2 Way Switch

[chris.moylan]

Hi
I have a two way switch for landing light - the common. All seems to be wired correctly, red common to common, yellow, L1 to L1, blue L2 to L2. Then live to L1 with yellow and return to L2 with blue.

The light will turn on and off either upstairs or downstairs, but won\\\'t turn on downstairs and off upstairs or vice versa. Anyone any ideas - been looking at it for 4 hrs now - not worked for years though!

Thanks a lot

Chris

 

[andemz]

The black wire which is the switch cable should be taped with red identifying it as the switched live. Remeber to earth to the back box also.

Does this look like your set-up

 

[chris.moylan]

All other diagrams show that live should go to L1 - are you saying this is incorrect.

See link

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Technical/DataSheets/MK/WiringDiagrams.pdf

Thanks for your help.

Chris

 

[andemz]

Hi,

If you view here //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7553 this is this sites for reference section. This should show you how to do things, better than i can explain them.

 

[andy]

All other diagrams show that live should go to L1 - are you saying this is incorrect.

if you read the link you posted, it quite clearly say live goes to common for the 2 way switching

 

[chris.moylan]

Tired all that - re-wired it several times, we can turn it on upstairs and then shift switch downstairs, then shift switch upstairs, then it allows us to turn it off downstairs.

There is some problem in the relaying of it, but don't know what.

We have changed the L1 and L2 connectors around, put switched live into both.

Lost, anyone any ideas.

Cheers
Chris

 

[andemz]

Have you tried a new switch... This would eliminate that issue

 

[chris.moylan]

Yes done two new switches

Sorry....

 

[andemz]

OK identify your switch cable. Black, red and Earth.... This cable should be in a switch and in this switch should also be another cable (linking cable) which links this switch with your other switch.

Now the wires are so. Switch cable - Black (also known as switched live) to L2, Red to L1 and Earth to the back box screw.

Linking cable into this switch is - Red to Common, Yellow to L1, Blue to L2 and Earth to screw in back box.

Now the other switch - You should only have 1 wire in this switch. This is the linking cable. should be 1.5mm 3 core and earth.

Wire like this - Red to Common, Blue to L2, Yellow to L1 and earth to screw in the back of back box.

Make sure that all are screwed in. Replace face plate and see if that works.

 

[chris.moylan]

That seems to be what we have got - sorry about that, thanks for your help so far.

Just one point to clarify, when you talk about switched live - black, do you mean the live connection from the ceiling rose to the switch?

Any other ideas?

Thanks for all your help.

Chris

Sorry to be sucha pain!

 

[andemz]

Hi,

Have a look at the wiring in the ceiling rose and tell me what the setup is. You should have a Neutral, a live, a earth and then a switch live. The switch live will be a black wire which is of the switch cable, this should go from the from the ceiling rose to the switch.

Firstly tell us what wires are in the ceiling rose and then we will take it from there.

 

[Lectrician]

There isnt an intermediate switch lurking somewhere?? Behind a wardrobe or blanked off?? Or possible, someone has damaged the 3core strapper. You may need to meter out the cable to see if all cores are continuous.

 

[Me and U]

Hi - Could be that one of the strappers ( L1 or L2 wires ) is shorting on the common due to damaged insulation - Check the common on the switch is NOT powered up ALL the time - If it Remains LIVE when you have checked all the on / off positions from BOTH light switches that is your problem - GOOD LUCK Guy

 

[securespark]

My thoughts exactly.

Go back to basics: wire up using only the original switch wires (without two way) to eliminate that side of things. If both lights work from the original switching, you have to look to the strappers or three core for the fault.

 

[tof]

instead of having one circuit cable (including red,black and green/yellow wires) coming into the box I have two cables (when a connect the red with the red and the black with the back the light is on all the time).

should a connect both red wires to L1 with the yellow wire and both black wires to L2 with blue wire ?