Bathroom pull switch puzzle

[Guitarmaan]

Hi
I attempted to swap over a bathroom pull switch because it was jamming. It's wiring looks like the first photo (not my own). But when I wired up the replacement switch it didn't work, and I don't understand why? I tried different wiring combinations and nothing worked. When I wired the old one back, it worked again (when not jamming). So the power and bulb etc all work. Is this new switch the wrong type or something?

Original switch that jams

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• Guitarmaan
• 3 Aug 2014
• 2

New switch that doesn't work

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• Guitarmaan
• 3 Aug 2014
• 2

 

[RF Lighting]

Looks like you've bought a double pole switch. If you use the two silver coloured terminals only and leave the two brass ones empty you should be ok.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As above, you have a double pole switch, so either connect live conductors across silver terminals or across brass ones, but not a combination of both.

 

[Guitarmaan]

Despite the photo making it appear there is silver and brass, it's actually all brass. The terminal pairs are marked supply and load.

So I started with the two marked supply (near the sticker) L and N. That didn't work so I tried using the load pair. Again nothing. Then I used live in supply and neutral in load. Nothing. N in supply and L in load, nothing.

I suppose I have to conclude the new switch is faulty?

I had a thought on the old one though, and I suspect the spring has lost it's shape. That would explain it sticking and not clicking back into position. So maybe I'll replace the spring and see how that goes.

 

[conny]

When you connected one to the load side did you connect the other to the supply side in line with the load one or diagonally opposite?
Both leads should be in line with each other. i.e. both to the right of the switch, (1 load + 1 supply),or both tothe left in the same manner.

 

[RF Lighting]

Connect to supply L and load L terminals.

 

[AndyPRK]

As said you both L terminals.

The old switch is probably full of plaster so just needs cleaning out.

 

[Guitarmaan]

Thank you guys!

That must be the answer, because the only combination I didn't try was both L terminals load and supply.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Thank you guys!

That just be the answer, because the only combination I didn't try was both L terminals load and supply.

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• PrenticeBoyofDerry
• 3 Aug 2014
• 1

 

[Guitarmaan]

Thank you guys!

That just be the answer, because the only combination I didn't try was both L terminals load and supply.

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• PrenticeBoyofDerry
• 3 Aug 2014
• 1

Well, not really......

I've never changed any electrical items before, and the part I bought didn't match the part already in place. So I had to make it up as I went.

From a safety aspect maybe I was a stupid boy though. Messing with electricity when you don't know what you're doing isn't a great idea

Thanks again anyway, because I can confirm the light is now working perfectly

 

[sparkwright]

He's only joking.

Great pic and slogan by the way.

If you don't know, you don't know.

What can fool people who don't know about electrical installations is that at a light switch like yours, the switch is connected to a permanent live wire and a switched live wire.

There is no live and neutral at the switch - just perm live and sw live.

In other words, at a switch, a black or blue wire doesn't mean it's a neutral, chances are it's a live.

Usually a light switch breaks just the live and not the neutral.

 

[securespark]

Quick!

Hide from Ban.......

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I suppose I have to conclude the new switch is faulty?

No - you have to conclude that you don't know anywhere near enough about what you think it's OK for you to fiddle with.

And that you don't have the right tools either.

Please take the time to learn about electrics - trying to do it without a full and genuine understanding of how things work is extremely foolish. Your lack of even the most basic knowledge, such as what a switch does or what the conductors at a light switch are, could in other circumstances have been catastrophic. This time all that went wrong was you couldn't get a simple light switch to work. Next time you might not be so lucky.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well, not really......

Not really... For what?

For not knowing? No, of course not.

For deciding that not knowing should not in any way be a reason not to do? A strong case.

So I had to make it up as I went.

Do you really think that's a sensible basis on which to attempt electrical work?

From a safety aspect maybe I was a stupid boy though. Messing with electricity when you don't know what you're doing isn't a great idea

It's far worse than that. It can kill. Really, it can.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you don't know, you don't know.

Indeed.

But if you don't know then you don't fiddle with it - it really is that simple.