Wall lights

[Wilad]

On moving into a new property I removed some standard wall lights that i believed we're controlled by a normal wall switch. I have now just replaced these with two simple 3 wire units from B and Q. I have gone to use the switch that i believed controlled these before and the lights will not turn off, they are permanantly live. After disconnecting the switch its become clear that this switch has nothing to do with these lights and something else needs to be done to switch the lights off. the Switch in question I thought worked has two looms coming into it. One has Switch Live, Earth and Live and the other has two lives and an earth. Is there any information you guys can give me onto how to disable this circuit with a switch or is it time for me to admit defeat and call in a sparky? On reflection last night i think the last wall lights had their own cord switch on them in order to make the circuit switch on and off. Do i need to revert back to units like this or is there a reason that my switch i believed worked needs to be wired a certain way. Your thoughts are appreciated and Thanks in advance

 

[comms]

i think the last wall lights had their own cord switch on them

whilst reading I was thinking oh dear oh dear pull switches, then hey presto you got it

One way round it ( I've used in the past for a customer who did the same as you) would be to fit architrave switches & backboxes below each light.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...essories/Wall_Switches_White_4_Arc/index.html

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/MK3921.html

 

[Wilad]

Thanks. You can imagine my face after thinking that I'd done so well sorting these things out and then at midnight last night i could not turn the things off! I think i will try and find some with seperate switches but thanks for your help.

 

[bernardgreen]

How many cables going to the light fittings ?

Does one have three cables.

[1] Live and neutral feed

[2] Live to switch and switched live back from switch.

[3] Neutral and switched live to the other light fitting.

 

[Space cat]

Switch in question I thought worked has two looms coming into it. One has Switch Live, Earth and Live and the other has two lives and an earth.

That's a lot of wires for a single switch. A simple on-off switch needs just two wires and earth. How are all those wires connected and what, if anything, does this switch control?

This is a long shot but it's worth investigating. It's just possible that the switch is connected in some way to those wall lights but somebody has bypassed it by moving switched live cores into a permanent live terminal. If this is true then you can un-bypass it but you'll have to do some detective work to find out where all those wires go.