Help needed. Replaced two light switches but now tripping

[riveralt]

From your recent photographs of the old hallway 2 switch it looks like blue = Common, red=L1 and yellow = L2. I cannot quite make out the terminal markings.

Back at the new switch:

Put the blue into the Left Hand L1 - Right Hand L1 stays empty.
Put the red into the Left Hand L2 (both reds should now be in here)
Put the yellow into the Right Hand L2 (yellow & black should be here)

If that doesn't work then either the wiring is not as it should be or the switch is broken - you might try it with a new one gang two way switch.

 

[securespark]

Seems an odd combination of conductors in the intermediate.

 

[riveralt]

Seems an odd combination of conductors in the intermediate.

Happy for any help you can give - I believe there was originally a single gang 2 way switch and for some reason the OP has swopped it for a intermediate.

 

[JohnW2]

I never thought the day would come when I would sound like BAS, but there is so much uncertainty about all this that I really don't think it's a situation in which giving 'try this' instructions, on the basis of remote guesswork, to someone who does not know what he is doing, is appropriate.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

Seems an odd combination of conductors in the intermediate.

Happy for any help you can give - I believe there was originally a single gang 2 way switch and for some reason the OP has swopped it for a intermediate.

Well, the standard would be the T&E carrying the live and switch for the bedroom light and the 3 core carrying the strappers to the second switch position.

So the red & black in that picture that belong to the same cable go to L1 & L2 and the conductors from the 3 core go one each to L1, L2 and Common. Which colour conductor in the 3 core goes where depends upon how they are terminated in the second switch.

 

[Taylortwocities]

PLAN B:Get an electrician.

 

[Ryan72]

To Riveralt: All fixed!
Many thanks for all your help and patience

 

[riveralt]

To Riveralt: All fixed!
Many thanks for all your help and patience

Good to hear.
Couple of points though.

Firstly your bedroom light switch is metal and needs to be earthed from the switch earth terminal to the backbox lug.
If there isn't an earth wire already there from your cable then you cannot use this type of switch and you should replace it with a plastic one.
Secondly, you have two sets of cables in the back box when there should only be one - this needs further investigation by an electrician.
It may well be that originally this switch controlled two lights but one of them has been removed.

 

[riveralt]

I never thought the day would come when I would sound like BAS, but there is so much uncertainty about all this that I really don't think it's a situation in which giving 'try this' instructions, on the basis of remote guesswork, to someone who does not know what he is doing, is appropriate.

I don't think it was a matter of give this a try - and from the information provided by the OP it was hardly guesswork.
My advice regarding the wiring was consistent throughout.
The fact that the OP initially misunderstood what I was saying was a concern but one I felt, given the information provided by the photographs, I could walk him through the rewiring process.
Which turned out to be the case.
There are still a couple of issues and I have brought them to his attention.

 

[JohnW2]

I never thought the day would come when I would sound like BAS, but there is so much uncertainty about all this that I really don't think it's a situation in which giving 'try this' instructions, on the basis of remote guesswork, to someone who does not know what he is doing, is appropriate.

I don't think it was a matter of give this a try - and from the information provided by the OP it was hardly guesswork. ... My advice regarding the wiring was consistent throughout.

My comment wasn't 'getting at you' - as you will have seen, very uncharacteristically, I did not include a quote from anyone in my post. My point was simply that the whole situation seemed far too complicated/messy/confusing to be appropriate for attempts at 'remote solution', no matter who was giving the instructions. As you point out, there were, indeed, some misunderstandings.

Kind Regards, John