my upstairs lights have stopped working please help!

[lisavic10]

I have a newish house and my son (who's on an electricians course) decided to fit me a new light switch in my hallway, its a double downstairs that works to another double downstairs and two singles upstairs.

The other double works downstairs, but no lights come on upstairs, other than the bathroom! I have checked the fusebox and nothing tripped, I do know he added another earth wire, from the box to the light switch, which is chrome, he has taken it off and replaced the switch with the original, but no joy!! Please help!!

 

[Spark123]

See if the college do a cookery course? (sorry, couldn't resist)

How does the circuit work normally? 3 switched operating the same light upstairs? Is one side of the switch from the downstairs lighting circuit and the other side from the upstairs lighting circuit?
How many cables and wires in the switch? What colours and how are they connected? Can you upload a photo?

 

[Taylortwocities]

Are you sure he changed nothing else?
A new light fitting, perhaps???

 

[lisavic10]

See if the college do a cookery course? (sorry, couldn't resist)

How does the circuit work normally? 3 switched operating the same light upstairs? Is one side of the switch from the downstairs lighting circuit and the other side from the upstairs lighting circuit?
How many cables and wires in the switch? What colours and how are they connected? Can you upload a photo?

3 switched operating the same light upstairs and yes one side upstairs and other down

There are six wires connected two red and two blue and two yellow and the earth, which is connected to the light switch holder.

Do you think that it might be that a shaving socket that has just been disconnected (due to tiling!!) in the bathroom there the only upstairs light works?

 

[Adam_151]

You need to open up the another switch, other one downstairs should do, you should find a cable with red, blue and yellow cores there (guess where the other end goes ) and another one, you are interested in which of the cores goes to the common terminal on the switch, note it down, and go back to your switch that you are replacing, sort the wires into two groups of red, yellow and blue by which sheath they come out of, one group to each half of the switch please, common is whatever colour goes to common at the other end (will be red or yellow), and L1 and L2 the other ones, repeat for the other half of the switch, hopefully the same colours will have been used for strappers on the other half of it

 

[Taylortwocities]

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Do you think that it might be that a shaving socket that has just been disconnected (due to tiling!!) in the bathroom there the only upstairs light works?

Does the wiring to the shaver point have two cables?

this is probably your problem. It there's two cables you need to connect the two red/browns together, the two black/blues together and the two earths together. Use a three way terminal block ad insulate it after you've done it.

The feed for the lighting probably goes to the shanver point in one cable and then out on the other. If they arent connected together then there's no feed to the next lights on the circuit.

 

[lisavic10]

The shaving point was the problem!! Thanks very much for all your help!!

 

[iand147]

Had the same problem recently with all upstairs room lights flickering then failing completely after fitting a new fused switch for the loft lighting. Wired the thing wrong to begin with & tripped the fuse! Sorted that quickly enough but had problems as described above. Finally traced the fault to a junction box under the loft boards which was crackling ominously! Must have shorted the live connection which was arcing across the damaged wiring. Quite scary when you consider the fire hazard. Never ignore electrical glitches & check your home insurance!