Thought i was clever :(

[wayne11]

Alright guys

In my kitchen i had a light switch with four switches on, first switch was for a kitchen light, second switch for second kitchen light and the third for a conservatory light, forth switch did nothing, anyway a new kitchen cupboard was being fitted with no room for this long switch so i had one single and a double above each other. a single switch for the conservatory which works fine and the double for both the lights, whick also work fine.....until i turn the living room lights on...these wont come on until the kitchen lights are turned off and visa versa, ive tried wiring all ways and so on but with no luck, on the double switch it says common, 1way, 2 way if this is any help to you..at the moment i have red in common first switch and black in 1way on the second switch, also red in common second switch and black in 1way first switch, i hope this is any use to someone

cheers

Wayne

 

[oharaf]

Where were they previously in the 4 gang switch?

pics of your switches please!

I think you're boardline for notafiable as well!!

 

[JonoPashley]

Probably would be notifiable seeing as it wasnt just a faceplate change.
Surely it would have been much easier to just change the backbox from a double to a single and fit a 3 gang switch which would take up the same space as a single gang plate...

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MKK4873.html

 

[oharaf]

good call jono

 

[wayne11]

Here are some pics, if you need anything else please let me know

"Probably would be notifiable" sorry i dont understand, what does this mean?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/sockets/Picture009.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/sockets/plugs.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/sockets/Picture013.jpg

 

[oharaf]

Looking at the back of the old switch it is fairly clear that the other 2 switches were supplied through 'bridges'.

What this means is that there was only one live feed to the switch, now that you have removed these you have problems with the lights.

You could re instate these with new bridges between the 2 switches following your old switch, but it will be messy.

I suggest you take the advice of using a 3 gang switch and connect as was in the old 4 gang

 

[ElectricDunc]

Crack your living room light switch open and get us a picture of what's in there. By the looks of it something was wired 2 way. That 4th switch obviously did something at some point. Are you certain that it didn't do anything at all.

It's very borderline whether or not the work is notifiable. Technically the wiring hasn't been altered (no extension to the circuit) so i would possibly say you could get away with not having to notify it.

 

[wayne11]

Thanks for the replys guys, i will head off and get the 3 gang switch, Dunc i cant say if there was nothing on the forth at all at some point, we had a kitchen refit 10 years back and an external garage removed at the same time, i think there was even an outside light at some point., pic of the living room switch, first is living room ceiling lights, second wall lights, third is the porch lights and forth is the landing light
thanks again

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/Picture001.jpg

 

[wayne11]

OK this is the one i have ended up with, hope its right as there is no where else within local distance, its a bit different to the other so if you have any recommedations i would appreciate it
I have posted new and old for easy reference but im a bit lost with it to be honest
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/Picture.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/sockets/plugs.jpg
Thanks again

 

[ericmark]

Light switch

• ericmark
• 27 Apr 2009
• 2

Looking at your picture the cables to right are clearly part of a two way switching arrangement and you must get the Yellow on common and it should be no problem.

Next you can see the three commons are feed by a single red wire. The two centre switches are wired one way i.e. Off / on and should be not problem.

The switch to left however does not seem to make sense. The switch will feed either the black wire or the black and red wire and without seeing which wires come from which cables hard to tell what they may do.

I wonder if the last switch on left is used as a connector block. However as shown all four switches do something and you said only three do anything.

All I can suggest is copy what is already there.

here I show how two switches are grouped. 1, 2 and 3 are one switch and 5, 6 and 7 are a separate switch each switch is inverted to other so 3 and 7 are common and it is important to get the wires in common correct. If you swap 1 and 2 or 5 and 6 the off will become on and on will become off but get 3 and 7 in wrong place and it will not work.

 

[wayne11]

Hi Ericmark
The picture you are showing is the front room switch where there isnt a problem, just a pic someone requested further up the thread, these two pics are the ones im talking about, 1st is how the original kitchen switch looked when wired up, second is the new switch i got today that needs the first pic wiring into...if you know what i mean? bare with me mate

Or am i suppose to change the front room one too?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/sockets/plugs.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b157/xp200/Picture.jpg

Thanks again

 

[ColJack]

please feel free to upload your pictures here and use the forum functions to put expandable thumbnails into the messages..

all 4 of those switches are being used,, which one is no longer needed? as you look at the photo now..

and what's the deal with the "kitchen light 2" ? either that's wired weird, or it never switches off?

 

[wayne11]

Looking at the picture now the switch was unscrewed and pulled down if i remember right, so as it looks now from left to right the first was blank or used to be something, second conservatory 3rd and 4th were the lights...doesnt look right does it? although it has switched off the past 10 years

 

[ColJack]

so in other words, the picture of the 4 gang switch is of no use whatsoever because you can't be sure that the wires went where you've drawn them?



we're good, but c'mon.. we need something to work with...

how about doing us a picture of the switches you have fitted now in the kitchen and label them what switch does what and a much clearer description...

ok I didn't see this one higher up..

 

[wayne11]

I cant be sure if the picture of the the socket was as it is now or upside down but the wires went where i said they did as i have a drawing in front of me that i did before i took them out, i didnt think you was that good

There is already a picture that shows how the sockets are now, both wires are both the lights

As already mentioned..first light... 1red goes to common on first switch 1 black goes to 1way on the second switch...second light...1red goes to common on second switch 1 black goes to 1way on the first switch..i honestly cant explain any other way

There is the conservatory lights cable that goes to a single switch below this one that is working, i can only assume this cable is needed in some way?

cheers