electrics

[rolley]

hello everyone out there have a slight problem with a two way swictch but very annoying! i have a switch upstairs with two cables into back box, one is 2 core black & red, red being constant live, black being live to light from switch! then i have a 3 core red/blue/ yellow . When working OK two reds where connected by terminal block, black/ light connection was in common. yellow/blue was in 1 and 2. Have problem light comes on when it wants? son has been fitting, fitted wardrobes in back bed-room & light has been fuctional again temporarilly but yet again supply fails,the downstairs switch has t&e red & black also a single black? the red is connected to the common and both blacks to 1 &2 amazing hey! well if you can help me sort this problem out i would much appriciate it thanks. if i guess right i think i have got to run a new 3 core cable from switch to switch?. Oh by the way i forgot to tell you we did have mice ? would that make a difference. Thanks again tony :

 

[ericmark]

There are about four methods to wire up two way switching. Most common is line in and line out into S1 and S2 and connect like to like in each switch.

However the school boy method requires a connector block in the switch and the old method can result in borrowed neutrals.

The last method connects vie the ceiling rose.

The diagram shows the standard method.

Standard Lighting

• ericmark
• 17 Aug 2008
• 13

Standard lighting diagram

 

[holmslaw]

..

 

[rolley]

thanx to you both/ericmark, i know the diagrams and if your trying to
resolve a problem the old fashion way and you cant make sense of the wiring within the switching then it becomes frustrating, believe me! I have even had a young rookie with his 21st Century gismo of tracing live cables etc, and not having a total clue (his awnser was change the light switches) i new it could not be this but thought hey you never know right?
so tried that and guess what, yes. i even tried different ways of changing the system around, no luck but thanx anyway.
Hey holmslaw, you are my biggest nightmare, but i think you are most probably right! i already mentioned to the wife the cable from the switch upstairs to the switch downstairs most probabily runs under the stairs between the fairly new fitted carpet and between the covering underneath
the stairs just to try and make her understand that when i pull the carpet up on the landing to get to the problem and hopefuly fix it i will tell her it was on your instruction! thanx mate. oh & by the way i mice are gone! and i think i might me next if i dont get this right. cheers boys thanx alot

 

[fireman22]

hi Rolley, you know the two core red & black in the upstairs switch if you put those across a normal light switch com & L1 does the light come on and work as normal? this will prove the cable coming down from the light is intact, if you know what i mean.

 

[rolley]

hi Rolley, you know the two core red & black in the upstairs switch if you put those across a normal light switch com & L1 does the light come on and work as normal? this will prove the cable coming down from the light is intact, if you know what i mean.

yes thanx fireman22, i have already done that by disconnecting the problem and doing what you have said and lo and behold the light works from switch upstairs only fine! thanks anyway but i have got to trace the fault someware between upstairs switch and downstairs switch? which as holmslaw reports there is most probably a (JB) between upstairs light switch & downstairs light switch. What a bloody nightmare hey. but then again its only a house problem, unlike japan which have a major problem. thanx again to all. keep safe