Help please with light switch wiring, picture included

[Bikerbrady]

Hi

This is my first post here.

Ive just had my local joiner replace a part of our front entrance and when he did this he removed the outside light. Since then the outside feed has been permanently live. The internal switch makes no difference whichever position its in.

The pic below hopefully gives all the info needed.

Ive tried different wiring options with the wires currently exposed on the outside as when he disconnected the wires he couldnt remember what they were like before hand (guess thats why he is a joiner and not an electrician)

The other thing I notice is that there are 2 cables exposed on the outside light supply.

I hope someone can help otherwise Im going to have to buy a PIR outsie light.

 

[New2Game]

Try swapping the red in com(not the link one tho) on switch 1 with red in L2 on switch 1

 

[Bikerbrady]

No - no luck doing that...............now switch 2 doesnt work, hall light doesnt turn on/off ??

 

[New2Game]

swap it back then

 

[Steve]

Strange one. Is there another switch elsewhere controlling the outside lights?

 

[jj4091]

Look at the wikki for 1-way & 2-way circuits, buy a multimeter & work out whats wrong. Do NOT just connect a pir controlled light

 

[Bikerbrady]

Strange one. Is there another switch elsewhere controlling the outside lights?

No , there is no other switch controlling the outside light. I have just noticed though that switch 1 doesnt actually "click" when pressed on/off. Im going to replace the switch and see if that sorts it out.

 

[Steve]

When you wire the new switch, dont forget the triangle notation of terminals! IE one switch is upside down.

The thing is, look at switch one. You have a wire in L1 and a wire in L2. This would normally mean you have another switch somewhere. On a 2-way switch, in one position L1 is live, in the other position, L2 is live. Given this, what may have happened is someone wired this switch up as an override for a sensor light - one with a PIR. So there will always be one live wire at the light.

What sort of light was here before?

Can you separate the wires at the light position (i notice 2 cables) and meter them with the switch in both positions? You may notice one wire is live on one throw and the other wire is live on the other throw. Unusual way to do it but it would work.

 

[bernardgreen]

The two cables to the outside light are feed cable and switch cable.

Feed cable is live RED and neutral BLACK supply.

Switch cable goes to the switch with live RED to the switch and switched live BLACK from the switch. Thi black should have a red sleeve

By joining the two BLACKS in the terminal block there is live and neutral to the switch which has burnt out the inside of that switch as it shorted live to neutral when switch on. Hence no click as the mechanism is shot.

For the outside light you need a 4 way block. Put the 2 reds together in one, put the black into a terminal for each and the two earths joined together in the 4th terminal.

The lamp then connects to the two blacks, one of which is the switched live coming from the switch and should have a red sleeve. You also need to replace the switch

 

[OLD]

I have edited this post as its solved.

 

[GaryMo]

Switch hasn't been touched or has it?

If so then it may be a simple case of separating the two reds at the light position, one will be a permanent live and the other a switched live. Use the switched live for your fitting.
If the permanent live is in with the switched live then the switch won't do anything.

 

[Bikerbrady]

Switch hasn't been touched or has it?

If so then it may be a simple case of separating the two reds at the light position, one will be a permanent live and the other a switched live. Use the switched live for your fitting.
If the permanent live is in with the switched live then the switch won't do anything.

Gary

Sorry, just explain that in a bit more detail, cant quite grasp what u r saying

Thanks ( sorry for being a bit thick)

 

[GaryMo]

What exactly did the joiner do?

Did he mess with the switch or just remove a light fitting?
Has anybody altered any of the cabling to or from the light switch?

 

[Steve]

Bikerbrady, PIR lights are sometimes wired so that you can override the PIR from indoors. So one set of wires at the lighting point will activate the motion sensor, and the other set is wired after the motion sensor and bypass it when they are live.

In my opinion this is the only logical explanation. You have connected them together. I advise you to separate the lives, and meter them seperately. You will find one is live, then the other is live on flicking the switch. If this is the case, you have the option of using the 2 live feeds to supply a PIR lamp and link it out when nessecary.

***********

Though this sort of wiring is not needed these days because PIRs have circuitry that turns the light permenant on when the switch is flicked off and on quickly.

 

[Bikerbrady]

What exactly did the joiner do?

Did he mess with the switch or just remove a light fitting?
Has anybody altered any of the cabling to or from the light switch?

Joiner just messed with outside cables. Never went near switch.