2 Gang - 2 lights

[SteveBham]

Please can anyone help me, ive been on this wiring for ages now and blown my fuse in the main circuit so many times!

I have a kitchen light and an outdoor light with the wiring from both leading to the same switch in the kitchen, however only one of the main wires (Red, black, green & yellow) seem to be live - this is for the interior kitchen light which i think are Red = live, black = switched, green and yellow = earth, the outside light needs to pick up a live from somewhere, which i have managed to do by completing the following:

Main feed
Com 1 on switch 1 Black (Switched?) then on com2 Black (from outside)

L1 on switch 1 Red(live) then a red "linked" piece to the opposite switch L1 and into the same the red from outside!
This does light all the lights and i am able to turn the interior light off BUT not the outside light, so im presuming that the outside light switch needs to be switched?? But how and were does that switched wire come from?????
Many thanks and YES I know im hopeless!!!!!

 

[SteveBham]

I tell a lie!!!!! I have put the black wire from the outside light into a terminal block as it is unused at the moment (when i tried putting it into com1 on switch 2 it blew........yet again!!!!!
Any local electricians in Birmingham!!!!!???

 

[breezer]

YES I know im hopeless!!!!!

sorry but i agree with you

why not help your self, look in for refernce and see how a light should be wired

 

[SteveBham]

Sorry but i was asking for help ........ You dont know either then!

 

[breezer]

i do know, that is why i suggest you see for refernce to see how a light IS wired

 

[rhino36]

Is the outside light a new install, if it`s not how was it wired before?
At the moment you are trying to pick up a feed from a switch feed this will give you no return path on the neutral.

 

[pdcelec]

Sorry but i was asking for help ........ You dont know either then!

oh yes he does

 

[sparkydude]

So let me get this straight you have a 2core, red black and earth from your kitchen light to the switch, and you have now run a cable the same as this to an outside light. Or was this switch already doing an outside light and you have changed it for a new one???

if the first one then as has said before you have no neutral and the light will not work properly, if the latter, then more information needed to identify the problem.

Nick

 

[SteveBham]

Nick, thanks for you positive help.

The outside light was already in place and working, however everytime i turned it off it made a loud "Popping" kind of noise and "Flashed" from the switch which suggested to me that something wasnt right? So i bought a new 2 gang 2 way switch (after taking the old one off to ensure I bought the same and to simply replace like for like) however since i have put the new one in and wired it the same as it originally was it constantly blows the fuse in the main board. Its original wiring was:
From the main feed into the kitchen to the switch: ON SWITCH1: Red into Com1, Black into L2, Green and yellow into earth on the switch (its metal flush fitting switch). On SWITCH2: Red into Com1, Black into L1, Green and yellow into earth on the switch.....then a red "linking" piece from SWITCH1 L1 to SWITCH2 com1!!!!!?? When I do this it this way as originally wired (if originally it was wired correctly in the first place when I bought the house) it still keeps blowing the fuse in main board???
I even bought an electrical tester meter to be sure which was live etc!!!!!

 

[breezer]

it would have been nice if you had of mentioned this in the first place, we could have then told you it i quite common for a switch to do this becuase of the high load it has, and its not too much to worry about and you could leave it alone. it would have saved you all this trouble


don't believe me? try it ! the best ones to see it happen on are floourescent lights, try switching one on / off in the dark, but watch the switch, does the same thing because of back emf

 

[SteveBham]

Thank you. Sorry I didnt mention this at first.......But why is it blowing a fuse now...even when wired back to its original???

Steve

 

[breezer]

Thank you. Sorry I didnt mention this at first.......But why is it blowing a fuse now...even when wired back to its original???

Steve

obviously it isnt.

it is very easy to get things wrong, we have all done it at one time or another

what "tester" have you, if its a neon screwdriver put it in the bin, get a meter, if you havent got a meter get one.

you need to identify what cable does what

 

[SteveBham]

Hi Breezer,
Yes its a Meter that i bought.
Any ideas???

Steve

 

[SteveBham]

From testing with the meter: I get nothing from the inside from the wiring from the outside light. I get a reading from the main red and main black.

Steve

 

[breezer]

"a reading" is not ver usefull, what did your meter actualy display