Need help with wiring......please help. I am stuck...

[wimbledon55]

I replaced all the light switches in my flat. Copied existing wiring.
All the lights are fine except the hallway.

There is ONE light in the halllway and a switch at each end.

Switch one by frontdoor: THREE red wires. Light switch have L, L1 and L2.

Switch two at other end: FOUR red wires. Light swich have L, L1 and L2.

Please help. I cant seem to get the switches so that they control each other.
I do no have a multimeter.....

 

[bernardgreen]

Please help. I cant seem to get the switches so that they control each other.

I do no have a multimeter.....

If you do NOT have a multimeter then it is going to be difficult to help

If you do NOW have multimeter then please be patient.

 

[wimbledon55]

appologies,

I will get a meter tomorrow. Will then come back on here tomorrow night.

Thanks

 

[breezer]

when you have it, read the instructions (no its not a joke / sarky comment)

 

[bernardgreen]

appologies,

I will get a meter tomorrow. Will then come back on here tomorrow night.

Thanks

Also get a length of single wire that is long enough to extend one of the meter leads so it will to reach the far switch. Getting a couple of crocodile clips to put on the ends of this "extension" lead will make the task easier.

Then you can clip the test lead on a wire in switch one and test the ends in switch two to find which is which. Use an indelible marker to label them. POWER MUST BE OFF when you do this

 

[wimbledon55]

top man!

will get all of this tomorrow.

are you on here tomorrow evening?

Thanks

 

[bernardgreen]

Pot luck about tomorrow. My days are never to plan..

 

[ColJack]

you either have a live in, live out and 2 strappers at one end..

or it's not the end and is in fact an intermediate switch..

 

[bernardgreen]

Taking account of one post about intermediate switch. You are 100% certain there are only TWO switches controlling this lamp.

This how I see the situation and this is my suggestion what to do based on what you have said.

The circuit appears to be that at the switch with 4 wires there is a live feed into the switch and a live feed forward onto another light elsewhere.

From this switch (with four wires) two strappers go to the other switch and from the common of that switch a switched live goes to the lamp.

The live feed into the switch and the live feed forward must be joined other wise one or more other lights may not work. Live feed is required in the common L terminal of this switch so they are both put into that terminal.


Therefore the common L of the switch with 4 wires will have two of the 4 reds in it. The L1 and L2 of this switch have to be connected by two wires to the L1 and L2 of the other switch. ( these wires are called strappers ) and it is these two wires you have to identify. Once these are identified the other become obvious.

With the MAINS POWER OFF clip the multimeter extended test lead (meter on Ohms or Continuity) to one of the three wires in the switch by the front door.

Put the other test lead onto the wire just to check the meter is working and also to see what it shows when the leads are on the same wire.

Leaving the extended test lead on that wire go and test test the four wires in the other switch and if one shows continuity or almost zero ohms then the test leads are the ends of one of the strappers. If not then the wire with the test lead attached in the front door switch is not a strapper but is almost certainly the switched feed to the lamp and goes goes into the common L of that switch.

Test both ends of the other two wires in that switch to verify they do go to the other switch and are therefore the strappers. Use these to connect to L1 and L1 and L2 to L2. This will leave two wires at the 4 wire switch.

These two remaining wires in the switch with 4 wires should be the Live in and Live forward to another light circuit. Connect both to the common L of that switch.

That should work.

Before you close up the switches check the earth wires are still connected to the back box earth clamp or front plate earth terminal if metal switches