Replacing Intermediate switches

[fullers]

Hello...I have recently changed all of our old light switches in the house and since doing so have not been able to use kitchen lights at all (there is no current reaching the switch), and the bathroom light (directly above) will only come on if the light in the bedroom next door is on.

On checking the old switches I can see that out of the three switches upstairs, two were intermediate switches and wired L1 and L3only - surely these are the same as simple two way switches wired as one way ones? The problem is that I have no idea which switches used to be the intermediate ones! Any help (and light in our kitchen) would be gratefully received

 

[JohnD]

No, intermediate switches are not the same as anything else.

you can only have two 2-way switches in a lighting circuit, any additional ones have to be intermediate.

See how many wires you have behind each switch. a 2-way switch takes 3 wires, an intermediate switch takes four.

From what you describe, I amnot sure that they are really Intermedaite switches.

Please describe how many switches you have, and what they do.

 

[RF Lighting]

The OP says they were wired across L1 and L3 only, so it sounds like they were being used as a 1 way switch.

I have done this occasionally when I've run out of 1G 2W switches, but had an intermediate on the van.


Have you checked all the switches for a loose / broken connection?

 

[JohnD]

You will probably find it easiest to start by fixing the light nearest to your Consumer Unit, and working along from there. Did you change any of the ceiling fittings? this is a much more common cause of lighting circuits not working right.

 

[fullers]

All of the lights downstairs work fine, except the kitchen one. The only switch I changed downstairs was a 2 way switch (wired as a 1 way) which I replaced with a dimmer.

Upstairs I replaced 3 light switches - 2 appear to have been the intermediate ones as described above but wired as a 1 way switch - all of the lights work but the bathroom one doesnt - which wasnt replaced at all.

 

[JohnD]

Did you change any of the ceiling fittings? this is a much more common cause of lighting circuits not working right.

 

[fullers]

Did you change any of the ceiling fittings? this is a much more common cause of lighting circuits not working right.

Sorry - no didn't change any light sockets - only the wall switches

 

[TicklyT]

If the lighting wiring is looped at the switches, then transposing one leg the live loop would mean the switch would then control it's own light, plus everything else 'downstream'