Two way switch advice

[dmills27]

All,
I need some help with a switch issue that I have. It is my hall light and hasn't worked since I moved in. It is a two way switch, one downstairs, and one up. The configuration is as follows:

Switch 1 - Ground Floor - Green wire in L1, red Wire in common.

Switch 2 - disconnected but has one 3 core wire coming from the bottom that is yellow, blue, and red. And one two core from the top that it black and red.

The wiring is quite up to date and I am comfortable working with electrics safely - any advice appreciated as to how to wire the upstairs switch.

Many Thanks

 

[ricicle]

Can you post a picture of both switches, especially switch 1, as something sounds a little odd. Are you sure this is the configuration at that switch?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Switch 1 - Ground Floor - Green wire in L1, red Wire in common.

Green??

Switch 2 - disconnected but has one 3 core wire coming from the bottom that is yellow, blue, and red. And one two core from the top that it black and red.

Well that sounds more like what you'd expect.

The problem is that as Switch 1 has green & red, and not the other end of the red/yellow/blue strapper then you're going to have to track down where that goes, and where the red/green comes from.

A multimeter for checking continuity and identifying permanent and switched lives will be invaluable.

BTW - Have you not mentioned earths for clarity, or because there aren't any?

The wiring is quite up to date and I am comfortable working with electrics safely - any advice appreciated as to how to wire the upstairs switch.

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[dmills27]

Hi,
yes - I left the earth out of the equation but they are there. Also I think the green wire is a sleeve.

I have attached 4 pictures, pictures one and two show the downstairs switch - this is a three gang switch but the one I am interested in is the one on the left.






Pictures three and for show the upstairs switch.

 

[dmills27]

All fixed now - looks like someone had unsuccessfully played around with it before - I have re-wired as per the diagram and all is working - thanks for your help!

 

[Steve]

All fixed now - looks like someone had unsuccessfully played around with it before - I have re-wired as per the diagram and all is working - thanks for your help!

Does the downstairs switch work as required? It cant. Its impossible. Unless you have connected that black, and then mysteriously it changes to 3C+E at the upstairs switch.

What you have is dangerous. Someone has used an earth as a live core. Very dangerous for anyone working on this in future, and its not double insulated.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yup - looks like the earth core in twin&earth has been used because whoever did it was too stupid and/or lazy to use 3C+E.

And somewhere he joined it onto the 3C+E from the top switch - the odds on that being soundly done are not good.

And where is the E from the 3C+E anyway?

dmills - what you have is very wrong - it's not an exaggeration to say it could kill somebody - you must disconnect it right away, and replace the link between the two switches with the correct type of cable.

 

[dmills27]

OK - all points taken - I was more worried about getting the top switch working which it did but the bottom was left as it was. I'll disconnect the top one again now.

 

[securespark]

Why not wire the landing switch as a one way? Then at least it will work, albeit only from the top switch.

 

[dmills27]

Hi,
yes this would be better than nothing, and in the future I will connect a remote switch so we can switch it from downstairs. Judging by the previous posts though I am worried that their is not sufficient wiring in the to do this safely, which wires would now be obsolete, and I assume I need to pay particular attention to ensure there is an earth (although the light I will be using will be double insulated.
Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You've already got the switches you need - just replace the incorrect cabling linking the two.

The circuit should have all the earths properly connected, even if some of the lights are double insulated, because

a) they might not all be
b) metal switches need them
c) people in the future might fit different lights or switches.

What's particularly bad about what you've got isn't just that there's no guaranteed earth continuity but that in at least one cable the earth core is being used as a live.

 

[dmills27]

Unfortunately though it is not easy as that as re-running a wire from downstairs to upstairs isn't possible. (not without a major mess anyway) so I am happy to have a single upstairs switch as a compromise.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do you have one lighting circuit, or separate up/down ones?

Can you find where the 3C+E is joined to the Twin&Earth?

Have you got a multimeter?

 

[dmills27]

Yes - there are two seperate circuits, and I do have a multimeter.

I don't know where it joins but may be able to get some floorborads up to check

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Yes - there are two seperate circuits,

That's a pity....

and I do have a multimeter.

I don't know where it joins but may be able to get some floorborads up to check

Not relevant now to an alternative way there might have been to get 2-way switching to work I'm afraid...

But you should do the latter to see what's up.