# Forum Home Renovation Lighting  Old Style Electrical System - Light Switch

## reno18

Hi all, 
I have been working on trying to renovate an estate house that was built 100 years ago. Due to its age, the house has these electricity system where you pull the string in order to activate the light. I find it to be very old, and recently I have gotten the electricity man to remove the strings and install light switches for each room. 
However, there is a hole where the strings used to be - how would you deal with it? I personally do not like the look of it and wonder what can be done about it...

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## Uncle Bob

What the hell? Mate, your sparkies wrecking the joint. That looks terrible.
Please, please, get that crap removed and get something like the HPM Heritage series installed. Heritage Range - Powerpoints & Light Switches - Clipsal.com - Trade Or at least, if you want to go with the modern look get that cabling run inside the wall and lose the capping. 
Otherwise, just remove the pull switch and fill the hole with your favourite wall filler.

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## LinesElectrical

> What the hell? Mate, your sparkies wrecking the joint. That looks terrible.
> Please, please, get that crap removed and get something like the HPM Heritage series installed. Heritage Range - Powerpoints & Light Switches - Clipsal.com - Trade Or at least, if you want to go with the modern look get that cabling run inside the wall and lose the capping. 
> Otherwise, just remove the pull switch and fill the hole with your favourite wall filler.

  
Agreed that looks terible, I hope it was free.

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## Bloss

Maybe the old DIY sparky . . .  :Rolleyes:

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## Moondog55

I agree that is a very poor looking job, personaly i would have just replaced the old pull switches with old looking newer units, with tassels on the end for the cat to play at catching.

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## chrisp

It'd be good to know a bit more about how the new wiring was connected in to the old wiring. 
Has the old pull-switch been completely disconnected?   Are the old pull-switches being used as 'junction boxes'?

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## Bros

As kids we used to love those pull switches as we could pull them and there was just enough elastic in the cord so we could hit he ceiling with the plastic bit on the end.

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## Bruiser

one more time for your Uncle Bill:  That looks absolutely shyzenhausen.   
If you've paid a tradesman to do that, please send him my regards. 
As for the hole, if the repair is to be in keeping with the general feel, give it a thump with a broom handle and cover it over with some masking tape.  Paint it white if it doesn't look right.

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## Smurf

I have actually seen a large hole (from a wood heater flue) in a ceiling patched (permanently) with masking tape and painted white so it's not a new idea. I don't recommend it, but it's not new.  :Smilie:

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## Bloss

> I have actually seen a large hole (from a wood heater flue) in a ceiling patched (permanently) with masking tape and painted white so it's not a new idea. I don't recommend it, but it's not new.

  Main thing with that method is to make sure its the smooth masking tape not the crinkly stuff, and to criss cross just so it doesn't sag too much  :Redface:   :Eek:  . . .

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