What on earth could be going on here in this light switch?

[michael123123]

I'm in the process of fixing all the 2 way switch wiring which was entirely incorrectly wired by previous owner.

I've now made it to this triple switch by the front door. Looking at the switch straight on, I believe it should be (left to right), front door external light, garage external light, 2-way hall switch.

Photos attached are looking down from above. Coming into the back box. On the left, there are 2 2-core and earth, and on the right are 2 3 core and earth.

Where do I start in terms of the floating solid red cable, the various jump cables and the blacks/blue uniting in the terminal block?!

 

[SUNRAY]

I'm in the process of fixing all the 2 way switch wiring which was entirely incorrectly wired by previous owner.

I've now made it to this triple switch by the front door. Looking at the switch straight on, I believe it should be (left to right), front door external light, garage external light, 2-way hall switch.

Photos attached are looking down from above. Coming into the back box. On the left, there are 2 2-core and earth, and on the right are 2 3 core and earth.

Where do I start in terms of the floating solid red cable, the various jump cables and the blacks/blue uniting in the terminal block?!

Well apart from the naughty use of the earth wire as a red switched live that looks perfectly normal to me.

 

[terryplumb]

Well apart from the naughty use of the earth wire as a red switched live that looks perfectly normal to me.

There is no earth conductor used as a live ??

 

[michael123123]

Sorry and what I should've added is that the 2 outdoor lights seem to variously get stuck on and off depending on what combination of switches are used.

The 2 way switch for the hall lights works correctly.

 

[terryplumb]

The centre switch has nothing connected to its output terminals ,so the floating red wire has likely come adrift when pulling switch away from wall ,and needs to go into L2.
Please explain what you mean by " outside lights getting stuck on/ off"

 

[CBW]

There is no earth conductor used as a live ??

Hard to tell, but this does appear to be red to green/yellow?

 

[michael123123]

The centre switch has nothing connected to its output terminals ,so the floating red wire has likely come adrift when pulling switch away from wall ,and needs to go into L2.
Please explain what you mean by " outside lights getting stuck on/ off"

It's making a bit more sense now. The left switch does the 1 way front door external light correctly, the right hand switch does the 2 way hall light correctly, and I've now inserted the loose red into the middle L2 as suggested.

Now, when I flick the middle switch off, the PIR garage light switches on and then times out and turns off after a few seconds. It doesn't turn on again with movement.

 

[SUNRAY]

There is no earth conductor used as a live ??

My apologies, on a different computer this looked like an earth wire sleeved red.
I now see there is a second T&E in the back.

 

[SUNRAY]

Hard to tell, but this does appear to be red to green/yellow?

No that's 2x T&E with both earths sharing an earth sleeve.
I agree it is not easy, especially on my older computer.

 

[CBW]

No that's 2x T&E with both earths sharing an earth sleeve.
I agree it is not easy, especially on my older computer.

Just seen it now, you can just about make out the red returns on a bend

 

[mikeyd]

Now, when I flick the middle switch off, the PIR garage light switches on and then times out and turns off after a few seconds. It doesn't turn on again with movement.

Try again when it gets dark.
If the middle switch is upside down, move the wire you put in L2 to L3

 

[terryplumb]

Sounds like you are switching the light on ,not off. Swapping the " floating" red wire into L3 would correct the switches orientation ,and align it with the left hand switch.