Trying to change light in my loft

[porkypeake]

Porky - how many conductors link the landing and hall switches?

I'm really sorry but I don't understand the question.

There is one switch for the landing light upstairs and one switch downstairs.

I understand the point you've made re safety and appreciate that. Everything I have done so far has been with the Main Switch OFF, so that's ok, so far, right?

 

[riveralt]

Picking up on the BAS point - I thought that you had said earlier that both the upstairs and downstairs switches operated correctly - is this correct?
Is there a separate switch for the loft light and is this the one you have tested for continuity?

I take it you connected the switch wires together at the terminal strip by the light and tested across the C & L1 at the switch?

And you have double checked that the cables in the switches are properly terminated?

Again picking the BAS second point - How many wires and their colours are at each switch? As I said earlier photographs would help.

 

[EFLImpudence]

So I went ahead and connected both red cables in the live, both earths in the earth and both black cables in the neutral. It didn't work and now none of my upstairs lights work. I've checked the fuse box and the fuse still seems ok.

It can't be - or have I missed something else?

Edit - Just reread and found already covered - sorry.

 

[porkypeake]

There is a switch upstairs and downstairs for the landing light. That works ok though BAS advises is technically not wired up correctly.

There is a seperate switch for the loft light.

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• porkypeake
• 20 May 2011
• 1

This is the switch nearest the camera. I have tried earlier a different switch in case this was the problem. The wires are in nice and snug.

These are the wires in the loft:

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• porkypeake
• 20 May 2011
• 1

I have identified the switch live since I took the photo. The other set of wires is coming from the rose in the landing light.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The next thing you need to do, once you have proved circuit dead, is to do continuity test on the whole lighting circuit.
It would be advisable to isolate the whole system, if you are going in to the fuse box, it could also be worth seeing if by chance the conductors for the circuit are still in place and not loose or broken/damaged at the fuse box.
So you then need a cross connection (link) of CPC and Line of that circuit at fuse box.
Then go back and check continuity at the fitting, opening and closing the switch will give you an open and closed circuit proving you have continuity if you get a reading, (the reading will be quite high with all the luminaires (bulbs) still fitted, consider removing all of them for a better reading) polarity will aslo be proved as will that the switch operates.
Also check continuity of the neutral.

 

[porkypeake]

Everything is now all sorted!

Uncle Jamie came round and fixed everything. There was a loose wire in the ceiling rose of my son's bedroom.

God Bless Uncle Jamie.

Thanks to everyone else for their efforts.

Cheers.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Porky - how many conductors link the landing and hall switches?

I'm really sorry but I don't understand the question.

See this: http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:two-way-lighting#schematic - which type of 2-way switching for the landing light do you have?

And look at the landing light - where does it get its neutral from?

Everything is now all sorted!

My best guess is that it's not.