Replacing old light switches

[winston1]

Just out of interest. Why are these switches being replaced? They look like decent MK ones.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

iv tried the cables terminated with yellow in common, red in l1 and l2 blue ( in the one gang I showed in the picture) and nothing was resolved... If you know what I mean

Do you really think that guesswork, trial and error, hoping to hit on the right combination by chance is a sane way to be dealing with electrical wiring?

Basically you have to choose between Plan A and Plan B.

PLAN A:

• Learn how lighting circuits are wired.
  • //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting
  • http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+lighting+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
  • //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
  • //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index
• Get a multimeter and learn how to use it.
• Identify which conductors are which at the switches and the light positions.
• Check for circuit continuity, switches working etc.
• Connect everything up properly.

PLAN B:

• Get an electrician.

There are some irresponsible people here who will tell you that there is a Plan C, which is to start trying different things without really knowing what's going on, hoping to get it working by luck, or by blindly following instructions to put-this-wire-in-that-hole without any idea as to why. Please don't listen to them - you must know what, and truly understand what, you are doing.

Electrical-installation-by-guesswork is a foolish idea.

There is no Plan C for anybody sensible.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

One step at a time.

Yes, but these should be the steps:

1. 
   Learn how lighting circuits are wired.
2. 
   Get a multimeter and learn how to use it.
3. 
   Identify which conductors are which at the switches and the light positions.
4. 
   Check for circuit continuity, switches working etc.
5. 
   Connect everything up properly.

Armed with the knowledge of how switches work, what they do inside, and a multimeter on continuity setting, it would have taken the OP less time to identify which terminals were which, and to confirm that the conductors don't change colour on their journey from one switch to another, than it did for him to take and upload the photos, let alone get engaged in all this back-and forth.

 

[deadshort]

Replacing old light switches..Help please. I'm new in the game

Electrical work in not a "game" as you have just discovered

DS

 

[ban-all-sheds]

When I read that phrase I thought "I hope that doesn't mean that this guy thinks he's an electrician".

 

[Julz94]

Well

Just out of interest. Why are these switches being replaced? They look like decent MK ones.

They are quite old tbh, and a friend of mine had a loads of mk rocker plates with mk neon locaters and wanted them changed.

 

[Julz94]

When I read that phrase I thought "I hope that doesn't mean that this guy thinks he's an electrician".

New to the game of learning, cause as you know you don't learn everything in college. I have level 3 2330.. So still fresh.. Thanks to everyone that helped.
I managed to fix the fault. It was quite simple.
I have one more question. Does a neon locator work with intermediate switches ?

 

[EFLImpudence]

Does a neon locator work with intermediate switches ?

Draw the circuit and see if you can tell whether they will or not.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Whssign

• Taylortwocities
• 16 Jul 2016

What he said

 

[ban-all-sheds]

New to the game of learning, cause as you know you don't learn everything in college. I have level 3 2330.. So still fresh..

And you can't replace a couple of *$&%^#@\| light switches?

FFS.

YOU ARE NOT AN ELECTRICIAN, AND GIVEN THE (LACK OF) SKILLS YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED HERE YOU WILL NEVER BECOME ONE.