Switch (Red Light) - Again!!!

[Tell]

Hi again. Just to refresh your memories. I installed a new wall switch for my washing machine and the litle red light on the switch that indicates if it is on stays on continually whether the switch is on or not. A few people told me (which i am very grateful for) that it was load and feed the wrong way round so i swapped them and it is still the same. I have the switched wired up as follows. LOAD -N - 2 BLACK WIRES, LOAD -L- 2 RED WIRES,
FEED - L - 1 RED WIRE, FEED - N - 1 BLACK WIRE, AND TWO SEPERATE EARTH WIRES INTO SEPERATES SCREWHOLDESR. Is this right? Any help appreciated again folks.
Ps thanks again for all previous help

 

[securespark]

You need a multi-meter.

You need to be able to ascertain which wires are the feed and which the load.

Is it possible you have mixed up the wires so in the same terminals you have feed and load cables?

Use a MM to work out which are feed and load, connect them to the correct terminals and if your switch still lights up permanently, then you have to check the following: if your switch has flying leads that connect the neon indicator to the terminals, make sure these are connected to the load side, otherwise they will remain on all the time. Connecting the neon to the load side ensures it is only illuminated whe the switch is on.

 

[Paul_C]

Is the washing machine receiving power all the time, no matter what the position of the switch? If so, and if this spur is tapped into a ring circuit, then you have definitely mixed up the cables.

If this is indeed the case, then a much more serious problem than the light staying on is that with the switch open you will be breaking the ring, risking an overload of the cables.

 

[Tell]

No the switch is working fine ie no power to washing machine when off. Only problem being the light constantly on. Thanks

 

[notb665]

Maybe the light is on all the time so you can see where the switch is in the dark. Maybe the light isn't to there to say on/off?!?!

However, you still need (a multimeter) to find out which cable is which so you can wire it up properly.

 

[MANDATE]

Hi Tell! I noticed something in your post that is puzzling me.You appear to have 1 red wire to 'feed' L and one black wire to 'feed' N, However on the 'load' side you indicate two wires coming from each terminal. One pair for the washing machine, so what is the other pair for? and is it related to your problem ? Or Have I got it wrong?

 

[notb665]

I think it could be two of the pairs belong to the ring main and so go in the 'feed' terminals, and the other pair is a spur which goes to the appliance from the 'load' terminals.

But then I ain't there with my multimeter.