Loose Wire in Bathroom Pull Switch

[crumpetsarethebest]

Hi,

My bathroom pull switch has stopped working - won't pull down to turn off so is permanently on. I've replaced the cord previously and rewired normal lights etc so was hoping for an easy fix(!) but when I've unscrewed it a red wire is loose and I don't know where it should go. The switch also turns on the extractor fan as well as the light.

Photos attached, but I have a red and a black going into L1, brown into COM, green/yellow and green into the base unit, and two blacks and grey into one side of a terminal block(?).

Any help appreciated! Thanks.

 

[terryplumb]

Does the extractor fan work currently when light is permanently on ?

 

[crumpetsarethebest]

Hi, yes it does

 

[terryplumb]

With one wire not connected to anything something shouldn't work.
As you told us both the light and extractor are permanently on ,is there anything somewhere that isn't working ,loft light, external light etc ?
Does your extractor usually run on for a short period after turning the light switch off ?

 

[crumpetsarethebest]

Makes sense. It used to stay running for a while after switching the light off, but actually it doesn't do that anymore. Could that be the thing not working? Everything else works as far as I know, there are no other lights.
Could it be the pull switch mechanism is independently broken- loose spring etc - and this loose wire has been there for a while without me knowing?

 

[terryplumb]

Your fan needs a switched live (from the switch when turned on) ,and a permanent live which is what is used to keep the fan running after the switch is turned off. The loose red wire is probably the permanent live to the fan and should go into the same terminal as the live feed to the switch . Put it in the com terminal along with the brown wire.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Timer fans don't work at all without the permanent live.

 

[crumpetsarethebest]

Thank you @terryplumb, tried connecting the red to the com terminal but the pull switch still wasn't working - took the switch mechanism off and some plastic parts have snapped. So think I'll need a new one. But now I know how to connect it!

 

[terryplumb]

The loose wire and the switch remaining on are two separate issues. You do indeed need a new switch.