outside light

[aegchambers]

I have a newly built house with a wire hanging out my front wall (next to the door) for an outside light. The wire runs to a two switch single box in the hallway. I'm just wondering how to wire it in without affecting my hallway or living room lights (which seem to be wired from the same live). I can see 4 brown wires routed to the switches, which have a common, L1, L2 for each switch on the plate, the blue cables (presumably earth) have been connected using a terminal block. The metal gang box provides the earth. I just can't understand how the wiring here can affect the living room lights, and how to alter the standard connection so that my outside light gets power. ANY help would be extremely appreciated, especially diagrams

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I believe I have a one gang, 2 way switch (i.e. two switches in a standard single box).

That's a 2-gang switch. 2-way means switching a light from 2 locations - e.g. the traditional landing-light scenario.

I have a new house with a hallway light and an outside light.

How new? New as in brand new and still under guarantee, or just new to you?

only two yellow / green wires are connected to the earth point (the other two are cut off).

That's not right - earth conductors should not be cut back. Hence my question about guarantee - if it is under guarantee, raise this as a fault - get it fixed FOC.

The neutrals have been connected via a terminal block that bypasses the switch mechanism. I'm left with four brown wires that are connected to 1 (common) and 2, 1 and 3 with a bridging wire between 2 and 3 (I believe, if i remember correctly).

Please don't say you disconnected the wires without making a note of what went where....

This was the standard connection that does not have the outside light wired in, but the wire must be one of those 4.

Which is it? Are all 4 brown conductors connected to switch terminals or not? If they are, and you are sure that one is the cable for the exterior light, then how does that square with "The outside light wire is just hanging there, but has apparently not been connected to the switch"?
How many terminals does the switch have - 4 or 6? Are they labelled COM/L1/L2, or L1/L2/L3? Did both switch toggles do something, or did one do nothing? Is either one part of a 2-way switching circuit?

I've tried different combinations but as yet am unable to get both the hallway light working as normal witht the outside light on.

What do you mean by not as normal?

I also notice that the wiring method is also affecting whether I can turn my living room lights on.

Were the living room lights controlled by this switch before?

I'm struggling to figure out what wiring method has been used to connect everything, and what one I should use to get the hallway, outside and living room lights working as normal.

Would help to know what was normal, particularly regarding the relationship between the living room lights and this switch..

I'm sure its quite simple but I can't figure it out. *Any* help would be much appreciated especially some diagrams . Thanks guys.

You've got neither of the traditional systems (junction box or loop-in ceiling rose), so the diagrams in the For Reference section will be of no help.

Don't suppose you have a multimeter?

 

[andy]

when we wire houses with outside lights, we link the live between the 2 switchs and take a single core live to the light. we then take a single blue (neutral - not earth) to the light. looping a live at a switch to switch 2 lights will not effect any other lights. just ensure if you do this, you take the neutral to the same circuit as the live

 

[plugwash]

sounds like you have a looped at switch setup

4 T&E cables

one brings power in
one takes power to the next switch
one runs to each light.

 

[aegchambers]

wow thanks for the detailed responses and help.

I have actually managed to figure out the problem. It is a brand new house, with a wire pre-installed from the hallway switch to the outside (but no outside light cos I didn't want the standard one so its just hanging outside the front of the house). Basically the four brown wires consisted of a permanent live feed, a feed to the living room, hallway light and outside light. The bridging cable was used to supply a permanent feed to the living room so that the two gang (I learned something new there ta) switch doesn't affect whether the living room lights are on AND at the same time feeds the second switch with a permanent live so the outside light has a chance of working (if the switch is on ). The neutral that is connected via a terminal block and bypasses the switch system (as you would expect) runs through the walls and obviously completes the circuit flow for the connected devices. The two earth wires were earthing the hallway light and the outside light, with the permanent live and living room lights being earthed elsewhere in the system (the permanent is probably earthed at the fuse box??? ).

I did purchase one of those lighty uppy screwdrivers, but it didn't work, so I had to figure what was going on through a mix of trial and error and pencil and paper. In the end I got it.

But thanks for the responses, I think this is a really cool website ad its great that you guys are prepared to share your knoweldge on the internet. I hope i get the opportunity to be just as useful to somebody else.