Reconnecting hallway light switch.

[McGraw]

Hello.

Had some electrical issues recently that involved a check of all the light fittings.

Since the work was completed the hall lights haven't worked and I think it's caused by a wire dropping out of the socket when it was checked.

Left is to the front door hall light switch. Right goes upstairs to the landing.

Should the red wire that's disconnected (top right) be in the leftmost hole of the two empty holes?

Thanks a lot.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

However did the job for you should ideally be asked back.
Without proper testing, it would be guesswork to say what cable did what.

But on the evidence shown on picture, if one of the switch gangs is working and the second is not, I would ASSUME, that the loose cable would go in to L1 or L2 of the gang that is not functioning.

You also have a loose terminal screw in the backbox, which maybe the reason that cable is out/loose

 

[EFLImpudence]

Left is to the front door hall light switch. Right goes upstairs to the landing.

Are you sure?

 

[Risteard]

And why has a core designed to be used as a live conductor been used as a cpc? It is incorrectly identified and presumably the intended cpc in the cable is floating.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Haven't I seen this somewhere else?


Anyway
IMPORTANT. That yellow wire is NOT an earth conductor. Do not touch the switch panel, it may now be LIVE!!

Turn the power off and Remove it from the metal front panel.

That may be the wire that has fallen out, and as above, from the terminal that the loose screw has dropped out of.

ALSO
The metal panel of the switch MUST be earthed.
Where is the earth connection? There should be an earth conductor in that cable. Is there one?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

IMPORTANT. That yellow wire is NOT an earth conductor. Do not touch the switch panel, it may now be LIVE!!

Turn the power off and Remove it from the metal front panel.

The metal panel of the switch MUST be earthed.
Where is the earth connection? There should be an earth conductor in that cable. Is there one?

 

[ericmark]

It also rings alarm bells with me, in the main with two way switching com is not perment line, it is either L1 or L2 and in your picture there is a link wire between the two com termials this is not normal for two way switching, there is also yellow phase wire connected to earth and no wires into either of the L1 or L2 termials, this is not a situation where you can guess.

 

[flameport]

There is far more wrong here than just a wire falling out.

As a guess - someone removed the switch completely and then randomly shoved wires into terminals until something worked.

It is unsafe in it's current state.

 

[securespark]

Get an EIC ASAP. If there is that much wrong behind just one switch plate, chances are there is more.

 

[McGraw]

Hmm. Thanks everyone. It’s been like that for years, I helped my neighbour who is part qualified, unscrew the fittings so it must have always been partly like that. I screwed the cover back on.

I’ll get the guy back in who sorted the original problem to sort this. At least then the hall light switches will operate as they are supposed.

 

[EFLImpudence]

It’s been like that for years,

No it hasn't. You said it stopped working recently - after someone did something.

I helped my neighbour who is part qualified,

What is part qualified?

At least then the hall light switches will operate as they are supposed.

Will they?


I still think you got left and right the wrong way round but you haven't answered that.

 

[McGraw]

I’m not 100% any of the follow up questions right now as I can’t check the connections.

My neighbour works for the council.

He told me he can do work but someone else must sign it off. Maybe he isn’t qualified at all then.

He has done lots of other work for me and has meters and knows how to use them so I trust him to do basic stuff.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Just not got to light switches yet, then.

 

[McGraw]

Just not got to light switches yet, then.

He had nothing to do with this other than open up the switch and check for shorts. I put it back together so either I caused the wire to drop out or the fault lies elsewhere.

You’re probably wondering why I haven’t asked him to look at it again. He is away and now after reading this thread I will pay the guy who sorted the original problem out to look at it.

We had a short caused by the lighting cable under the stairs rubbing away so it was touching the water pipes. Again, just in case you were wondering.

I told the electrician to get back to his family (it was in between Xmas and NYE) and we’d worry about the non functional hall light another time. He never touched that switch.

 

[securespark]

Get an EIC ASAP. If there is that much wrong behind just one switch plate, chances are there is more.

We had a short caused by the lighting cable under the stairs rubbing away so it was touching the water pipes.