2 lights in same room, 2 way switch

[Redr4ven]

Sorry if there is a thread for this already, but I'm new to the forum and can't find my way about subjects I don't fully understand lol.

Really need a diagram or info, the instructions for the twin 2 way switch I bought makes no sense to a layperson like myself. I have 2 lights in the same room, they we're both connected to one switch but I wanted to be able to use them both independantly. I bought a 2 way but can't figure out how to wire it properly. the instructions only explain how to wire up like a hall landing upstairs and downstairs setup.

There are 2 twin and earth cables coming into the switch box, one for each light currently 1 switch is turning light (a) on and off and the other turns light (b) on and (a) off if light (a) is on, if light (a) is off light (b) won't come on at all. what am I doing wrong I can post pics of wiring if required.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Have a look here first //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/wiring-diagrams-for-lighting-circuits.37582/

How do you know that each cable goes to one light fitting? Did you take pictures or make notes of the original wiring before you pulled it all out?

 

[jj4091]

//www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting if this does not help post a drawing of how you have connected the 2 switches to the 2 cables

 

[Redr4ven]

Have a look here first //www.diynot.com/diy/threads/wiring-diagrams-for-lighting-circuits.37582/

How do you know that each cable goes to one light fitting? Did you take pictures or make notes of the original wiring before you pulled it all out?

I looked in that link, when I open the pic links the whole page is black, I can't seem to view them.

The original switch had both the live and neutral cables from one light connected to the com port and the live and neutral from the other light connected to the L1 port, only one of the lights had an earth cable connected to the switch, the other has been cut out.

Also when trying out various bridging combos (yes I know this is dodgy but hey I know nothing about electrics lol) both lights do work with a bit of jiggerypokery but usually one will stay on regardless, switching the switches won't turn it off

 

[EFLImpudence]

Neutral is the name of the conductor which completes the circuit from a load back to the supply.

It is not a generic term for Black or Blue wires.

Wires can be anything WE want them to be; they do not know what colour they are.

 

[securespark]

Can you put that in your sig??

 

[securespark]

I feel a slight BAN moment coming over me...

You didn't fully understand what you were doing, then you proceeded to connect stuff willy-nilly after you realised you didn't fully understand what you were doing. Why did you carry on not fully understanding what you were doing, instead of stopping what you were not fully understanding when you realised you were not fully understanding what you were doing?

 

[securespark]

The original switch had both the live and neutral cables from one light connected to the com port and the live and neutral from the other light connected to the L1 port

1. There was only one COM terminal and only one L1 terminal in the switch you removed?

2. To have two wires from one cable in the same terminal does not make sense.

3. Sure there are not three lights (or 2 with the third capped off)?

4. Sounds like there may be a live feed and 3 switch wires.

5. You need to find out which is the live feed out of the four wires with insulation on them.

6. To do this you need a multimeter and a set of instructions for it.

 

[Redr4ven]

Neutral is the name of the conductor which completes the circuit from a load back to the supply.

It is not a generic term for Black or Blue wires.

Wires can be anything WE want them to be; they do not know what colour they are.

Yeah I think I did mention layperson in my original post lol, I am referring to red as live and black as neutral. I really have no way of knowing one from the other since they we're connected together in both ports, hence the experimenting

 

[Redr4ven]

I feel a slight BAN moment coming over me...

You didn't fully understand what you were doing, then you proceeded to connect stuff willy-nilly after you realised you didn't fully understand what you were doing. Why did you carry on not fully understanding what you were doing, instead of stopping what you were not fully understanding when you realised you were not fully understanding what you were doing?

Em.....I Like learning new stuff lol. yeah I have wired up new light switches and sockets, I have never attempted to replace a single switch with a double before and didn't think it would be THAT difficult to be honest, but I'm in the thick of it now and may as well see it through. I may even learn something

 

[securespark]

So, the old switch had only two terminals?

That means one terminal for permanent live and one for the wire(s) that will become live when the switch is closed.

There are no neutrals in that switch, unless the blacks were connected into a separate terminal block to the switch.

What was the reason you wanted to change the 1 gang switch to a 2 gang switch?

 

[EFLImpudence]

2. To have two wires from one cable in the same terminal does not make sense.

Unless it was originally wired as the OP now wants it and the previous occupant wanted it as the OP doesn't.

 

[securespark]

Yeah, I appreciate what you're saying. But if you think about it, what function would each wire in each of those twin and earth cables perform?

Keeping that in mind, what would happen if you then connected each of those pairs of wires together with its partner?

One of those wires has to be a live feed if the switch is to work at all. Unless both wires in one cable are live feeds on the same circuit, something odd will happen when you connect them together.

 

[Redr4ven]

1. There was only one COM terminal and only one L1 terminal in the switch you removed?
Yes
2. To have two wires from one cable in the same terminal does not make sense.
I only moved in to this house a couple of months ago but this is defo how it was wired

3. Sure there are not three lights (or 2 with the third capped off)?
I was brought up in this style of house, the room used to be 2 rooms with one light in each, wall removed to make 2 rooms and wires from 1 light moved into the socket I'm trying to change

4. Sounds like there may be a live feed and 3 switch wires.
I got a shock from one of the wires (yes this attempt at a rejig i forgot to switch the mains off)

5. You need to find out which is the live feed out of the four wires with insulation on them.
As above I know which is the live feed lol

6. To do this you need a multimeter and a set of instructions for it.

Yeah, my next step if I cant get a simple (idiot proof) diagram

 

[securespark]

Is there only one live feed into that switch?

Was the reason you wanted to change the 1 gang switch to a 2 gang switch to separate the switching of the lights?

You sure it wasn't both reds in one terminal and both blacks in the other?

I'm not saying you should do this, but have you already tried putting one red into each common terminal and each black into the corresponding L1 terminal?