2 gang 1 way light switch problem

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hi all,

I am trying to upgrade a1 gang light switch that controls two ceiling lights in the living room to a 2 gang switch to be able to control each light separately.
At the moment the connection in the socket is as follows:
- 3 ground cables joined together
- 3 black (neutral?) cables joined together
- 1 red (SL? shows 12v with a tester) in COM, two reds (live as both show 220 on the tester) together in L1.

The idea was simple, leave the ground and black cables as they are, connect the single red cable from the old switch to COM on the new 2 gang switch and join both COMs using a short cable,connect 1 Live red to L1, connect second Live red to second L1 -> see the attached picture.

Well, the lights work but still 1 gang controls both lights!

So, if I switch 1 gang on then both lights come on, trying the second gang then does not do anything, the lights remain on. When I turn the lights off using the 1 gang, then I am able to use the second gang, again turning both lights on, and switching 1st gang then does not do nothing.

Does it make sens to anyone?
I am stumped as it looks like I now have two separate 1 gang switches, each of them controlling both celing lights, rather then two separate 1 gang switched that control 1 light each.

Any suggestions how to wire it up correctly more than welcomed!

thanks
 

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The 2 live reds are line in and loop out to the next switch. They must be kept together. The SL feeds both lights. If you want to switch them indepently you need 2 SLs one to each light. So you need to pull in a new 3C & E cable.
 
Hi, if you have 2 cables at the first light, your stuck unless you rewire !

You have assumed that you have 1 cable to each light ?

Bugger……… is the technical term !

DS
 
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thanks all for replies!

bugger indeed !!
Yes, I assumed that the two reds that were originally together were going to and controlling each light separately hence a "simple" idea to just split them out ;(

So you think that the loop is actually feeding another light switch somewhere? quite possible but after checking all other lights in the house they all seem to work despite them two L reds being separated now as per the picture.
Is there a sample diagram showing the most likely set up I have here?
 
This is the diagram - but if none of the other lights stop working when the wires are separated then it may not apply.

4ef6cab47e0132a265c2cc238e5dbdae
 
ok, I understand that diagram, and think that in my case (two lights) it means that there is a cable going direct from one light to another only i.e. not going through the switch at all, correct?

Also, if there is a loop should not breaking the loop mean that only one of the reds is still Live i.e. 240V only on the one coming from the source Live, and the other red is not live anymore since disconnected from the loop? In my case both of the reds that were together originally are still 240V despite being separated now..... think that I am starting to ovethink the whole "design" .....
 
ok, I understand that diagram, and think that in my case (two lights) it means that there is a cable going direct from one light to another only i.e. not going through the switch at all, correct?
We would assume that if the diagram represents your situation.
However, if none of the other lights stop working when the wires are separated then it may not apply.

Also, if there is a loop should not breaking the loop mean that only one of the reds is still Live i.e. 240V only on the one coming from the source Live, and the other red is not live anymore since disconnected from the loop?
That would be the case.

In my case both of the reds that were together originally are still 240V despite being separated now..... think that I am starting to ovethink the whole "design" .....
It depends how reliable your tester is.
What are you using?
Are you testing between the Reds and Earth?
 
Maybe someone has (incorrectly) wired the lighting circuit as a ring.
 
yes, red and ground , using mutimeter abt 242.2V on both reds that are now separated and were originally together ...
 
If measured that way we presume it is correct.

That's very unusual for a light circuit.

We can only assume it is, for some reason, as winston has said.
 
anything's possible, just looked at the ceiling roses and one (the one closer to the switch) has two brown/black cables joined together (assuming one set in and one out), and the other one just incoming brown/black (plus ground of course for both). So not even red/black set .... possibly something joined to somewhere behid the plasterboards ... that is my Sunday done ... :(
To clarify the setting, this is a barrats home, 2 bed flat built in 2003 which I recently bought so no idea what is behind all the plasterboards, and since it is a ground floor flat not able to check the ceiling from the other/attic side as there is no such :(
 
just looked at the ceiling roses and one (the one closer to the switch) has two brown/black cables joined together (assuming one set in and one out)
indeed
and the other one just incoming brown/black (plus ground of course for both)
as aspected
So not even red/black set ....
you just said there was one, do you mean not a second set of cables?
possibly something joined to somewhere behid the plasterboards ...
the switch line, neutral and earth are coming from the the light nearest switch.
To clarify the setting, this is a barrats home, 2 bed flat built in 2003 which I recently bought so no idea what is behind all the plasterboards
Possibly nothing that relates to your problem.

I would be testing back a the consumer unit to see if the lighting circuit has been wired as a ring.

But if you want two gang switching, one for each light you are going to need to pull an extra set of cables in, to be able to switch the second light.
This could be possible by pulling them to the first/nearest light to switch and making a joint there if access and space allows.
There is no simple fix, without running a new cable.
If the property has no RCD protection this additional protection maybe required, if newly buried cable is not mechanically protected.
 

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