Double Light Switch Wiring

Wailin

Looking for a bit of help with a small electrical issue. Basically, a double light switch in the attic was changed by the father in law. One switch turns on the lights in the attic, other turns on the light outside on the landing. Since he changed the switch, the light on the landing won't work.

I have attached a photo of the wiring so feel free to point out what's wrong as I haven't a clue

Just to point out, the previous switch was wired the same way but the switch had a different layout with only 3 connectors for wires.



The one that's working is the right hand switch in the pic.

aido79

Wailin wrote: »

Looking for a bit of help with a small electrical issue. Basically, a double light switch in the attic was changed by the father in law. One switch turns on the lights in the attic, other turns on the light outside on the landing. Since he changed the switch, the light on the landing won't work.

I have attached a photo of the wiring so feel free to point out what's wrong as I haven't a clue

Just to point out, the previous switch was wired the same way but the switch had a different layout with only 3 connectors for wires.



The one that's working is the right hand switch in the pic.

It would be easier to point out what's right with this!

Blue is supposed to be only used for neutrals but in this case it looks like it's being used as a switch wire by someone who had no idea what they were doing originally and used the wrong cable when wiring the lights. At the very least they could have used brown tape to cover the blue wire.

At a guess to fix the problem you need move the cable joining the loop terminals to the com terminals so the 2 browns are connected.

I would be very interested to see the wiring at the lights themselves to see if it is done as badly as the switch.

Luckysasha

Move the brown wire connecting the “loop” terminals up to the “com” terminals

Wailin

Lads i moved the brown loop up and the landing light now works but there's a new problem! If i am at the bottom of the stairs heading up to the attic, i can turn on and off the landing light grand. But if im up in the attic and turn on the landing light, once i go downstairs it wont turn off with the bottom light switch. I have to go back up to the attic and switch it off there and descend in the dark!

Any ideas? And yes, it's a bollocks of a job done by a 'friend' of ours originally.

Luckysasha

So is the landing light 2 way switched Ie: you can turn it on and off from downstairs and upstairs?

Wailin

Luckysasha wrote: »

So is the landing light 2 way switched Ie: you can turn it on and off from downstairs and upstairs?

Yes. Worked fine until the light switch was changed in the attic recently.

Luckysasha

Ok. It seems your missing a wire then. The upstairs and downstairs switches that controls the landing light should have 3 wires at each of them. Was the back box changed as well . Is it possible that there maybe is a wire shoved in behind the box by accident. The only other possibility is he was using the earth as the third wire BUT under no circumstances should you connect the earth to anything on the switch. You would make every piece of metal in your house LIVE with potentially FATAL CONSEQUENCES. I know the likes of this is very tempting to solve yourself but I’m not trying to patronize you but maybe it’s time to call in the experts

Bruthal

Try moving the brown that was in the COM terminal to the 2 WAY terminal for the attic light, leaving the link you moved to the 2 coms where it is after you moved it.

Tuco88

I like what looks to be the twist and tape job on the Earth's. Very 50s retro, id suggest placing a connector on those at some stage.

The "loop" on the switch is just a terminal does nothing uswd for neutrals.

The "Com" is the live in/feed in. From the fuse board.

The "1 way" is the switch wire. Goes to the light.

If its 2way switching you may need a different switch.

Wailin

Bruthal wrote: »

Try moving the brown that was in the COM terminal to the 2 WAY terminal for the attic light, leaving the link you moved to the 2 coms where it is after you moved it.

This did the trick. Thanks for the advice all. I'll leave it as is or I'd be tempting fate

exaisle

Wailin wrote: »

This did the trick. Thanks for the advice all. I'll leave it as is or I'd be tempting fate

Put a proper terminal on the earth wires just to be on the safe side...