2 way lighting circuit question

[Tezbedz]

I am trying to understand the wiring in my girlfriends house. I was going to replace the switches for a better version.
Her two way lighting does not work properly. The only way she can turn landing light on and on off from hall is if switch on landing is switched on.
Hopefully i have attached a wiring diagram although as i dont have my meter her I cannot say which is live and which is neutral.
Any help appreciated. Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Any help appreciated. Thanks

You need to learn how it works, so that you can connect things up properly.

Fiddling with your own electrics on the basis of guesswork, or by following instructions to "put-this-wire-in-that-terminal" without actually understanding what you're doing is bad enough, but to do that sort of thing in someone else's house is inexcusable.

You basically have to choose between Plan A and Plan B.

PLAN A:

• Learn how lighting circuits are wired.
  • //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting
  • http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Lighting
    
  • http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+lighting+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  • //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  • //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index
• Get a multimeter and learn how to use it.
• Identify which conductors are which at the switches and the light positions.
• Work out what should go where and connect everything up properly.

PLAN B:

• Get an electrician.

 

[SFK]

 

[EFLImpudence]

A clue:

https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Two-way-lighting

 

[flameport]

live and which is neutral.

Neither, they are all live.

Hopefully the upstairs and downstairs lighting is on the same circuit.

 

[JohnW2]

Neither, they are all live.

I'm not knocking you, since you are far from alone, but I often wonder what, other than potential total confusion, is gained by 'educating' a DIYer (who almost always will call the line conductor 'live') about the fact that "neutral is a live conductor".

Kind Regards, John

 

[flameport]

Live as in there are no neutrals at the light switches in the diagram.

Not the line/live semantics which are of little relevance.

 

[JohnW2]

Live as in there are no neutrals at the light switches in the diagram.

Ah, right. My apologies - I should have realised what you meant, but I'm so used to seeing ...

Not the line/live semantics which are of little relevance.

As I said, I personally thing worse than "of little relevance", since that issue is not only of no relevance to a DIYer, but is very likely to merely cause confusion.

Kind Regards, John

 

[Tezbedz]

Apologies for typing "Live" . I am actually more used to using positive and negative as I build electronic circuits.
I hadnt got my tester with me yesterday. I need to check the cable from the landing light is the "Line"
I also want to check the continuity of the disconnected red. Logic says it is from the upstairs switch, however?
All lighting in the house runs from a single breaker.
Thanks for your help and advice to enable me to fit a new switch.

 

[EFLImpudence]

ALL the wires in your diagram will be live at one time or another.
None of them is ever Neutral.

The supply LINE is the !ink between the two downstairs switches and the conductor to which it is connected by the COM terminal.

 

[SUNRAY]

I'm not knocking you, since you are far from alone, but I often wonder what, other than potential total confusion, is gained by 'educating' a DIYer (who almost always will call the line conductor 'live') about the fact that "neutral is a live conductor".

Kind Regards, John

If everybody is wrong to call them live and neutral, we need to inform the manufactures they need to change the way they mark their products as everything is marked L, N & E.

 

[EFLImpudence]

L for Line.

 

[SUNRAY]

L for Line.

That's funny it doesn't seem 5 minutes since they were trying to get us to use 'phase'.
And N = North?
I obtained this word by closing my eyes, opening a book and reading the first word on the page starting with N.
Sadly live and neutral will always be used until such markings have disappeared from every device. At least they are no longer labelled with+&- and the terms have nearly dropped out of use for ac

 

[ban-all-sheds]

L for Line.

I always thought it was L for leather.

 

[SUNRAY]

I always thought it was L for leather.

and 'G' for police