Light switches puzzle

[mallangong1]

Hi,
The decorator recently finished our downstairs rooms whilst I was away on tour, this included changing the light switches. The main living room light (normal ceiling rose variety) used to be controlled by any one of three switches. Unfortunately after he left, my wife found that the light now only works when the switches are in a particular sequence.

I presume he has rewired the switches incorrectly (or bought the wrong switches). Can anybody tell me what is wrong? Pictures of the switches below, two are single the other is a double, the switch nearest the camera is the one that controls the relevant light on the double.

Ta,
Jim

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• mallangong1
• 24 Dec 2011
• 1

Switch 1 (nearest camera)

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• mallangong1
• 24 Dec 2011
• 1

Switich 2

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• mallangong1
• 24 Dec 2011
• 1

Switch 3

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

They are wired wrong, you also need an intermediate switch in circuit.
Link to suitable diagrams of three way/intermediate circuit arrangements:
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting:intermediate:lrnonharm

 

[ban-all-sheds]

So you had a decorator change light switches and now they don't work.

I sincerely hope that that did not come as a surprise to you.

 

[yorkspark]

so lets have a look :-

1. no red sleeving on yellow/blue conductors
2. too much copper exposed on switch terminals
3. conductors cut bit too short for my liking
4. no sign of any earth sleeving on 1st picture
5. no intermediate switch fitted
6. different makes of switches fitted so will look gash

and you wonder why it won't work, you let an incompetent idiot loose in your home and you wonder why electricians get cheesed off when you see crap like this, would you let a sky engineer connect a gas fire, no didnt think so why did you not get the job done correctly in the first place. see the wiki for the correct wiring diagram!

 

[chivers67]

Looks like the red and yellow are swapped round in switch one hard to say though. Especially as pic three you can't see the terminations

The blue also needs re-terminating as it looks like it's virtually hanging out (amongst other things)

 

[AndyPRK]

you need an intermediate switch for switch 2 (these have 4 terminals)
The reds should be connected together here, insulated and not connected to the switch.
The yellow and blue from the one cable needs connecting to the bottom switch connections and the yellow and blue from the other cable needs connecting to the top connections.

The 3rd switch needs work too.
The 2 core cable with red and black wires need reconnecting. These wires should be connected into L1 and L2.

 

[sparkwright]

Switch 1 nearest camera
Put yellow in com
red in L1
blue in L2

Switch 2
Buy a 1 gang intermediate switch (4 terminals) to replace the incorrect one.
Put one red in top L1
Put corresponding blue in top L2

Put remaining red in bottom L1
Put corresponding blue in bottom L2

Put the two yellows together in a piece of 5 amp connector block

Switch 3
Put both reds in L1
Put black and blue in L2
Put yellow in com

My method differs from other posts above, simply to be consistent with the wiring of the other switch at switch 1, which I assume works.

I have selected yellow as the common, like the other switch at switch 1 to keep things the same.

 

[EFLImpudence]

You forgot the yellows at the intermediate.

 

[sparkwright]

I see he painted round those switches without loosening them off the wall.

 

[sparkwright]

You forgot the yellows at the intermediate.

So I did.

I have rectified mistake. Thanks.

 

[riveralt]

I see he painted round those switches without loosening them off the wall.

Good spot - but there seems to more to this story than perhaps we are being told - and the good old decorator is being protrayed as the villain but is he the victim?

We are told that these three light switches were changed by the painter - and they are a double gang and two single gangs.
Switch one looks like an new MK double switch.
Switch two looks like a one gang two way switch - which is certainly not new.
Switch three (1 gang) looks like the intermediate switch since it appears (camera angle not good) to have four terminals - unless the yellow and blue are in the same terminal. But again this is not a new switch.

So either the painter - is a poor electrician and a thief - Since he has been unable to take note of which terminal went were before removing the switches - and he has not replaced the said switches (in at least two cases) with new equipment and perhaps charged for same.
Or...
The 'on tour' OP is not telling us everything?

 

[mallangong1]

Hi,

Thank you all for the helpful replies. Before the last post I was going to also stick up for the decorator as he has been great, but it definitely seems I need to now.

Too late for me to get an intermediate switch now but will do so after Christmas (and before I go back to Libya as some seem interested - yes a rather odd tour). The decorator was helping out and doing much more than he needed to in many ways as he knew I was away.

Regarding the covers, if it had been me I would have taken a photo before swapping them and copied but that was the only mistake. It wasn't as though he did the electrics originally - presumably whoever did is the person to blame for the problems that have been pointed out. As there are still new style covers left over not being used I presume he put back an old cover onto switch 2 hoping that would solve things - as he is off skiing though I can't ask him!

Thanks again for the help.

Jim.

 

[sparkwright]

Check switch 3 isn't an intermediate first, as someone here thought it could be.

Switch 1 is a 2 gang 2 way

Switch 2 needs to be a 1 gang intermediate (4 terminals)

Switch 3 should be a 1 gang 2 way switch (3 terminals)

 

[AndyPRK]

As said, check switch 3 doesn't have 4 terminals. If it does have 4 terminals you have all the switches you need.

or did you say you had some left over ? do any of them have 4 terminals ?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I see he painted round those switches without loosening them off the wall.

Yo.

You can't even say that as an electrician he makes a good painter.