2 Way Wiring Problem

[suey10]

Help please

Bought new switch plates and now lights not working.
I've checked and rechecked and I cannot spot what is wrong.

switch 1:
L1 yellow
L2 blue
Comm red

switch2:
L1 yellow & black
L2 blue & red
Comm red (from the 2nd switch cable which includes blue & yellow)

Argh, totally flummoxed
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[ericmark]

It seems to me correct. Standard wiring is like to like between switches and L1 and L2 switch wires and your wring seems correct.

So it would seem something else. Be it a faulty switch or a wrong switch. So try some photos.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Check your connections and that you are screwing down on the copper and not the insulation and ...

that none of the conductors has snapped inside the insulation - will feel very floppy.

 

[suey10]

Thanks for your quick replies, I'll check again in daylight tomorrow

 

[suey10]

None of the above suggestions seem to be a problem, so I have taken pics


//www.diynot.com/network/suey10/albums/

thanks, in hope!

 

[suey10]

sorry images not uploaded will try again!n

 

[suey10]

please see photos

 

[bernardgreen]

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• suey10
• 27 Nov 2014
• 1

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• suey10
• 27 Nov 2014
• 1

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• suey10
• 27 Nov 2014
• 1

Being metal front plates these MUST have the earth wire ( green / yellow sleeved ) to the earth terminal on the switch

 

[suey10]

I planned to connect those when all in working order. Is it necessary just for testing though?

 

[EFLImpudence]

The centre picture shows an unusual arrangement; is it a dimmer?

 

[ekmdgrf]

If they are new swtiches, one could be faulty, especially if one is a dimmer. First, check all the terminals are nice and tight and also that the terminal is gripping the copper wire and not the plastic (as has already been pointed out.

If that fails, take the normal rocker switch and take the two wires from black and red cable, put one in com and the other in L1, see if that gets the switch working. If it does, try the same thing with the other switch. That should check that both switches are good.

As another note, you did say "lights", I assume there's more than one and we can rule out that the lamp just happened to blow at the same time?

 

[deadshort]

Earth those plates


DS

 

[suey10]

Just to confirm that it is a dimmer switch.
The switches control 2 lights but the bulbs are fine, thought of that one!

I will try those suggestions tomorrow morning.
Thanks

 

[bernardgreen]

Many dimmer switches will not work in a normal 2 way circuit as they are not change over switches. They have three terminals. Live and Switched Live as in a normal ON OFF switch but the third terminal is a control input for use in "two way switching" The control input, sometimes called "slave" takes a control signal from the other "switch" which is not a switch but a remote controller.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Can we see the backs of the switches, showing the labelling of the terminals?