light switch shinannigans

[chrismdac]

hi guys i wonder if you could help me here, i have two strip lights in my garage and two switches that control them at either end of the garage. One of the switches is a two way switch that controls both lights, the other a one way switch for one light. After removing the switches i have the following: 1 cable has 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 1 earth. The other cable has 1 red, 1 black, 1 earth. what i want to do is remove 1 switch completley. the cables are currently just taped up for 1 switch(not connected in any way to each other). The two way switch is configured thus L1=yellow,L2=red,L3=empty - L2=red, L3=blue, L1=black. The switch is not switching the lights and they are constantly on now. can you help me?

 

[sparkydude]

Which switch are you trying to remove? If it is the one with the two cables in it then you will have to join the red to the red, the black to the blue and the yellow will be spare and not used. Connect the two earths together also. Then in the other switch with the 3 core cable in it you remove the yellow core and just use the red and the blue .

 

[chrismdac]

Hi there, im trying to remove the double altogether and replace the single with it. On both of the switches i have the availability to use all cables. so at the moment i have to holes in the wall. the cables are the same in both, thats the red,black,earth. and the yellow,blue,red,earth. One i want to close off, the other i want to utilise the double socket switch.

cheers

 

[sparkydude]

Any chance of a sketch showing what cables you have at each point and what lights controlled by which switches. It is easy to sort out but i need to know exactly whats what before i can tell you .

Nick

 

[chrismdac]

ill just go make a pic for you

 

[sparkydude]

ok no problem

 

[chrismdac]

ok mate ive stuck a pic here.

www.ldistudios.com/switch.jpg

hope its clear enough. cheers

chris

 

[sparkydude]

so you have two lights, one controlled from one switch only and the other controlled from 2 switches yes? am i right with this. SO youhvae a one gang switch and a 2 gang switch controlling the 2 lights

Is this right so far

 

[chrismdac]

basically switch1 had a double on which controlled both lights, and switch 2 was a single switch however only controlled light 2.
What i have now is a clean slate i suppose. I just want to close up switch one, and use switch 2 with a double switch to control both lights.

 

[sparkydude]

Right i get you now, so you want to make the single into the double and o away with the old single. at the single switch you have a three core and a two core cable. this is the start of a 2 way circuit and they will both be koined in the switch , normally i use black and bleue to L2 red from twin and yellow from 3 core to L! and the red from the 3 core as Common. if you need to do away with the switch all together you will need to pull the cableup into the roof bit and pout a junction box, or you could just put a plastic blank plate over the switch box and put connector blocks in there .
To make the 2 gandg switch work to control both l;ights from only one place you need to have it configured as 2 1 way switches. so the twins at each switch are the switched lives (black with red tape) and live (red) at your 2 gang switch (New position) connect the 2core red and black across common and L1 or L2 whchever is the one way terminal. Then from your old switch you would need to join the red and black to the red and blue of the 3 core cable in connector blocks. Then at your new switch position the red and blue will become your live and switched live to the other light. SO you will have in total 4 cores connected at your New 2 gang switch position, one red and black on the same cable and the other red and blue across the other switch . This should work. ANy more questions get back to me later, but got to go and do some work of my own now.

Nick

 

[chrismdac]

thanks for your help mate, ill give it a shot after the footy