4 gang light switch wiring

[geranium]

I'd really appreciate some help in understanding the wiring of a 4 gang light switch in a 60's house:

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I was expecting to find four grey switch wires which then run to the ceiling roses, but seemingly this is not the case!

Can someone please explain how this works and what the two thick (sheathed?) red wires are?

Please feel free to point me in the direction of a wiring diagram but I couldn't find one that seemed to match ...

Thanks in advance!

 

[EFLImpudence]

As you can see, all the 'com' terminals are linked with only one Live supply.

The left switch is part of a two-way system (light also operated by another switch)

The thicker wires are just insulated and sheathed singles (probably all there was room for in the conduit).

The CPCs (earths) should be sleeved green&yellow and
the blacks should be sleeved red as they are all live conductors.

 

[securespark]

Looks like there's green goo coming out of the cables and staining the wallpaper.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:green-slime

 

[Taylortwocities]

Before you do anything else. Get some labels and number each one of those wires and take a photo. Turn the power off before you poke your pinkies in there!

Otherwise you'll get lost. Especially as many modern switches are laid out differently to the old one...

 

[RF Lighting]

Before you do any work on your lighting circuit(s), make sure you turn off your entire installation at the main switch(es) as the age and style of wiring at that switch means it is highly likely that your installation will contain borrowed neutrals

 

[geranium]

Thanks everyone for the helpful speedy replies!

Otherwise you'll get lost. Especially as many modern switches are laid out differently to the old one...

I think I already am lost - trying to get my head around things before going further ...

So, I see what I assume is the live feed in from the consumer unit (rightmost switch). But, the (black) switched live is using the same grey cable. How can this work - surely this is also from the consumer unit and not to a ceiling rose?

PS - don't worry, electric was off even to take that photo. I've a lot of respect for 240V

 

[EFLImpudence]

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[Taylortwocities]

Given the style and age of the wiring, I expect that you do not have the "loop in" system as shown in EFLI's picture above.

You probably have a large interconnection box for the lighting circuits. This will be hidden under the floorboards somewhere. Some, but not all, of the cables from the switch will go there.

But you don't need to worry about that.

All you need to do is to get your replacement switch, carefully note what wire goes where on the old switch and swop them on to the new switch.

But, as I mentioned above, the old and new switches may not be laid out or marked the same.

Tell us what the old and new switch terminals say and we can give you some guidance.

 

[securespark]

I have blown up the switch picture and interestingly, the looped feed is in the terminal marked "2 WAY".

Try as I might, I can't see what the other terminals are marked.

Can anybody else see?

 

[geranium]

I have blown up the switch picture and interestingly, the looped feed is in the terminal marked "2 WAY".

Try as I might, I can't see what the other terminals are marked.

Can anybody else see?

The 'top' terminal is labelled "2 WAY" above it and "COMMON" below it.

The 'bottom' two terminals are not labelled (apart from B454).

 

[geranium]

Tell us what the old and new switch terminals say and we can give you some guidance.

Thanks - I'm not (yet) looking to change the switch, but a number of ceiling roses (which also don't look like the 'standard') - I'm trying to understand how it actually works as well though!

 

[Jackrae]

It doesn't really matter what the pair of terminals furthest away are marked as. The switches are presumably (never assume ! ) 2-way switches. The terminal nearest the front with the wire looped to all four switches is the common terminal. If we call the rear pair of terminals in usual parlance as L1 and L2, then L1 will be left-hand terminal (all of which have wires connected to) and L2 will be the (mostly) vacant right-hand terminals.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

With a combination of physical tracing (you might find you have an Octopus, which could be collectable) and continuity testing, you'll be able to work out which wires go where, draw it out, and thus know how it all works.

 

[AndyPRK]

I doubt there will be an octopus, but just a regular junction box.

Looks fairly simple.

They are good switches them! Don't throw it out.

Ceiling roses that have 2 switches operating them will most likely have singles going to them. i.e those single wires with the double insulation.

Roses with 1 switch should be similar to the diagram.

 

[geranium]

Ceiling roses that have 2 switches operating them will most likely have singles going to them. i.e those single wires with the double insulation.

Roses with 1 switch should be similar to the diagram.

Four grey cables at one of the roses operated by two switches (leftmost switch)!

So far I think I've figured out that one is supply in, two are supply out (that rose seems to power two others, one of which provides live to the 4 gang) and the fourth is the switch wire. The red wire in that seems to be the switched live, now I'm just not sure what the black wire is given that the live is common and from the rightmost switch ...

Thanks for all the continued help everyone, really appreciate it.