two gang switch, one wire?

[bionicspider]

While doing some work in the kitchen I removed the two gang, one way light switch. Having replaced similar switches before I didn't pay enough attention to the origional layout of the wires.

Coming to replace it I found that there is one three core wire, a single core wire and a short peice of joining wire. This previously worked independantly for both light.

I can only think that the red wire from the 3-core, and the single core wires should go to com with the black wire from the three core in L1 with the joiner wire connecting L1 and L1 for both sides of the switch and the earth to earth terminal.

Does this sound right and am I in danger of shorting the circuit if I get the live feed for one light connected to the live feed for the other light rather than the live out

 

[IanDB]

Just some clarification. When you say "three core" do you mean twin and earth or three core and earth?

In order to get this right you've got to work out which is the live feed. This can go to COM on one and be linked to COM on the other.

Then it's the switched live L1 to each light.

Simple huh? Bet you wished you'd written it down first though!!

 

[bionicspider]

I mean twin and earth, and yes I do wish I hadn't been in such a rush and written it down.

Any advise on identifying which is the live feed. Would one of those screwdriver type tools with the LED in the handle work to identify the live wire?

Thanks in advance.

 

[IanDB]

At the risk of getting burnt in vitriolic hate mail from other readers, if you have a neon tester, then this will do to check for the presence of the live feed. However, if you get an illumination off all three cores then don't come back and say so, go and buy a small moving coil multimeter.

(You'd have to have read some previous posts to know where I'm coming from!)

 

[plugwash]

it sounds like someone used the earth core as a second switched live.

to fix this properly you are going to have to find the other end of that cable and replace it.

 

[andy]

it sounds like someone used the earth core as a second switched live.

to fix this properly you are going to have to find the other end of that cable and replace it.

id have guessed then the red from the T+E is the main feed. the black from the T+E is the switched live back to the light. the single core goes to the other light. the neutral for that light may be a single core to the other light. and the earth should then be the earth

 

[bionicspider]

All sorted now, thanks to everyone for your help. The live was live, the black the switch to one light, the single core the switch to the other and the earth the earth. So now I have light when I get home. Cheers

 

[plugwash]

it sounds like someone used the earth core as a second switched live.

to fix this properly you are going to have to find the other end of that cable and replace it.

id have guessed then the red from the T+E is the main feed. the black from the T+E is the switched live back to the light. the single core goes to the other light. the neutral for that light may be a single core to the other light. and the earth should then be the earth

sorry i misread the original post didn't notice the mention of the single core wire.