Rewiring light switch - 3 live wires but only 2 terminals

[StudioAB]

Hello,

I recently disconnected a light switch to remove a stud wall.

I've now tried to wire the light switch back in but not sure how to do it as I didn't make a note of how it was originally wired.

There are 3 live wires but only 2 live terminals (marked L and L1) in my switch which I think is a 1 way 1 gang.

Do I need to put 2 of the 3 lives together into one of the terminals? And if so, does it matter which ones?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Taylortwocities]

Of course it matters!

It is most likely that you do not have 3 live wires.
You probably have one live feed in,
one wich will be the live feed out to other lights (do you have some others that do not work any more?)
and one which is the switched output to the light.

Ther are other permutations too......lots of them

Do you have a mutimeter? Or a two-probe voltage tester?

You could post a photo of your wires, but it will only be guesswork......

PS. How many light fittings does this switch control?

 

[StudioAB]

Thanks for the reply. Here's a photo of what's going on...

This switch only controlled a ceiling light... but I also had to disconnect a fuse switch nearby and a double wall socket.

Since then, a separate switch controlling spotlights in the kitchen now doesn't work.

I've reconnected the fuse switch so far but not the double socket (and not this light switch).

Hope that might help!

 

[motorbiking]

It could be 2 for the live switch and 1 for the light ?

edit: posted before the pic

 

[StudioAB]

OK - so 2 of the live wires should share a terminal...

Does it matter which ones?

Is it safe to try each by trial and error or do I need to determine which ones go into which terminal first?

Unfortunately I don't have a multimeter or voltage tester.

 

[securespark]

You could work by trial and error.

Basically one brown will be live with the power on. One of the others will supply power to the switch that is no longer working. These two wires need to go together in terminal L.

And the third will control the light, that goes in terminal L1.

Of course, however you work on this circuit, make sure it is dead before doing so.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Get a multimeter before your next job.

 

[EFLImpudence]

 

[StudioAB]

Will give it a go.

Thanks for the help - much appreciated!

 

[EFLImpudence]

Can you tell which cable goes to light by the direction of the cables?

I.e. does one go up and two go sideways?

 

[sparkwright]

Is there a brown wire which has had it's end doubled over?

This will enable us to make an informed guess.

 

[StudioAB]

All sorted out now and appears I got the wires in the right terminals luckily...

sparkwright - yes, I noticed there was a live with the end doubled over. That was one of the lives going into the COM terminal.

Does the doubled over mean something?

 

[sparkwright]

Usually where only one wire enters a terminal, the end is doubled over, as the end is less likely to get damaged.

Usually where two or more wires enter a terminal, the ends are not doubled over.

So, in your case I would expect the doubled over wire to go in one terminal (doesn't matter which), and the remaining two wires in the remaining terminal.

 

[StudioAB]

That might well be why the kitchen spotlights are now only working when the dining light switch is on!

Will change it so the doubled wire is in its own terminal.

Great advice - thanks again

 

[Taylortwocities]

Sparkwright = Sherlock! Good shout.