help fitting 2 switch light switch

[robin1983]

Hi every one hope you can help,

I am trying to replace my old 3 switch light switch with a 2 switch light switch as I no longer use my porch light .

as you can see from photo there are a few wires,

The red, blue , yellow wires are from the landing light and they work fine, but i cannot get my down stare lights to work, I have tired a number of combernations but it just dont want to work

Please can you help.

the mess

• robin1983
• 13 Jun 2011
• 2

I am only going to use 2 red and 2 black as the spare red and bacl is for the out side light...

the switch

• robin1983
• 13 Jun 2011
• 1

 

[OwainDIYer]

We need another photo, the one showing the wires going to the original switch

 

[sparkwright]

Which of those wires went to the porch switch?

Stranded 3 core, a rare treat.

What colour wire is the common terminal of the landing switch?

 

[sparkwright]

Bet it's yellow.

 

[robin1983]

I am afriad I dont have a pic of the origanl wires (rookie mistake) but wires red, blue and yellow come from up stairs so i have the red in com and the yellow in l1 and blue in l2

The top red and black is the porch light (no longer in use) It the other 2 that I have got muddled up

 

[sparkwright]

Seems you have an extra cable than expected.

At the landing switch is there also a cable with red and black?

At the downstairs switch were any black wires joined in a separate connector block?

 

[sparkwright]

Is there another switch for the hall light somewhere? If so, describe the wiring there.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Were all of the conductors in one switch terminal or other?

Do you have a multimeter?

 

[robin1983]

the two black wires on the left were in a conector block

 

[sparkwright]

Put those blacks back in the connector.
Put one of these reds in Com.
The other red in L1 of the same switch.

On the other switch put the red from the landing cable in Com
Yellow in L1.
Blue in L2.

On the disused cable put the red in a connector block, the black in another connector block.

Check the earths are firmly connected.

 

[Taylortwocities]

the two black wires on the left were in a conector block

OK
Put them back in a connector block.
You are then left with two reds.
Put one in terminal marked C on the switch
The other in L1 on the switch.

The light should then work.

Connect up the upstairs lighting wires as previously outlined. Put the old porch wires into the earth point on the back box, or cut the cable back flush with the top of the box. DO NOT DO THIS until you have checked that everything else is working OK>





Edit GRRR too slow.
Note to self:- Must stop being too helpful

 

[sparkwright]

Have you safely disconnected the porch wiring?

 

[robin1983]

I have done that but still nothen

 

[sparkwright]

Are you certain that the two cables on the left (which had the two blacks in the connector) were for the hall, and not the porch light?

It looks to me that the two cables on the left are newer than other two cables. I would have expected the porch light to have been the later addition...

I would have expected the red and black you say was the porch light to have been the hall light. Please confirm.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Do you have a multimeter that can measure up to 250 volts AC ??