Light Switch Won't Work

[Taylor82]

Evening all,

I have two lights in one room. One in a cupboard, one the main switch. The cupboard switch has never been connected but I'm looking to get it working. The main switch is on a one gang one way switch and has a red cable going into L1 and another red cable going into common. In my cupboard I have a red and a black cable. Any suggestions how I get this to work.

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Hello to another Taylor.This cable in the cupboard.
How did it get there?
where does it come from,
where is it situated,
and what do you want/hope it will operate.
Is this for a light in the cupboard?

Does the cable have anything on it at the moment, is it a live feed?

Do you have any equipment to test if there is voltage present?

 

[Taylor82]

Thanks for the reply.

The cupboard is for a light in there, which has been there since i moved in, only now am I attempting to get it working. I wired a switch to it after putting my multi meter on it, and it's live but when I switched it on the room light went off. Need to know what switches I'll need. At present it must go back to the main panel, as does the room light.

 

[sparkwright]

Can you send pictures?

Is it just one cable with one red and one black (and earth?) in the cupboard?

How did you connect the cupboard light up when you attempted it?

 

[Taylor82]

With a single gang 2 way switch I put the red into L1 and the black into the common. It worked but when I put on the main light it went off.

 

[riveralt]

Your comments are very confusing and it is making it difficult to understand:
a. What you currently have.
b. What you are trying to do.

For example you start off by saying you have two lights in a room - one in a cupboard (OK) and one the main switch - what does that mean?

Are you saying that you have two lights - one in the main room and one in the cupboard?
If yes are you also saying that you have two switches - one in the main room and one in the cupboard?

What are you trying to achieve?
Do you want the switch in the main room to operate both lights
together or just the light in the main room?
Or do you want the cupboard switch just to operate the cupboard light.

It is even more confusing when you say you have a single gang two way switch - why? Are you trying to set up a two way circuit?

 

[Taylor82]

I have a light in the room and one in the cupboard, the cupboard is in the room. All I'm looking for is for both lights to work.

 

[jj4091]

You still have not said if you mean together from the main switch or independently. This might help http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:lighting_circuit_layouts

 

[Taylor82]

Thanks for the schematic. I want a to be able to control both lights from there independent positions.

 

[riveralt]

Thanks for the schematic. I want a to be able to control both lights from there independent positions.

By this I will assume that you want the main room switch to control the main room and cupboard lights together - and, for some reason, you want the cupboard switch to control the cupboard light and main room light together.

In which case look at this part of wiki.
http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:two_way_lighting
Scroll down to diagrams below the Earths Ommitted for Clarity and above the conduit method. The diagram on the left will give you want you want.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I didn't read it as that. I would think he wants them separate and independent.

With a single gang 2 way switch I put the red into L1 and the black into the common. It worked but when I put on the main light it went off.

Are you using CFL light bulbs? (Compact Fluorescent Lamps - the modern ones we are being forced to buy)

If so, replace with filament bulbs (old fashioned bulbs) and see if they go dim, rather than go out when you switch on the main light.

If they do then you need to reconfigure the wiring at the ceiling.


Edit - Either way you need to reconfigure the wiring at the ceiling.

 

[riveralt]

I didn't read it as that. I would think he wants them separate and independent..

I have asked the OP to describe what he wants but he seems to have difficulty in explaining his requirements - as for separate and independant - I would agree that it is probably the simplest explanation except that

Thanks for the schematic. I want a to be able to control both lights from there independent positions.

and earlier

With a single gang 2 way switch I put the red into L1 and the black into the common. It worked but when I put on the main light it went off.

So I am totally confused and rather than guessing further I will wait for the OP to specifically explain what he wants!!!

 

[EFLImpudence]

True - no good guessing - perhaps everything is working and he just spelled it wrong.

The cupboard is for a light in there,.

 

[Taylor82]

Seems to be huge misunderstandings with this. I have one room with a cupboard in the room. There is a room light controlled by a switch. Inthe cupboard there is a light and also a switch.

At the light in my cupboard there are two red cables and two black cables. At the switch in the cupboard there is a red cable and a sleeved black cable.

At the room light there is a red cable and a black cable. At the switch there are two red cables.

Help!!!

 

[riveralt]

Seems to be huge misunderstandings with this. I have one room with a cupboard in the room. There is a room light controlled by a switch. Inthe cupboard there is a light and also a switch.

At the light in my cupboard there are two red cables and two black cables. At the switch in the cupboard there is a red cable and a sleeved black cable.

At the room light there is a red cable and a black cable. At the switch there are two red cables.

Help!!!

Yes thank you.
But you are not being clear about how you want the lighting system to work - we need to establish this first. Do you want.
a. The room switch to operate the room light only - and the cupboard switch to operate the cupboard light only.
Or do you want it set up differently.