Help needed with lights in lounge

[13mickey13]

Hi, i just bought a repossessed house and allot of the sockets, switches and ceiling roses were missing. I have managed to replace most of the sockets and switches, but the lights in the lounge have confused me. I Believe its a 2 way light circuit. There are also several wall lights on the same circuit. I have drawn a picture of the wires i have. If anyone could offer me some advice to where the wires go in the switch L1, L2 and com and what wires to connect on a block in the ceiling i would be very grateful.

View media item 55654

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

I think I can speak for most folks when I say we need a larger picture, not a thumbnail image.

 

[13mickey13]

hi, you should be able to click on it to enlarge it

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Does not look like a two way circuit.
I guess one switch for wall lights, one switch for ceiling light.
Do any of the black cores at the ceiling have a red sleeve, tape or mark on them? If not you need some test equipment that can measure continuity and voltage(multi-meter or continuity tester/voltage indicator of the two pole variety)
As you need to identify whether the blacks are switch lives or neutrals.
Also what cables are at the wall light and how many do we have?

 

[securespark]

The cables you depict as single reds with cpc: are they such?

Or are they T&E with the black cut back?

You have a red+cpc at the switch and one at the ceiling, but your labelling suggests they are not the same piece of wire.

Have you checked any continuity?


Is it more likely the single red does link the switch to the ceiling?

This is connected to lounge ceiling light switchwire. The twin at the LH switch is strappers for the 2way at the other end (lounge lt). The T&E coming down at the other switch is live and wall light switchwire.

The three at the ceiling are: live feed in, out to wall light and t&E from switch. It's possible, but I'm sure there are other permutations: you need to do some continuity checks.

 

[13mickey13]

Yes, the single cable and earth is a single cable, not twin and earth with black cut off. There is 4 wall lights in total, these are all joined by blocks red to red black to black and earth to earth some are joining sets of 3 some are sets of 2 and some are single. There is continuity between the single red in the ceiling, the single red in the switch and all of the wall lights between red, black and earth. There is a black switch live cable in the ceiling with red tape on. There is also a red wire with black tape on for some reason.

 

[securespark]

Interesting that there is continuity between the single red in the ceiling and the switch and wall light conductors.

If the wires at the ceiling are disconnected, how is there continuity between the red cable at the switch and the cable to the wall lights?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I think the OP maybe measuring end to end resistance.
Need some clarity on the testing procedures?
I assume that at the switch identified for the wall lights, that the red cable for the second gang are bringing in the perm live to be linked across to the first gang.

 

[13mickey13]

Yes, sorry I should have been clearer. When the cables in the ceiling were wired up in what I assumed was the correct way (red to red, earth to earth and black to black apart from the switch live I found that there was continuity between all lights when the wires are not connected to anything there is continuity between the single wire in the ceiling and the single wire in the light switch.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If you seperate all cables then, if you connect the ceiling cables in the pairs as they are sheathed(grey) using black and red connected together, then what readings from each cable do you get at the switches?
If you then do the same with red and earth?

 

[13mickey13]

What am I supposed to be testing for by doing this? What will this tell me?

 

[securespark]

If you get a dead short (or continuity bleep, depending upon the test equipment you are using), it will tell you where each cable terminates.

This can be confirmed by disconnecting the cores after a positive result and finding a negative result.

 

[13mickey13]

I already know where the majority of the cables run to. One of the cables in the ceiling is the mains live, (from the consumer unit) the single red wire and earth runs to the switch, i have found the switch live running to the other switch but I was unable to identify the other cables in the ceiling using this method.

 

[securespark]

Does it go to the wall lights?

Please check if it does.

Then extend your drawing, so we can see which cables actually go where, then we can help you better.

At the moment it's a lot of stabbing in the dark.

 

[13mickey13]

Does this help?

Untitled

• 13mickey13
• 23 Jan 2013
• 1