Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to fit a Bseed light switch and prove the circuit dead

Updated: October 2026

The new 86 mm plate is on the table, the old one is still on the wall, and a dark lamp is not proof the switch is dead. This page on how to fit a Bseed light switch is for a like-for-like swap of one plate. It follows the fitting notes on the listings in the [Bseed light switch comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/bseed-light-switch). It does not rank those plates and it is not a lab test. If you have not checked whether the title needs a neutral, read [Bseed light switch no neutral](/hub/electrical-equipment/bseed-light-switch/sub/bseed-light-switch-no-neutral) first. Nothing below makes you a competent person. If you cannot name the isolation point or prove the cores dead, stop and call an electrician.

The new 86 mm plate is on the table, the old one is still on the wall, and a dark lamp is not proof the switch is dead. This page on how to fit a Bseed light switch is for a like-for-like swap of one plate.

Our top picks

Bseed Bseed grey glass 1 gang

Best overall

Bseed Bseed grey glass 1 gang
8.6/10about £9.59
View offer
Bseed Bseed touch 1 gang, white

Rank 2

Bseed Bseed touch 1 gang, white
8.2/10about £13.99
View offer
Bseed Bseed PC toggle, black

Best value

Bseed Bseed PC toggle, black
8.2/10about £9.50
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Make the circuit dead, and prove it
  2. 2.Copy the old switch before you release a screw
  3. 3.Seat the module, then the glass
  4. 4.Stop and call an electrician

Make the circuit dead, and prove it

Start at the consumer unit, not at the rocker. Identify the breaker or fuse that feeds the lighting circuit, switch it off, and secure it so nobody restores it while your hands are in the box. Turning the lamp off at the switch only opens the switched live. The permanent live can still be present, and a two-way pair can be fed from a second point. Prove the conductors dead with a two-pole voltage indicator or an equivalent test lamp, not a non-contact stick. HSE guidance in HSG85 is to prove the instrument on a known live source or a proving unit before you test the switch, test the conductors, then prove the instrument again afterwards. If you cannot complete that sequence, leave the plate on and call someone who can. The filter order, if you have not chosen the plate yet, is on the buying guide.

Copy the old switch before you release a screw

Photograph the old terminals with the wires still in them, and sketch which core sat in which hole. Bseed’s spec tables are not a COM and L1 diagram. A 2-way cell, or a Wi-Fi line on a plate whose NOTE says no Wi-Fi, will not tell you where the switched live goes. A blue core, or an older black core, in a switch is often the switched live on a ceiling-loop circuit, not a neutral. It should carry a brown sleeve. If the sleeve is missing, and you are not sure, stop. Do not borrow a neutral from a socket circuit because the new title asked for one. Earth the metal back box. If a flying earth is already on the box terminal, it stays. Rubber or unidentified cable, or more cores than your photo can explain, are stop points.
Bseed Bseed grey glass 1 gang

Testsieger

Bseed Bseed grey glass 1 gang
8.6/10about £9.59
View offer

Seat the module, then the glass

Check depth before you force the body. Touch and Wi-Fi modules in this set are about 3.5 cm or 4 cm, and Bseed’s Wi-Fi pages ask for at least 35 mm. A 16 mm plaster box will leave the plate proud. The PC toggle’s bullets ask for at least 25 mm even though the dimensions line says 2 cm. The touch NOTES say to switch the supply off, push the glass so the clips engage, and wait at least three minutes after restoring power if you tried the insert without the panel. Fit the glass before you close the breaker. One review of the white 1 gang touch says the switch did not work once the glass was on.

Stop and call an electrician

Stop when there is no earth, when the cable is rubber or you cannot identify it, or when you cannot prove the circuit dead. Stop if the plate would sit in a bathroom zone. IET Section 701 keeps a 230 V switch out of zones 0, 1 and 2. IP20 is not splashproof. IP65 on a table is not a wet-zone approval. Stop if a two-way landing does not match the diagram. A Bseed touch two-way is meant to pair with another touch plate, not with the old mechanical switch left at the other end. Stop if the new module is deeper than the box and the only way in is to cut the wall while you are unsure the circuit is dead. If the job has become the stop list, refit the old plate the way you found it and book an electrician.

Common questions

Can I change a Bseed switch myself in the UK?
A like-for-like replacement is generally not notifiable under GOV.UK’s repairs guidance, except around baths and showers. You still have to isolate the circuit and prove it dead.
Is turning the light off enough?
No. Switching the lamp off leaves the permanent live in the box, and a two-way circuit can be fed from another point.
What do I do with a blue wire in the switch?
On many UK ceiling-loop drops the blue, or an older black, in the switch is the switched live and should have a brown sleeve. It is not automatically a neutral.
When do I put the glass panel on?
With the supply still off, after the conductors are tight and the module is seated. The touch notes say to push the glass so the clips engage, then wait at least three minutes after you restore power if the insert was tried without the panel.
Do I earth a metal box behind a glass plate?
Yes. The metal back box keeps its earth, whether the new plate is glass or polycarbonate.
What if the module works until the glass is fitted?
Isolate again and do not keep testing it live. One review of a white 1 gang touch said the unit did not work once the glass was on.
When do I open Smart Life?
Only after the lamp responds to the plate, and only when the title says Wi-Fi or Smart Life. Use 2.4 GHz.

Related pages

Bseed Wi-Fi vs touch switch

Bseed light switch

Best Bseed light switch when you do not want Wi-Fi

Bseed light switch buying guide: neutral and depth

Bseed light switch no neutral for a UK switch drop

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured on 20 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK: building work, replacements and repairs (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: UKCA and CE marking by sector (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. BEAMA and SELECT: selection of boxes (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. IET: Section 701, locations containing a bath or shower (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. IET: BS 7671 edition checker (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Bseed help centre FAQ (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Electrical Safety First: isolation best-practice guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)