2 gang two way switch trouble

[corruptreaper]

Hi there, firstly the situation, hallway lights are controlled via switch 1 and switch 2 (b switch). also an outside light controlled by switch 2 also. into switch 2 all i have is twin core (red and black) & earth. and two twin flexs from either light. does any one know how to wire this up, i have googled for hours to no avail. thanks in advance

 

[EdwardCurrent]

Hello,

Any help ?
http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:two_way_lighting

Ed

 

[ColJack]

drawings are no good to us..

post photo's of the switches and we can help..

 

[Steve]

drawings as clear as mud. And you must have missed something out there.

Also stop calling the blacks neutral now. They are most likely not neutral, but live. And you tell me, how would a single core on its own, power an outside light?

What exactly are you doing? Is the outside light new?? Or are you just changing the switches?

If you're adding the o/s light, then its not just a case of tapping into a switch, since as i said earlier, theres probably no neutrals there.

Can you take a photo of the switch backs (try macro focus for close ups, even my phone has this, it looks like a flower), and tell us exactly what your trying to achieve, and where the wires in the photo go to. Edit it in paint to arrow it up if you need to.

 

[securespark]

Yes, we need pictures please.

Also, what thickness are the flexible cable conductors?

What are the brown squiggles?

Are you positive that wire you have coloured blue links the two switch positions?

The red/black wires...do they link the two switch positions?

As well as the pix, you may need to use a multimeter to check this. To do this, turn off the power and prevent re-energisation.

At one switch, join the red/black together. At the other switch, using the MM set to continuity setting, connect the red black to the MM's probes. If there is continuity, there will be a buzz or the meter will read 0.00.

At a guess, the red/black will link the switches. The blue wire you have drawn will not link the switches, but be 2 separate wires: a live feed at the 2 gang switch and a switchwire for the hall light at the 1G switch. My guess is that the red/blacks will go into the two lower terminals at the 1G sw and the blue wire in Common. At the two gang switch, the red/blacks go in the lower terminals again of the switch you want to operate the hall light. The live feed (which you will need to identify) will go in the Common, linked across to the Common of the outside switch. Finally, the outside light switchwire will go in one of the other terminals.

But this is purely my guess. Don't try anything until you have posted pix and done a bit of footwork with the MM.