Wiring Hallway and Stairway Light Switches

[Registered Gas Man]

Okies Tradesman in need of help in his own home.

I have a switch downstairs in my Hallway 2 Gang which i need to make switch on both my Hall light and my Landing Light.

I can make this switch the Hallway easily, what i am failing to do is swich the Landing light on/off from downstairs and in turn switch the Hallway on/off from upstairs.

I have 2, 3 core cables downstairs (Twin and earth-I know bad practice but hastle the bad 'sparky' that was here before me )

1 of these cables finds its way to the back of the 2 gang upstairs and then i have the switched live coming from the Landing light pendant also upstairs. (This being a single cable-no earth of second live)

Hopefully you have enough info to help. If not let me know and ill give you some more.

 

[Spark123]

Are both lights on the same circuit? I hope you are not hinting at using an earth core for live? This is about as dangerous as it gets. You have 2 twin+earths between the switches, I take it you must have a live and switch live in each switch too?

 

[Registered Gas Man]

The wiring was done incorrectly before i arrived here it has never worked as i now want it to now.

In the case of my setup being incorrect i have already already sent a 3 core from my Landing light to the switch on the landing in order to replace the single core switched live.

Hmm on the same circuit he asks!
Well i checked the landing light and the live wires contained in the wiring centre in the ceiling pendant are lives from the upstairs circuit and the Hallway is on the downstairs circuit.

But the original wiring sent the live upstairs from the 2 gand switch. i mean the live to make it switch the landing on/off.

Would a pic of what i have help?

 

[Adam_151]

What would have been intended is to take a feed from com on the hall switch via a short jumper wire to com on the landing switch downstairs, the T&E to upstairs provides the strappers and they go to the L1 and L2 connections, and the same upstairs, the single phase to the light then goes to common on the upstairs switch.

The problem is that the landing light is now using the phase from downstairs and the neutral from upstairs, its called a 'borrowed neutral' and the regulations do not allow it and it can present danger in some cases (making issolated circuits live unexpectedly , etc)

 

[Registered Gas Man]

Thnx for replies guys Adam sort of got what you were saying, but there is no neutral coming from upstairs cicuit -( I think )

Anyway here is some pics.

Could really do with a fools guide to sorting if possible. No Landing or Hallway lights for a couple of nights now; missus will be pleasant for only a little while longer

 

[Spark123]

Best avoid shared neutral scenario, they hurt too!!
Is it possible to connect a 3c+e between the upstairs and the downstairs switch, in effect replacing the 2c+e? Then a 2c+e from the rose to the top switch. If you look in the wiki under 2way lighting there is info on how to wire it up.
The downstairs switch by rights should have a notice somewhere that there is more than one fuse supplying it (although most people realise that), grid switches are a good for this.

 

[Registered Gas Man]

Ok Pics up, slight banned hosting site issue.

 

[securespark]

Afraid your missus will have to be pleasant a bit longer...By your own admission, the wiring was done incorrectly before yo arrived and will never work as you want it. Therefore, you need to bite the bullet and rewire this lighting arrangement before you can safely operate the system you require.

If you have shared neutrals, I would seriously consider rewiring the lighting circuits altogether in a safe and compliant way.