2 Way Switch 'again'

[hooverboots]

I have a two way switch at the bottom of the stairs and a single switch on the landing. The two way switch is new with com at the top and L1 & L2 behing each switch. I have wired live to first com and neutral to L1 on first switch earth to backplate. The other live and nuetral i have done the same on the other switch. I have then put a wire from com1 to com 2. I now get the light working correctly down stairs and upstairs. But i cannot switch the light off upstairs when its on down stairs ...make sense?

 

[dingbat]

It makes no sense as you haven't actually wired any neutrals at all - if you had you would have blown your fuses or tripped your circuit breakers. Switches only operate by interrupting continuity and should only be connected to the lives anyway. (You won't actually have neutrals at your switch, or if you do, they won't be connected to any switch terminals)

Did you make a diagram of how it was wired before?

Read the post at the top of this forum, entitled 'For reference'. Everything you need to know is there.

 

[hooverboots]

I'm confused because neither the incoming cable or the cable from downstairs has a yellow wire?

 

[dingbat]

You must have read that post exceptionally quickly... There is more than one way of cabling two-way circuits and only an outside chance that three-core was used. Most 2-way circuits I encounter don't use it at all. Read the 'For reference' section again and see if you can identify how your lights are connected.

 

[hooverboots]

i'm even more confused now, the old switch was different to this new one can't seem to find what i'm looking for

 

[dingbat]

Okay, calm down... Have you changed the wiring at the switch on top of the stairs?

How many actual switches are there in the one at the bottom?

Why did you connect between Com1 and Com2? (And are they actually labelled as such on the switch?) Was there such a connection before?
It sounds as if you actually have a two-gang switch at the bottom... does one switch control the hall light?

(Two-way means two switches controlling one light from two different positions - e.g. upstairs and downstairs. Two-gang means two separate switches mounted on the same plate. Most modern two-gang switches contain two two-way switches.)

Excluding the earth wires, what wires are present at the bottom switch?

Is it possible for you to take a photograph? (Follow the forum instructions for posting this)

 

[Lectrician]

Seen this loads of times - I will see if i can dig out the diagram a drew, but a photo would stil be great to check this is the way your is to be wired.

 

[Lectrician]