Bathroom (adding mirror lights and double light switch)

Hi

Hope some one can help

I have fitted mirror lights, cabled out to the outside wall of the bathroom were the single bathroom light switch is. I now want to add a double switch. I have tried the following see attached drawing.

Wiring before, one switch turned on bathroom ceiling light and extractor fan ok.

Wiring after, two switches which I have tried but nothing happends.

what am i doing wrong???

thanks in advance
josa

there is NO NEUTRAL at that switch. Therefore no matter what wiring combination you use, you will not be able to power any additional lights from there.

You need to take power from a light fitting or junction box and run a switch drop to this switch, like your bathroom light has.

many thanks

Will the same be said if I use a single switch?

Josa

Crafty said:

there is NO NEUTRAL at that switch. Therefore no matter what wiring combination you use, you will not be able to power any additional lights from there.

You need to take power from a light fitting or junction box and run a switch drop to this switch, like your bathroom light has.

Click to expand...

many thanks

Will the same be said if I use a single switch?

Josa

A 2-gang switch (2 switches) is just that - two independant switches on one switch plate.

Look at the terminals. And appreciate that COM is EITHER connected to L1 OR L2, depending on the position of the switch rocker. There is no jiggery-pokery in there, its just a simple contact.

What you've done could be quite dangerous. You've linked the COMs - this is OK. COM is normally permenant live. Switched live is then taken from L1 OR L2. What you have is switched live going down the live or neutral wires of the light.

Live going down the neutral is bad, since if the fittings is a screw-in lamp, it will make the outer screw live, which is not good, as it increases the risk of electric shock.

You can, by all means, take a live from this switch, but the neutral must come from elsewhere.

The easiest way to do it is to replace the switch drop from the bathroom ceiling rose, with 3 core and earth cable. This will enable you to bring down live, neutral and switched live. See diagrams in the wiki - click: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:single-way-lighting

If you do this, note that you NEVER connect neutrals directly to the switch. If you have a problem with any of the above, please get an electrician in, or ask us again if you still feel confident.