2 way switching problem

[brian4321]

Hi guys here is my problem

my mother in law had a guy in to change her switches as they where outdated. He replaced the switches and now the lights dont work. Ive had a look and the switch downstairs has a link from the c of the one way switch next to it. there are 3 other cables, 2 blue and one red. The upstairs light has 3 cables too, 2 blues and one white which is a single wire and connects to the red wires in the connector strip. reading the other posts im assuming the 2 blue cables go between the switches but where does the other red cable in the downstairs switch go?
Help would be appreciated

 

[ColJack]

red white and blue? how frikin old is your wiring?

pictures would help and why wouldn't you get the guy back to fix it for free as he's the one that friked it up in the first place..
or are you stretching the truth there and you're the guy your mom got in and now you're stuck?

 

[securespark]

Need pictures.

 

[brian4321]

thanks for the supply. I have tried to call this guy back but he is not returning calls so there is nothing i can do on that front. Im assuming that this guy is not an electrician or he could have sorted it out ill take some pictures and post. the house was built in the 50's so i guess thats why the wiring is so old

 

[Steve]

the house was built in the 50's so i guess thats why the wiring is so old

If the wiring IS THAT OLD it NEEDS REPLACING NOW.

 

[Paul_C]

Talk about over-reacting.....

If the wiring is old VIR then that's one thing, but red/white/blue 3-core was used widely from the 1950's through to the mid 1960's when white was replaced with yellow, and there must be miles of the PVC-insulated/sheathed type still in use perfectly safely. So to condemn the installation as in need of an immediate rewire solely on the basis of the presence of red/white/blue is ridiculous.

Some detailed pictures of the wiring at both switch locations would certainly help.

 

[sparkwright]

If you can't provide pictures then describe in more detail what you have.

We need to know if switches are 1 gang, 2 gang etc.

What CABLES you have and what WIRES are within them.

Describe each wire, the colour, and which cable it comes from; and which TERMINALS they are currently connected to.

Tell us everything you can.

 

[Taylortwocities]

IIRC the red,white & blue cables did not have a cpc (earth) conductor.

So I hope that the new switch is not a metal one. If it is (and there is no ther earth at the switch) then it will need to be changed to a plastic one.

.

 

[Paul_C]

IIRC the red,white & blue cables did not have a cpc (earth) conductor.

They were available with or without.

 

[Lectrician]

But predominantly seen without....

 

[securespark]

If the wiring is old VIR then that's one thing, but red/white/blue 3-core was used widely from the 1950's through to the mid 1960's when white was replaced with yellow, and there must be miles of the PVC-insulated/sheathed type still in use perfectly safely.

If the wiring is original, then I'd bet it's VIR.

If it were 14th Edition wiring (1968+) then I'd bet it were pvc with a cpc.

Anywhere inbetween, who knows?

Rubber cables were manufactured with a cpc. Then prior to the introduction of pvc, there was cable made of a different plastic, Alkathene, which I believe is a trade name for good old polythene.

 

[Paul_C]

Yes, you'll find polythene-insulated conductors referenced in the 13th edition. They're not subject to the same age degradation as VIR, so like PVC, unless damaged or deteriorated in some other way (excess heat etc.) are likely to be perfectly serviceable still.

If the wiring dates from the early part of the 1950's then VIR is highly likely. If it's from the later part of the decade, there's a much greater probability of it being plastic.

14th Edition wiring (1968+)

1966 for the 14th edition. However contrary to what appears now to be quite popular belief, there were still cases where the 13th edition required earthing on lighting circuits. Metal-faced switches were required to be earthed, and the exemption from earthing for the light fittings themselves was:

403 (xi) Lighting fittings using filament lamps installed in a room having a non-conducting floor, mounted at such a height that they cannot readily be touched and are out of reach of earthed metal.

Any light not falling into that category still needed to be earthed.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

my mother in law had a guy in to change her switches

Where did she find him, why did she use him, and has she been on to TSO yet?

In her case all she is suffering from is lights not working properly. If this guy is allowed to continue then there's too good a chance that sooner or later someone will end up suffering from death.

 

[brian4321]

Hi guys, pictures as requested. The switch with the blue and red wires are in the bottom hall. The two blue wires(1 connected into 1way, the other connected into 2 way of the switch). At the top in c there are two red wires(one which is linked to the c of the switch next to it). The other picture shows the top hall switch with the two blue wires connected into L1 and L2. The white which is in the top terminal goes to the terminal block in the picture,which is on the ceiling, and connects with another red. Hope this is a bit clearer.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi guys, pictures as requested.