metal light switches

[rodders501]

Hi, can anyone help me. I'm currently replacing 2 old plastic light switches with stainless ones. The one in my hallway is a double switch which operates both hallway and landing lights. The other on my landing only operates that light. I have managed to get all switches to turn on lights but single switch on landing, will not overide to turn light off, if it has been turned on downstairs. I have secured both plates with earths into the main loom but dont think I have quite put the other wires where they should be. The original double had the following configeration, top row L1(yellow), L3 (blank), L2 (blue). Bottom row L3 (red), L2 (yellow and blue joined), L1 (red but with a link join to L3 red). My new stainless double switch has 2 commons and 2 of each 1 way and 2 way sockets. What I have done is connect both reds to the commons and link joined them. I have put one yellow and one blue into the 1 way and 2 way respectively and this works the hallway light perfectly. I have joined the other yellow and blue together and put into the other 2 way socket. However, although both hallway and landing lights turn on and off on the 2 switch socket, the landing switch will not turn off the landing light whilst it is on via the hallway switch. But if it is off, the landing switch turns on and off perfectly on its own. Any help would be appreciated

 

[sparkyspike]

You've mixed up your L2s. Don't read the terminals left to right, top to bottom, but in triangles. Switch one COM corresponds to L1 and L2 below it. Switch two has L1 and L2 at the top, COM at the bottom.

 

[sparkyspike]

Take the blue out of L2 (hallway switch) and put it in L2 of the landing switch. Seperate the yellow and blue, put the yellow into L1 (landing switch). This should now work. But you have an extra blue. Is there another light which runs off the hallway lightswitch?

 

[rodders501]

Thank you Sparkyspike but I'm not quite sure what you mean. Yes I do understand my new metal switch should be viewed as 2 seperate triangles but still not entirely sure where all the wires go. At present, I have 2 looms coming into the double switch, both have 4 cables in each, earth, red, blue and yellow. With the view looking at the back of the switch, I have 2 blocks, obviously for both switches. If I call these 2 looms, loomA and loomB and also the 2 switch blocks switchA and switchB, the following is how I have wired them both up. LoomA and loomB red wires, both connected to switchA and switchB coms, with a bridge wire joining both of them. LoomA blue to switchB 2 way. LoomA yellow to switchA 2 way. LoomB blue to switchA 2 way. LoomB yellow to switchB 1 way. I hope this makes sense lol. What I effectively have with this arrangement is that my double switch actually turns on and off both hallway and landing lights. However, if I leave the landing light on, via the double switch, when I operate my single landing light switch, it will not turn off by this switch. Obviously I have something not quite right but with too many combinations to choose from, I felt it better to seek expert advice, rather them mess with it myself.

 

[sparkyspike]

Ok. Swap the two blues over and your landing light should work.

Let us know if it doesn't, but we'll need more info, such as the rest of the circuit wiring.

 

[rodders501]

Thank you for your help but for the present moment I think I will keep the wiring arrangement as it is, at least both lights work even if my landing light wont override if it has been turned on in the hallway. Your suggestion to swap both blue wires around, resulted in landing light permanently staying on and I also tried swapping both yellows, this resulted in hallway light not working at all. I dread to think how many permutations there are with 2 yellows and 2 blues going into 2 of 1 ways and 2 of 2 ways in a switch but reckon it could take me days trying. Anyway again, thanks for at least helping