Advice on My Kitchen Lighting

[Sven63]

Hi, I'm looking for some confidence regarding my kitchen lighting. I'm currently redecorating and thought I'd get the 3 down lights working, that haven't been working since we moved in. I took the 3 fittings out and found they were not connected to anything, but there was a mains lighting cable coiled above the fitting in the ceiling space. I think the fittings were for low voltage but there weren't any transformers present either. Ok there is a 3 gang 2 way switch fitted and I've always thought that one of the switches was for these 3 down lights. 2 of the switches control a main light in the kitchen and an external light. Both work fine. I've uploaded a photo of the switch wiring. So the switch on the right I understand, the main kitchen light. Red in to the com black out from L2. I understand the bridge from that switch to the middle switch for the outside light. Bridge into com and the black out from L2. The switch on the left is what I believe was intended for the down lights. As you can see there is a spare red wire. My head is telling me to put in another bridge from the middle switch into the com on the switch on the left, and to put the red cable into the L2. But should I have 2 reds ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

My head is telling me to put in another bridge from the middle switch into the com on the switch on the left, and to put the red cable into the L2.

You may be right - but - it may just accompany the black to the outside light and do nothing.
You will need to determine where the other end is.

There may be a junction box somewhere.

But should I have 2 reds ?

Perhaps you should have another cable with another Red and Black.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm currently redecorating and thought I'd get the 3 down lights working

What size are they?

If "small", then as you're redecorating anyway, and are going to have to fiddle with wiring anyway, take the opportunity to replace them with larger ones - 200mm-ish diameter, or large rectangular ones, etc.

If "small" you might find that you wish you'd not bothered to make them work.

 

[ericmark]

When I was young I would both include wires in case I wanted them latter, and leave wiring in place again in case wanted latter. However as I put a few more turns on the coil I realised unless the wiring is documented then using it latter is really not a viable proposition.

I went into one house where some lights had been recommissioned, only to find some wall lights had been on the same supply and the cables had not been made safe. We can do some things to reduce the risk, RCD protection, and measuring the loop impedance of cables to work out length, but one has to be so careful recommissioning dead cables. Some times you will find same thing next door if installed from new, but it's not like a pipe, you can't really pressure test first to see if any branch.

Even in my own house, where I have lived there since new, when the ceiling needed replacing due to a water leak, I saw cables which I did not know existed, and in my house for example I know there was originally an immersion heater, which could be switched on/off in the kitchen, so there are about 6 sockets in three rooms off the old supply, on a 16A MCB, I only know that because I have lived there from new. However I did not know the two way wiring from original kitchen light switch ran horizontally to the back door switch in the kitchen extension around 4 corners until I put a hack saw through it when plumbing in cold water supply to fridge.