light swtich problems!!

[mp3foci]

firstly hello,
secondly, please help!!

for some unknown bloody reason i didn't take a pic of the last switch i replaced, i thought i did and searched my photos but obviously i either didn't or it didn't save
i have replaced all the other switches with out any problems as i always take pics the same for the new light fittings....so i'm pretty annoyed at my self as i may of got a bit ahead of myself without realising but anyway the problem needs fixing asap.

the switch is a 2 way 2 gang switch in the hall by the front door.
it has 2 sets of cables,
set 1: 1 red, 1 black and 1 earth.
set 2: 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 earth.

on set 1 the black has a small bit of red tape attached, on set 2 the yellow also has a bit of tape on it.

the left switch is for the outside light, the right switch for the hall light.
the 2nd switch for the hall is a few feet away and has a red into com, blue into L1 with a yellow into L2 and the earth into the case.

please does anybody know where the cables need to go, i've been searching the net for hrs and can't find an answer or i'm not looking correctly.

 

[ericmark]

the switch is a 2 way 2 gang switch in the hall by the front door.
it has 2 sets of cables,
set 1: 1 red, 1 black and 1 earth.
set 2: 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 earth.

on set 1 the black has a small bit of red tape attached, on set 2 the yellow also has a bit of tape on it.

With set1 likely red and black connect to com and L1 plain on/off
With set2 you need to inspect other switch in pair. There are two basic ways to wire two way lights one needs a connector block the other does not.
If no connector block in switch then colour for colour so it yellow goes to com in one switch it will also be com in second switch. L1 and L2 do not really matter which way around as long as Com is correct.
If there is a connector block then colour that goes to block should go to com again other two do not really matter if wrong way around.

If you want to know how it works see http://www.ericpalmer.fsnet.co.uk/Lighting.html

 

[mp3foci]

i have no idea why but i'm 90% sure that the yellow from set 2 with the bit of tape attached went into the left switch but cant remember if it we L1 orL2? please, i'm not sure why i think this but i do remember it being odd at the time, thats why i was sure i defo took the pic and annoyed i don't have it as i knew it was a bit more complicated that the others.
i have seen drawings that show the yellow into com but on the other switch it wasn't and i know thats correct as i have that pic of the origional switch.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

the switch is a 2 way 2 gang switch in the hall by the front door.
it has 2 sets of cables,
set 1: 1 red, 1 black and 1 earth.
set 2: 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 earth.

on set 1 the black has a small bit of red tape attached, on set 2 the yellow also has a bit of tape on it.

the left switch is for the outside light, the right switch for the hall light.
the 2nd switch for the hall is a few feet away and has a red into com, blue into L1 with a yellow into L2 and the earth into the case.

On the face of it that's not enough for two independently switched lights, one of them 2-way, as (ignoring the fact that you did have two independently switched lights) what you described is the classic 2-way via 3C+E strapper, like this:

please does anybody know where the cables need to go, i've been searching the net for hrs and can't find an answer or i'm not looking correctly.

Have you looked at the lighting system diagrams in the Wiki & the Sticky?

Do you have a multimeter?

My guess would be that the 2-core cable is a regular switch drop for the outside light and that the 2-way is wired like this:

Take a look at the ceiling rose/fitting for the hall light - see if it has two 3-core cables coming in with one pair of cores joined in a choc-block.

 

[mp3foci]

i think i'l get the pics together in the morning of the ceiling rose and switches with all cables, the yellow and blue in the L1 and L2 of the 2nd single switct both have red tape on if that helps??

 

[mp3foci]

i have seen several diagrams all showing yellow to com, thats whats thrown me as it wasn't how it was.

 

[mp3foci]

going to have to pics up later as i need to get a data cable, but if anybody has any other thoughts please fire away

 

[ban-all-sheds]

i have seen several diagrams all showing yellow to com, thats whats thrown me as it wasn't how it was.

The colours are completely irrelevant.

When used in 2-way switching all 3 cores of a 3C+E cable are live, and all should be marked as such by being, or being oversleeved at the terminations, red or brown.

As long as the corresponding terminals at each switch are connected it doesn't matter which colours you use.

 

[mp3foci]

why is it that some times i wish i'd just leave things alone
right then, i'm having probs putting pics up so i'l explain as best i can as to what i have seen in the attic....

on the 1st single switch, i tracked the cable to a JB which has the following..

the yellow from the switch in L2 connects to a black.
the blue L1 connects to a red.
the red com connects to red.

from there, a red and a black leads into the 2nd switch (the 2way2gang)

the red, blue and yellow from the 2nd switch connects to a 2nd JB,

the blue connects to the red of the outside light and the black of the outside light goes to another JB which i'l get to,
the yellow to the red from 1st JB
the red to what i know is a single live cable.

it gets better!!

a red and black cable then go from that JB to another,

red to a cluster of other reds.
black to cluster of other blacks and the brown of existing hall lights,
the blue of the lights connects to the single red cable.

now does this make any sense what so ever to anybody as it seems to go against every diagram i have see cos it make no 2 colour of the 3core and earth the same.

 

[mp3foci]

i will defo try and post some pics of everything asap though just incase i haven't explained it all correctly.

if only i saved or even took that blinking pic

 

[mp3foci]

AH HA....
PROBLEM SOLVED.

the outside light wiring went as follows,

yellow to com, blue to L1,

the hall light:
the red from the 3core to com, the other red to L1 and the black to L2.

nightmare over.
though it helped by u guys insisting that what ever is in one switch, must one way or another be paired up in the 2nd....the yellow to yellow, red to red etc. so with out that i wouldn't of cracked it. so thanks.