Two lights, three switches, wiring problems.

[benvincent]

Hello

I have a hallway with two lights. They are turned on and off by three seperate wall swithces.

They occasionally flickered. I discovered it was probably due to a faulty wall switch - but not after trying to completely rewire the ceiling roses.

I didn't make a note of how the roses were wired in the first place, and in hindsight I definately should have.

I think I have tried almost every combination of wiring, but I believe I have worked out that it is the earth wires that are causing the issues. I remember before changing the wiring, that the earth wires in the rose with the live swich wire, were wired in with the other wires, and not in the earth slot. That is why I decided to try and rewire them, because every diagram I found on the internet showed the earth wires going into the earth slot.

The picture below shows how the roses look, the first set-up is how certain diagrams I have found suggest they should be wired. Set-up two shows the nearest I have got to get at least one light working propertly.

Is this enough information to allow someone to very kindly give me some pointers?

http://www.magnoliaproperties.co.uk/rose.gif

Many thanks.

Ben

 

[ColJack]

you need a multimeter son..

the earth shouldn't have anything to do with the function of the lighting..
the fact that connecting the earth to the neutral makes one light work suggests that you've got a broken neutral somewhere else..

we need more info on the switching arrangement..
do both lights get controlled at the same time by any one of the 3 switches?

 

[benvincent]

Hi ColJack

Thank you for your quick reply. I actually bought a digital clamp meter to determine which was the live switch wire, could I use that?

The only thing is, both lights were working before I started rewiring, so unless I broke a neutral wire during the rewiring, which I think is unlikely, I think it might be something else.

Any other possibilities?

Ben

 

[ColJack]

the flickering points to a loose or broken neutral as well..

clamp meter is ok if it has probes and a continuity setting.. absolutely no use if it's just a current clamp meter..

and you didn't answer the question. are the lights supposed to come on together when any of the 3 switches are operatid?

 

[benvincent]

Hi

Sorry I missed your question.

Yes both lights come on together when any of the three switches are switched on.

I'm sorry to have wasted your time, but I've actually just got it working! I just simplified it, and put all the red wires in with the brown wire, all the black wires in with the blue wire, and it works!

Just a bit surprised that the middle block of screws in both roses are empty - as all the diagrams I have seen show that one of the live switch wires going into that block, along with the other red wire. So although I have the lights working, I would be interested to know why that is?

here is the diagram of it working:
http://www.magnoliaproperties.co.uk/roseworking.gif

Ben

 

[ColJack]

http://www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:intermediate

top picture.. and the second one down..

the live goes to the switch and the switched live and neutral then goes onto the light..