Unusual arrangement of wires in light switch box

[gmtfd]

Hi all

Could anyone help me figure out what is going on in this switch? Should there not be a green and yellow earth wire as well as the red and black ones? And why is the blue wire disconnected (looks like it has been cut)? The switch has L1, L2 and L3 terminals. The red wire is going to L1 and the black wire to L2.

Regards

Gareth

 

[Keithmac]

That wire's Green..

 

[stem]

Should there not be a green and yellow earth wire as well as the red and black ones?

Green sleeving was used to identify the earth wire back in the 1970's & 80's. Green and yellow sleeving came later.

why is the blue wire disconnected (looks like it has been cut)?

If you are referring to the green (earth) wire, it has probably broken off from the metal back box which should have an earth connection.

the switch has L1, L2 and L3 terminals. The red wire is going to L1 and the black wire to L2.

It's a two way switch being used as a one way switch, which is perfectly normal. It probably says on the back of it something like 'for one way switching use terminals L1 and L2'.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Should there not be a green and yellow earth wire as well as the red and black ones?

Slide some of this over the green and there will be.

 

[AndyPRK]

Is the 1970 earth sleeve was green.

Sleeve is Sleeve. It insulates.

Do I need to respectively remove all green sleeve and replace with green/yellow from my house? NO!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do I need to respectively remove all green sleeve and replace with green/yellow from my house?

Yes.

And replace all red with brown, black with blue, yellow with black and blue with grey.

NO!

Oh alright then.

 

[Echo the husky]

Do I need to respectively remove all green sleeve and replace with green/yellow from my house? NO!

You should replace green earth sleeving with green and yellow if you are replacing the accessory.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Only that?

Just wondering why, if yes, only that, one should implement that colour code change but not the other.

 

[Echo the husky]

Not sure, must have read it somewhere, something to do with safety. Black used to be used for earth too, guess that should also be changed to g/y.

By the way, I have just swapped my unsafe tanning lamp for this safe one that has no exposed live parts.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Your kitchen is a bloody death-trap.

 

[gmtfd]

Thanks everyone, it looked blue to me for some reason...

So all I need to do is reattach it to the earth connection?

 

[stem]

Yes.