Bank Holiday 2 Way Light Switch!!

[Lectrician]

I dont think one is a neutral. He said they all came out of the switch, and he said they all already had red tape on them.....

 

[securespark]

So how is he tripping the CPD?

 

[Lectrician]

Like I said, I reckon he may be putting the switch plate back together each time, and has caught a cable. He may have also caught a cable when putting back the second switch he took off.

 

[DIYerHELP]

Haven't caught a cable and I didn't screw the plate into the back box. The black wires already had red tape on them. One one switch is two way.

The red cable with the strapper lights the neon in my electrical screwdiver. That's the only wire to light the neon.

Order a multimeter, should turn up tomorrow. Not going to try until I've tested each wire now. That's once I've worked out how to use one.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I dont think one is a neutral.

Neither do I.

But I'd not be greatly surprised to find that one of the "cpcs" was originally being used as a strapper...

 

[333rocky333]

do you remember how it was connected when the fuse blew
If all the stripped wires you have came out the old switch it would not be possible

1) He appears to have insufficient conductors for 2-way switching.
2) The cables are Twin & Earth.
3) The Earths are now all connected to the backbox.
4) Some combinations of the other conductors and switch terminals blow the fuse.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = ?

If they did, all came out of switch, then in normal operation they are all live at some time, so any combination should not "fuse the electrics" unless he shorted any to earth.
The circuit may have even been off when he "fused the electrics"
I dont think the op would terminate a red or taped red on to the earth after he removed them from the old switch.
Reason that I asked how it was connected when it blew

There is sufficient conducters for a 2way and a 1way system as he said he had, it would also explain the 3core at the other 2 way switch, and also what looks like different cable used for the live link.

He said" fused the electrics" maybe he is knocking out an rcd on the supply by shorting one to earth whilst it is off, he did say he had a slight voltage on one, may even be the neutral feeding back via the switchline, the pic shows them close to the earthed box and maybe they touched.

 

[333rocky333]

..

 

[Space cat]

The red cable with the strapper lights the neon in my electrical screwdiver. That's the only wire to light the neon.

That's a good start because it's the only result that makes sense. The red wire with the link is your live feed and it will go to both switches. To find out what the other three wires do, connect each of them in turn to that red wire. The safest way to do this is to connect them through a light bulb, in a holder of course! The idea is that if, by some freak chance, one of them has shorted to earth or neutral, you won't "fuse the electrics". (I can offer no explanation as to how that happened. )

One of the wires should bring on your one-way light. It will be dim because you have an extra bulb in series but it should be on. Mark that wire; it will go to the one-way switch. The other two wires must be part of your two-way switching because you need three wires in a two-way switch. Contrary to my earlier best guess, there are two ways in which they might have been connected so it's time to find out how.

1) My first guess: The live feed goes to COM and the other two go to L1 and L2. In this case, if you connect either of the two wires through the test bulb to live, you will be able to switch the two-way light on and off at the other switch.

2) The alternative method: The live feed goes to L1 (or L2) and the other two wires go to COM and L2 (or L1). Connecting one of the two wires will bring the two-way light on regardless of what you do at the other switch. If you connect the other one you will, as before, be able to control the light from the other switch. The one that makes the other switch work goes to COM in the two-way switch when you put it all back together.

And finally ---

If the test bulb lights up bright but nothing else does, you have some very weird wiring or a short circuit somewhere - but we'll burn that bridge when we come to it!

 

[DIYerHELP]

Excellent Space cat, I try this method when I get home.

Cheers.

 

[securespark]

Trouble is, do you really want to trust your electrics to an extra-terrestrial feline?

 

[DIYerHELP]

Got my multimeter, have the following readings (colon ":" indicates the the difference between the other two way switch being switched OFF and ON)

Left Cable : Two Way switch OFF : Two Way swith ON

Black with Red tape : Overload : 67v

Red : 67v : Overload



Right Cable : Two Way switch OFF : Two Way swith ON

Black with Red Tape : 55v : 77v

Red with Strapper (link) : 24v : 24v


I hope this is enough information to know which wire goes to the L1, COM and L2 on both rockers?

Thank you for any replies.[/img]

 

[333rocky333]

Is this with the power off
you should be checking continuity rather than voltage i think

 

[333rocky333]

To check voltage with the power on you need to be 100% you are competant

You did not reply what actually FUSED THE ELECTRICS meant

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I hope this is enough information to know which wire goes to the L1, COM and L2 on both rockers?

Not really, no.

Between what are you measuring these voltages?

What does "overload" mean?


What's needed are:

1) Which is/are the permanent live(s).

2) Which go to a light.

3) Which end up as R/B/Y at the other switch.

 

[DIYerHELP]

Need some tips on using the multimeter I think.

Any ideas of how to test the wire I have please? Would the permanent live be the red wire with the strapper (link) as this is the only one that lights the neon electrical screwdriver?