hello everyone,
In the kitchen of my single-family house, unfortunately only one light switch was installed, which controls a ceiling light. I would like to replace the single light switch with a double switch/two-gang switch to also be able to turn the retrofitted LED lights under the upper cabinets of my built-in kitchen on and off from the door, in addition to the ceiling light. Currently, these lights can only be controlled by motion sensors, so I have to wave my hand briefly under each of the four lights separately. The LED lights run on 12 V and each has a small plug-in transformer with a Europlug at the end of the cable, which are all currently plugged into a power strip above the kitchen counter.
Since this is only blurry in the photo: In the triple combination, at the very top is the light switch to be replaced, wired with a brown live wire and a switched grey live wire. Below it is a switch for the electric roller shutter of the kitchen window, and below that is a socket outlet. Everything is on a common circuit breaker. I had hoped to find an unused neutral conductor in this triple combination, so I could pick up the new switched live wire in the flush-mounted distribution box above the triple combination, but unfortunately all existing conductors are occupied, so I have to start directly at the bottom of the switch.
The plan now is as follows:
- Lay a two-core flat installation cable 2 x 1.5 mm (14 AWG) YDYp in a surface-mounted cable duct 12 x 7 mm, fixed to the wall with two-component epoxy adhesive (for permanent hold). Cable route see orange line. The cable has a solid copper core, not stranded.
- Carefully open the wall directly above the light switch to access the cable entry of the flush-mounted box, to avoid damaging already installed cables. The new installation cable will then be pulled into the topmost flush-mounted box as well. The cable duct will rest directly on the upper edge of the switch, and the cable will be completely hidden, routed through the back wall of the cable duct into the wall and into the flush-mounted box.
- Replace the single light switch with a two-gang switch, where the new switched live for the cabinet lights will be taken off. The neutral conductor will be connected where there is a free neutral terminal, e.g., at the socket outlet unit.
- Install a surface-mounted junction box above the cabinet.
- The plug will be cut off from a power strip and the cable firmly connected inside the junction box. To prevent anyone mistakenly assuming the power strip has a protective earth (PE) contact, a power strip with only Euro sockets will be used.
This is intended as a temporary interim solution until we have to renovate the kitchen completely in a few years anyway; at that time, the wall above the triple combination can be opened up and a new cable installed flush-mounted.
Technically this would work perfectly, I have no doubt about that. But is it also allowed?
Thanks for your well-founded opinions,
best regards
Marco
In the kitchen of my single-family house, unfortunately only one light switch was installed, which controls a ceiling light. I would like to replace the single light switch with a double switch/two-gang switch to also be able to turn the retrofitted LED lights under the upper cabinets of my built-in kitchen on and off from the door, in addition to the ceiling light. Currently, these lights can only be controlled by motion sensors, so I have to wave my hand briefly under each of the four lights separately. The LED lights run on 12 V and each has a small plug-in transformer with a Europlug at the end of the cable, which are all currently plugged into a power strip above the kitchen counter.
Since this is only blurry in the photo: In the triple combination, at the very top is the light switch to be replaced, wired with a brown live wire and a switched grey live wire. Below it is a switch for the electric roller shutter of the kitchen window, and below that is a socket outlet. Everything is on a common circuit breaker. I had hoped to find an unused neutral conductor in this triple combination, so I could pick up the new switched live wire in the flush-mounted distribution box above the triple combination, but unfortunately all existing conductors are occupied, so I have to start directly at the bottom of the switch.
The plan now is as follows:
- Lay a two-core flat installation cable 2 x 1.5 mm (14 AWG) YDYp in a surface-mounted cable duct 12 x 7 mm, fixed to the wall with two-component epoxy adhesive (for permanent hold). Cable route see orange line. The cable has a solid copper core, not stranded.
- Carefully open the wall directly above the light switch to access the cable entry of the flush-mounted box, to avoid damaging already installed cables. The new installation cable will then be pulled into the topmost flush-mounted box as well. The cable duct will rest directly on the upper edge of the switch, and the cable will be completely hidden, routed through the back wall of the cable duct into the wall and into the flush-mounted box.
- Replace the single light switch with a two-gang switch, where the new switched live for the cabinet lights will be taken off. The neutral conductor will be connected where there is a free neutral terminal, e.g., at the socket outlet unit.
- Install a surface-mounted junction box above the cabinet.
- The plug will be cut off from a power strip and the cable firmly connected inside the junction box. To prevent anyone mistakenly assuming the power strip has a protective earth (PE) contact, a power strip with only Euro sockets will be used.
This is intended as a temporary interim solution until we have to renovate the kitchen completely in a few years anyway; at that time, the wall above the triple combination can be opened up and a new cable installed flush-mounted.
Technically this would work perfectly, I have no doubt about that. But is it also allowed?
Thanks for your well-founded opinions,
best regards
Marco
M
MachsSelbst22 Apr 2026 19:56MarcomitZeh schrieb:
When I read something like that, I always have to roll my eyes. By that logic, the entire Electrical/Electrical Planning section of the forum could be skipped – if you need to ask, you might as well give up and don’t belong in the forum. And if you already know everything, you don’t need a forum because you already know everything. Yes, in my opinion, that’s actually what should happen. There is also no forum here dedicated to DIY gas pipe installation, even though leak detection is relatively simple for a layperson 😉