Problem with 2 way lighting in kitchen

[deadshort]

Please refer to 'Wiring Diagrams for Lighting Circuits' at the top of the forum page.
That may assist you with understanding how 2way switching operates.
If you have a multimeter that will also help.

Regards,

DS

 

[RustleHobs]

YES, but you have joined the cable ? have you not ?

DS

Just to clarify, I meant blue to black!

 

[Echo the husky]

The correct and proper colour connections should be:
Red -> Brown
White (with red sleeve) -> Black (with brown sleeve)
Blue (with red sleeve) -> Grey (with brown sleeve)

Looking at your photo, white should end up in the L terminal of your new switch, red in L1, blue in L2. What are the terminals marked on the old switch?

 

[Echo the husky]

As there is no CPC in the old cable it will not be easy to extend new wiring from it. And no you can't just cut the CPC out of the new cable. The only permissible ways are to rewire the circuit with cables with CPCs, or run a 4mm² earth wire back to the consumer unit connected to the CPC of your new cable. (2.5mm² if mechanical protection for the earth wire is provided.)

 

[RustleHobs]

The correct and proper colour connections should be:
Red -> Brown
White (with red sleeve) -> Black (with brown sleeve)
Blue (with red sleeve) -> Grey (with brown sleeve)

Looking at your photo, white should end up in the L terminal of your new switch, red in L1, blue in L2. What are the terminals marked on the old switch?

Hello, that's the way I've got the switch wired at the moment. The only terminal marked on the old switch is 'common two way', which was where the white was connected.

 

[securespark]

...the dirty white wire was connected to is marked "common, 2 way".

That doesn't sound right. On (at least older) MK 2 way switches, the L2 is marked as use for 1 way operation.

But for the same terminal to be both common and 2 way does not sound right.

The common terminal is common to both the L1 and L2 terminals: in one position, the common and L1 terminals are linked together; in the other, common and L2 terminals are linked together. In neither position are L1 & L2 linked together.

 

[RustleHobs]

...the dirty white wire was connected to is marked "common, 2 way".

That doesn't sound right. On (at least older) MK 2 way switches, the L2 is marked as use for 1 way operation.

But for the same terminal to be both common and 2 way does not sound right.

The common terminal is common to both the L1 and L2 terminals: in one position, the common and L1 terminals are linked together; in the other, common and L2 terminals are linked together. In neither position are L1 & L2 linked together.

Here's a photo of the disconnected pull switch

 

[RustleHobs]

...the dirty white wire was connected to is marked "common, 2 way".

That doesn't sound right. On (at least older) MK 2 way switches, the L2 is marked as use for 1 way operation.

But for the same terminal to be both common and 2 way does not sound right.

The common terminal is common to both the L1 and L2 terminals: in one position, the common and L1 terminals are linked together; in the other, common and L2 terminals are linked together. In neither position are L1 & L2 linked together.

Sorry, here

 

[RustleHobs]

The correct and proper colour connections should be:
Red -> Brown
White (with red sleeve) -> Black (with brown sleeve)
Blue (with red sleeve) -> Grey (with brown sleeve)

Looking at your photo, white should end up in the L terminal of your new switch, red in L1, blue in L2. What are the terminals marked on the old switch?

Hi, I just tried that configuration to see if the 2-way would operate but it is still only possible to control one of the switches: if one is in a certain position, the other can be used to operate the light and vice versa....

 

[deadshort]

Check your connections at the your join, if L1 or L2 is broken ,the switching will operate as you have described.

DS

 

[securespark]

Thanks, RH. To double check the way the old switch operates, you could use a multimeter set to continuity to check the common terminal links to one other terminal in one position and to the other terminal in the other.

If so, the problem, as ds has said, has to lie with a break in the strappers (the wires connected to the unmarked terminals).

Possibly the remaining pull cord is faulty?

 

[RustleHobs]

Thanks, RH. To double check the way the old switch operates, you could use a multimeter set to continuity to check the common terminal links to one other terminal in one position and to the other terminal in the other.

If so, the problem, as ds has said, has to lie with a break in the strappers (the wires connected to the unmarked terminals).

Possibly the remaining pull cord is faulty?

Thanks for the advice SP, I will try to get my hands on a multimeter... My next door neighbour is a sparks, but the last time I asked him to look at something for me (and said I would pay), I waited the whole winter before finding one through the yellow pages! He might lend me an mm though!
Re the fault, I'm thinking of connecting a new switch to the remaining pull cord's wires just to see if the fault lies with that pull cord. I don't think there's any problem with a break in the cable to my new switch...

 

[RustleHobs]

Check your connections at the your join, if L1 or L2 is broken ,the switching will operate as you have described.

DS

Thx DS, I have done that and remade them and they are fine as far as I can tell!

 

[Taylortwocities]

I'm thinking of connecting a new switch to the remaining pull cord's wires just to see if the fault lies with that pull cord.

I think you should put the old switch back,as it was, and see if it all works. Then start again. If you change more things, it will get worse, not better.

 

[deadshort]

I'm thinking of connecting a new switch to the remaining pull cord's wires just to see if the fault lies with that pull cord.

I think you should put the old switch back,as it was, and see if it all works. Then start again. If you change more things, it will get worse, not better.

I would take TTC's advice .

DS