Light Switch Puzzle

[Lamaman1971]

Hi Folks, before you all groan at "another" light switch question - this one is a bit weird. So, In my living room ive a light in the centre of the ceiling and a light switch at the far end that turns it on and off.

Now, directly opposite on the facing wall Ive another light switch, that I "think" should also turn the same light on and off from the opposite end of the room. It currently does nothing - despite being wired up with a bunch of anonymous looking cables.

I have two questions.

1. Is it possible for a good sparky to figure out what this switch should be doing without lifting all my floors upstairs to trace cables using a more "scientific" method?

2. Should the switch do "nothing" - Id have thought with wiring connected "something" would happen....

Cheers

Mark

 

[Iggifer]

the switch might have used to control some wall lights that have since been removed and the cables not removed fully

the first thing to do would be to find out if the cables at the switch are live

Do you have a multimeter?

 

[Lamaman1971]

Yes, the cables are live.

 

[riveralt]

If your two switches have been set up to work as two way only to the central light then it should be relatively easy to determine the problem.

There are many ways to wire up a two way switch.
One example will be at the main switch the live (red/brown) and switch live (black/blue) will be connected in terminals L and L1 (where the terminals are marked C,L ,L1).
Then a 3 core and earth cable is connected between the main switch and the second switch with the three core occupying C, L, L1 terminals in both switches. The colour in each terminal doesn't matter as long as they match.
So if yellow/grey is in C in the main switch then it must be C in the second switch.
Clear photographs of how your current switches are wired would be helpful.
If you want to do it yourself then you may need a multimeter and know how to use it.