Trying to put a 2 gang 1 way switch back - not playing ball.

[shabbaranks]

Hey guys,

Before I go mad with this can anyone shed some "light" on this subject for me please?

Im trying to put the light switch back to the way it was from 4 years ago, but I dont get how its wired up. Its a 2 gang 1 way switch to 2 seperate lights [/url]http://imgur.com/xr6IS I have 4 brown wires - shouldnt...d 1 to each L2 on either side (2)?? Thanks

 

[Spark123]

http://imgur.com/xr6IS

It depends how the installer wired them up originally.
As for the switches, one side of each switch is COM and the other side is either L1 or L2, if you use the wrong one all that will happen is the switch will work upside down.
Are the four wires in two separate cables?

 

[shabbaranks]

Yes they are, theres 2 from one side and 2 from the other. The blue wires go into a block which isnt even attached to the switch

 

[Spark123]

So you have 4 cables each with brown and blue?
(I ask as it is possible to buy twin brown cable)

 

[shabbaranks]

Sorry as soon as I put that reply I was thinking Im probably confusing the situation.

There are 4 brown wires 2 comin out of one conduit and 2 coming out of the other. At the moment I can only get 1 light working at a time depending on which com has which live wire.

 

[Spark123]

Yep, I'm confused!!
As you mentioned terminal block I'm wondering if they used loop in at the switch method as described here:
//www.diynot.com/wiki/electric...rminal-block-enclosed-within-the-light-switch
where there is a loop between the two switches and a feed out to the next light along.
Any chance of uploading a photo?

 

[shabbaranks]

Yeah here is one... I was a bit hesitant to upload a pic as I didnt want people to think I was just sticking anything in any hole and seeing what comes back. I thought a live should go into each com and the other cable in each L1/L2 http://imgur.com/fz6mz

 

[Spark123]

Probably not, how many light fittings does the switch connect to?
Do the other lights on the circuit work too?
Chances are there is only one brown wire in there that is permanently live.

 

[shabbaranks]

The switch connects to 2 pendant light fittings, and only one is working at the moment. And its a 2 gang light switch as you saw from the first pic

 

[Spark123]

Is there other lights on the circuit which do not work?
Chances are that there is only one brown wire which is permanently live.

 

[shabbaranks]

Yeah there are other lights on the circuit and they all work. Its just 1 in the lounge that doesnt work

 

[Spark123]

It is nigh on impossible to say for sure without seeing the system for myself what all of the cables do.
One will be the supply cable (permanently live)
One for light no 1 (lounge)
One for light no 2 (the other one)
The fourth one is the puzzler!!
I think you will need to link permanent live across the two commons however without knowing what the fourth cable is for leads me to think you'd be better getting someone in to find out what it does - I'd be wary about reconnecting it and making it live.

 

[shabbaranks]

As the live stops at the block - wouldnt this indicate this is the end of the lighting cable run? Hence why its not effecting the other lights?

 

[Spark123]

Not sure, I suspect there is a loop through to another light as per the drawing I linked to above, you have too many cables for just two lights.
It could be the other lights have been removed or something hence I'd be wary about re-connecting it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I was a bit hesitant to upload a pic as I didnt want people to think I was just sticking anything in any hole and seeing what comes back.

So what are you doing then?

Because one thing you appear to be not doing is identifying what each conductor is before just sticking them into switch terminals and seeing if both lights work.....