Help wiring landing and hallway lights!

[GUESSHU12]

Ok... I have an issue wiring my landing and hallway upstairs. The wires in the wall at the landing are
(Core)
Red
Yellow
Blue
Earth

And in another set
Red
Black
Earth

Now upstairs in my hallway it has the same wires
(Core)
Red
Yellow
Blue
Earth

And in another set
Red
Black
Earth


Im trying to wire this to 2 double switches so when im downstairs i can choose to turn on or off both upstairs or down, and when im upstairs i can choose the same.
I have got 2 double switches (one for upstairs one for down) and need help on which wires go where from the wall.
Switches are labled

L1 L2 C
o o o


o o o
C L1 L2

Any help is much appreciated!!

 

[Taylortwocities]

At the moment, what do you have. Is it one switch up and one down?
Or do you have a 1 gang switch upstairs and a 2 gang downstairs?

What do they switch?

Before you do anything, What wires are connected where ?

What do you mean by "core"?

 

[GUESSHU12]

Hi, i had a 1 gang switch upstairs and a 2 gang downstairs.
They were wired like this:
Downstairs on 2 gang

L1 = Black
L2 = Empty
C = Blue

C = Red (From red, black and earth wire)
L1 = Red (From red, yellow, blue and earth wire)
L2 = Yellow

Upstairs on single gang

C = Blue
L1 = 2 Red wires
L2 = Yellow and black

But i want to make upstairs control downstairs aswell on the new switch if i can.

I call the Yellow, Red and blue the core for some reason sorry
This doesn't seem to make sense to me but hopefully you can help

 

[flameport]

But i want to make upstairs control downstairs aswell on the new switch if i can.

Not possible with the wiriing you have.
To do what you want, an extra cable will be required between upstairs and downstairs.

 

[echoes]

@OP: You sure that's right?

On the 2 gang switch, there will be L1 L2 and C next to each other, but the L1 and L2 belong to one switch and the C to the other.

What you have right now is 2 way switching for the upstars light.

If you want 2 way switching for downstairs light as well, you will need to run another 3-core and earth cable between the 2 switch positions and replace the landing switch with a 2-gang.

 

[GUESSHU12]

Thanks a lot for the help people!
Now i know what switches to buy at least

 

[sparkwright]

Hi, i had a 1 gang switch upstairs and a 2 gang downstairs.
They were wired like this:
Downstairs on 2 gang

L1 = Black
L2 = Empty
C = Blue

C = Red (From red, black and earth wire)
L1 = Red (From red, yellow, blue and earth wire)
L2 = Yellow

Upstairs on single gang



C = Blue
L1 = 2 Red wires
L2 = Yellow and black

But i want to make upstairs control downstairs aswell on the new switch if i can.

I call the Yellow, Red and blue the core for some reason sorry
This doesn't seem to make sense to me but hopefully you can help

That looks incorrect.

Altering the switching how you have suggested could be problematic, but you can at least wire it back as was intended.

When using 3 core and earth cable for 2-way switching you must decide which colour to use as the common. Red or yellow is usual. You have stated blue, so we'll go for that if you like.

DOWN SWITCH

1st gang
2 core cable
RED common
BLACK L1

2nd gang
3 core cable
BLUE common
RED L1
YELLOW L2


UP SWITCH

2 core cable
RED L1
BLACK L2

3 core cable
BLUE common
RED also in L1
YELLOW also in L2

 

[ajrobb]

If you can run another 3 core+E between upstairs switch and downstairs switch, you can convert the downstairs light to 2-way.

With the wiring you have, I think you can choose either upstairs OR downstairs as 2-way.

 

[flameport]

The original description appears incorrect, because the OP has assumed that each switch is a horizontal line of terminals, rather than two triangles.

It's a standard 2 way arrangement for the upstairs, with 3c+E between the switches, and the red/black in each is the line/switched line.

 

[Taylortwocities]

GUESSHU12 leave the switches for now, you've got a lot more work to do before you get new switches.

Here's how (most) 2 gang switches are laid out. This should help you to understand the wiring

2 gang switch layout

• Taylortwocities
• 31 Aug 2009
• 16

 

[ban-all-sheds]

This should help as well:

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:two-way-lighting

 

[GUESSHU12]

Hi, i had a 1 gang switch upstairs and a 2 gang downstairs.
They were wired like this:
Downstairs on 2 gang

L1 = Black
L2 = Empty
C = Blue

C = Red (From red, black and earth wire)
L1 = Red (From red, yellow, blue and earth wire)
L2 = Yellow

Upstairs on single gang



C = Blue
L1 = 2 Red wires
L2 = Yellow and black

But i want to make upstairs control downstairs aswell on the new switch if i can.

I call the Yellow, Red and blue the core for some reason sorry
This doesn't seem to make sense to me but hopefully you can help

That looks incorrect.

Altering the switching how you have suggested could be problematic, but you can at least wire it back as was intended.

When using 3 core and earth cable for 2-way switching you must decide which colour to use as the common. Red or yellow is usual. You have stated blue, so we'll go for that if you like.

DOWN SWITCH

1st gang
2 core cable
RED common
BLACK L1

2nd gang
3 core cable
BLUE common
RED L1
YELLOW L2


UP SWITCH

2 core cable
RED L1
BLACK L2

3 core cable
BLUE common
RED also in L1
YELLOW also in L2

Sorry but i didn't choose the blue as common. that was the original wiring when i had a peek :S.

Thanks for the help everyone but now i am unsure on weather or not it can be done without running another 3-core wire from downstairs up?
Could someone tell me even if it is plausible without running another wire?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Could someone tell me even if it is plausible without running another wire?

Not a hope in hell mate.

You need to run another 3core and earth cable from the upstairs to teh downstairs switches.

 

[bernardgreen]

Could someone tell me even if it is plausible without running another wire?

Not a hope in hell mate.

There is one way but it has a lot of dis-advantages over running a new 3 core + E

Use two relays with change over contacts with the relays controlled by two single way switches via the existing 3 core + E cable.

The change over contacts of the relays are wired to the upstairs switches as if they are contacts in two two way switching circuits.

But this requires mounting two mains voltage relays in a suitable enclosure and accepting that one or both will be energised for long periods of time even when the lights are off.

 

[Taylortwocities]

The only other way would be to use a wireless switch system. Like Easyswitch.

That would allow you to have a radio switch upstairs to control the downstairs lights. See http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Accessories_Menu_Index/EasySwitch/index.html