three gang switch wiring

[HermanHessian]

hi everyone - bit of advice with regard to wiring, please

i have three separate lights which i would like to run to a single, three gang switch, so they can all be operated independently from just that one set of switches - previously they were all run to a double switch in the same location, with two of the lights operated by one common switch, and one on it's own. - the existing wiring looks a bit of pigs ear, though, and i wonder if anyone can clarify what needs to go where.

i have four cables coming in to the box

a) red + black + bare = incoming power
b) red + black + bare = light
c) red + black + bare = light
d) red + blue + yellow + bare = light

all the bare cables run to the earth terminal on the inside of the box, and there's an additional wire from here to the separate earth on the metal switch casing

as it stands two of the black and the blue wires are taped together, not connected to any terminals; the yellow runs in to a terminal along with two reds - no idea what's going on here !

i have bought a new three gang switch, which has COM, LI and L2 terminals for each of the three switches (let's call these switches 1, 2 and 3), plus an earth terminal (metal case) - the yellow and blue wires have thrown me though - no amount of investigation on line says where they might go !

maybe someone can just set out the connections using the following format:

a) red to switch 1 COM (for example)
a) black to switch 1 L1 (for example)

b) red to ?????
b) black to ????

and so on....

if it's any more complicated than having a simple list set out to follow, i'll get a sparky in to do it - not going to take any risks !

thanks in advance...

 

[EFLImpudence]

Have you disconnected the wires from the present switch?

If so, did you make a note?
If not, please post a picture.

I'm not sure how you expect us to identify which wire is which from here.

 

[riveralt]

hi everyone - bit of advice with regard to wiring, please

i have three separate lights which i would like to run to a single, three gang switch, so they can all be operated independently from just that one set of switches - previously they were all run to a double switch in the same location, with two of the lights operated by one common switch, and one on it's own. - the existing wiring looks a bit of pigs ear, though, and i wonder if anyone can clarify what needs to go where.

i have four cables coming in to the box

a) red + black + bare = incoming power
b) red + black + bare = light
c) red + black + bare = light
d) red + blue + yellow + bare = light

all the bare cables run to the earth terminal on the inside of the box, and there's an additional wire from here to the separate earth on the metal switch casing

as it stands two of the black and the blue wires are taped together, not connected to any terminals; the yellow runs in to a terminal along with two reds - !

IF you are sure that you have correctly identified the cables - i.e. traced cable (a) back to the power source and identified live neutral and earth then you have a live,neutral and earth at the switch (incoming power)
If so then all the earths are connected together at the back plate and all the neutrals are connected together in a terminal block.
The incoming red goes into the first switch Common (1) - then run a small piece of similar colour cable from Common (1) to Common (2) and onto Common(3) - this will give you live at each common.
Then take (b) and connect the red to L1 at the first switch and the black to the neutral block.
Then take (c) and connect the red to L1 at the second switch and the black to the neutral block.
For (d) this is a three core and earth cable which is normally used in two way switches - you will need to determine which light these control, how it is controlled (one way or two way) and identify which colour insulator goes into which terminal at either the light (1 way) or the second switch (2 way)

If you are not sure that you have live, neutral and earth at the switch then you will need to wire them differently and will probably need a multi-meter if you have not properly identified each cable conductor location terminal.

 

[HermanHessian]

thanks to both, think i'm ok with where everything should go now apart from one thing - - the black from the incoming - where should this go to, the same terminal block as the other blacks (and the blue), so all four will be joined ???

also, the red and yellow that are clearly from the same light, should these just both go to the same L1 terminal together ?

EFLI - apologies for the vagueness, several of the original connections dislodged from the terminals when the switch was removed so tricky to identify things...

thanks again

 

[EFLImpudence]

the black from the incoming - where should this go to, the same terminal block as the other blacks (and the blue), so all four will be joined ???

I would say it SHOULD but ...

the red and yellow that are clearly from the same light, should these just both go to the same L1 terminal together ?

Do you know where the other end of the yellow and the blue are?

One of the red/black/earth could be the supply to the next room. We don't know.


It would at first glance seem quite apparent from the number of cables but these two statements introduce a query.

two of the black and the blue wires are taped together, not connected to any terminals;

the yellow runs in to a terminal along with two reds

Do you have a test meter?

Please be certain before you switch on.

 

[HermanHessian]

hmmm - looks like i'm on to the experts in the morning, then - can't be certain of the layout so best left alone

under the previous arrangment, there were definitely only three of the four incoming black and blues which were taped together - the other went to one of the L1 terminals, with the red from the same cable going to the appropriate COM - this cable entered the box from below

the red and yellow of one cable, and the red of another, all went to another terminal on the other switch, with the last red going to a separate terminal on the same switch - these three cables all entered the box side by side at the top, and were the ones for which the black/blues were all joined

appreciate the time taken to have given this some thought, and also that the lack of information from this end is next to useless !