wiring a 3 gang light switch with 2 way switching.

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Hi all hope someone can help with this problem, I am drylining my hallway and had to put new back boxes on all switches and sockets. In the hall I have a 3 gang light switch which supplies power to the hall lights, the landing light which is the only two way light on the switch and the outside light. on replacing the switch i kept fusing the lighting rcd i am wondering what i have done wrong. The wiring is as follows, there are pieces of wire linking all three commons with the live on the middle one, i have two red wires which obviously supply power to the hall and landing lights which are connected to L1 on switches 1 and 2, i also have a black wire which is connected to L2 on switch 1, also on switch one there is another red wire which i can only assume is a live feed upstairs as our lighting is on one ring main switch 2 has the live connected to the common as already mentioned and a red wire in L1. switch three has a black wire connected to L1 and the linking wire in the common. the problem i have is two fold the first being the switch is working in reverse where when all switches are in the off position they are on and vice versa also the two way switching is not working on the landing lights, you can switch them on downstairs and they come on, you can then switch them off upstairs, so far so good but if you then try to switch them on downstairs they do not work unless you flick the switch upstairs. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards Owen
 
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Bit hard to read, try to put in paragraphs.... Maybe draw a pic in paint?

How many cables come into switch?


Do you have a cable that has 3 wires, not including the earth? , eg red yellow blue, or brown black grey? Just seeing how your 2way is wired.

For other switchs it sounds like you have your L1 and L2 the wrong way round. If in L1 put in L2. Don't move the com wire.
 
A very hard to read post about replacing light switches and it now not working, and containing the terrible word "assume"
You must not assume - you must properly identify the wires - electricity by random guesswork is a stupid idea.

There are two plans for you to choose between:

PLAN A:PLAN B:
  • Get an electrician.
 
There are four red wires and two black going to the switch, one red wire is 220v the other three are dead the two blacks are also not live. The live red is connected to the middle common, one red is connected to common on first switch which supplies power to upstairs lights there is also a red wire connected to L1 on switch one and black wire on L2. On switch two there is the bridged common and a red wire to L1 which supplies power to hall lights. On switch three there is a bridged common and a black wire on L2 which supplies power to the outside light. Upstairs there is a light switch with two reds and one black wire, one red is live. Hope this helps. Regards Owen :(
 
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Your infor is not any help.

How many CABLES come to that switch
What colour conductors are in each cable
How is the switch upstairs wired
The 220 volts you have measured. This is between a red wire and where?

Please take photos of the cables coming to the downstairs switch and teh wiring at the upstairs switch.


PS It would have been sensible to make a diagram of the wiring (or take photos) before you disconnected it all. There are a squillion different ways to wire up lighting circuits.
 
You say all your switches operate in reverse.

Well, the 2 way will, as you will switch it to one position at one switch then move to the other switch and switch that one the other way.

But the other two that are one way should operate so that when the switch is down the light is on. If these operate the wrong way round, you need to swap the switchwires to the other terminal of that switch, as per rocky's advice.

As for the two way not working correctly, you could have:

a. A loose connection at either landing switch.
b. a conductor that has snapped off, possibly after pushing the switch plate to the wall.
c. The strappers (the conductors linking the two landing switches) connected up wrong.

I think, from what you describe, that the landing switch is fed with a live on the GF switch and the switchwire on the FF switch, with a T&E connecting the two switches.

Just make sure the red and black connected to L1 & L2 of the landing switch come from the same sheath.

Also check the connections in the landing switch, as although you have not touched this one, it may be a sheer fluke that a connection has come loose in that switch.
 

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