Wiring a two-way light switch

lukin

Could someone help me with wiring a two-way light switch? I have looked at a lot of guides and videos online and they all show different ways of doing it so I am totally confused.
I have got one bulb lighting with the way I have it wired in the pic here but when I turn the switch off the trip switch on the fuse box goes down and cuts the power.
The brown and blue cables are going to the bulb. The two grey ones are coming from the power input (I don't know which is neutral and which is power though, they are just coloured like that). There isn't an earth cable.
The brown cable is going into an input on the switch with "1 way" printed beside it. The blue cable is going into an input on the switch with "2 way" printed beside it.
Is the power being cut when I turn the switch for that side off because the other side isn't wired up for the other bulb?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Ak84

I think it is a one way switch that you have here. I would advise to get an electrician to sort this out for you. Blue wires should not be in switches.

lukin

Ak84 wrote: »

I think it is a one way switch that you have here. I would advise to get an electrician to sort this out for you. Blue wires should not be in switches.

There are two switches on the other side.

aido79

lukin wrote: »

Could someone help me with wiring a two-way light switch? I have looked at a lot of guides and videos online and they all show different ways of doing it so I am totally confused.
I have got one bulb lighting with the way I have it wired in the pic here but when I turn the switch off the trip switch on the fuse box goes down and cuts the power.
The brown and blue cables are going to the bulb. The two grey ones are coming from the power input (I don't know which is neutral and which is power though, they are just coloured like that). There isn't an earth cable.
The brown cable is going into an input on the switch with "1 way" printed beside it. The blue cable is going into an input on the switch with "2 way" printed beside it.
Is the power being cut when I turn the switch for that side off because the other side isn't wired up for the other bulb?
Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

This is one of the most dangerous things I have seen for a while. The reason it's tripping the mcb is because you are connecting live to neutral every time you turn the switch on.
It's not a 2 way switch either. It's a 2 gang switch.
If you strip back some of the grey cable there will be either brown or blue underneath it. The blues should be joined together in a connector and not in the switch and the browns are for switching.
To be honest I think you should leave it alone and call an electrician as you obviously have no idea what you are doing.

Bruthal

It is a 2 way switch. 2 gang 2 way. One way its switching L to the light, and switch the other way looks like L to N and tripping breaker by the look of it.

Blues should be taken out and put in a connector, but with such random connecting in the photo, someone who has some idea what they are at would be recommended.

Steve

I googled this to find a good example of how to wire it but it seems the internet is full of examples of how to do it wrong.

https://circuitdigest.com/electronic-circuits/2-way-light-switch

The above link explains it - just disregard the wire colours in the first image.

As Bruthal said, the blue conductors in what you marked as the 'power' lines should not go to the switch.

In theory, both lives between the 2-way switches should be brown, although common practice is to ignore this and use a brown / blue / GY T&E especially in domestic installs.

As I keep saying in here, if you don't understand it, you need to get someone who does. The wrong decision can kill you.

lukin

Cool, thanks for the replies. I will probably get an electrician to do it because it is located outside and I have been trying to do it after work in the evenings in the dark with a flashlamps etc. I don't have time at the weekend.
I did find it amazing that there wasn't one decent guide on how to do it online though.

whizbang

For those who are going to have a go anyway...

The brown wire to the bulb needs to go into the top common connection.
The 2 power feeds should have come from the other (downstairs) switch. Check this switch has the two feeds connected in the same way.
These need to go into the bottom 1,2 connections. Don't matter which one goes where.

aido79

whizbang wrote: »

For those who are going to have a go anyway...

The brown wire to the bulb needs to go into the top common connection.
The 2 power feeds should have come from the other (downstairs) switch. Check this switch has the two feeds connected in the same way.
These need to go into the bottom 1,2 connections. Don't matter which one goes where.

The OP can confirm this but in the picture there seems to be 2 blue wires. This means it can't be a 2 way switch and so it's just a 1 way switch if so it's just a matter of putting the blues in a connector, brown wire that goes to the bulb in L1 and other brown to common terminal at the top.

Steve

aido79 wrote: »

The OP can confirm this but in the picture there seems to be 2 blue wires. This means it can't be a 2 way switch and so it's just a 1 way switch if so it's just a matter of putting the blues in a connector, brown wire that goes to the bulb in L1 and other brown to common terminal at the top.

IT IS INDEED A 2 WAY SWITCH.

Sorry for shouting that, it needed to be done

The switch type has nothing to do with the wires / colours going into it.

The OP needs someone who knows what they are doing to help them do this safely and I am glad they have chosen this route. Please, for everyone's sake, do not give out unqualified advice.

(apologies to the mods here, I'm not BSM, just trying to help)

aido79

Steve wrote: »

IT IS INDEED A 2 WAY SWITCH.

Sorry for shouting that, it needed to be done

The switch type has nothing to do with the wires / colours going into it.

The OP needs someone who knows what they are doing to help them do this safely and I am glad they have chosen this route. Please, for everyone's sake, do not give out unqualified advice.

(apologies to the mods here, I'm not BSM, just trying to help)

I'll rephrase it. If there are 2 neutrals then it not possible for the switch to be operating as a 2 way switch as 3 wires are needed for 2 way switching.

If I am right about there being 2 neutrals then let's see who is giving out unqualified advice.

A one way switch and a 2 way switch are physically the same with L2 only being used for 2 way switching.

lukin

I was off yesterday and got it done. This link explained it to me:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/101304/wiring-an-attic-light-and-bathroom-light-to-a-2-gang-switch
I bought a different switch but I am sure it was the same as the one I had already.
The two lights are working independently now, here is the way I have it wired:
https://ibb.co/QpCjyfv
At the bottom of that pic the two blue cables from the lights are connected via a joiner to live from the power (even though you can only see one blue cable in the pic).
Live and neutral had the same colour so I couldn't tell which was which.
I was too proud to go an electrician really
I have everything insulated safely btw.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

As rough as sandpaper

chooseusername

lukin wrote: »

I was off yesterday and got it done. This link explained it to me:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/101304/wiring-an-attic-light-and-bathroom-light-to-a-2-gang-switch
I bought a different switch but I am sure it was the same as the one I had already.
The two lights are working independently now, here is the way I have it wired:
https://ibb.co/QpCjyfv
At the bottom of that pic the two blue cables from the lights are connected via a joiner to live from the power (even though you can only see one blue cable in the pic).
Live and neutral had the same colour so I couldn't tell which was which.
I was too proud to go an electrician really
I have everything insulated safely btw.

I will probably get an electrician to do it because it is located outside
Sometimes it's best to swallow your pride!
I would still get the electrician in.

Absolutely disgraceful workmanship.

This is it

I can't even figure out what's done in your pic.

The link you have isn't for two way switching, it's switching of two lights separately with the feed looped and two switch wires.

Two way is feed into switch one, strappers (two brown) from switch one to switch two and switch wire to light from switch two with neutral looped from another light, or similar. Earth carried with the feed, strappers, switch wire.

This gives you the ability to switch one light from two locations. Landing light from up and downstairs for example.

This is it

I just realised, you're asking about a two gang two way light switch, not actually wiring two way.

Live in to common, looped to the other common with switch wire to each light out of L1.

Anyway, you pic is a mess, I'd get it sorted out. Last thing you want is a house fire this close to Christmas.

aido79

I realise you said it was outside in the dark and you'd have to do it with a flashlight but that's no excuse for this. Did you even use the flashlight?
You don't seem to know even basic things like blue is neutral and brown is live going by what you have written on the picture.

bonzodog2

If I'm reading your picture right, you are switching the neutral. One pin will be live in the lampholder always. Dangerous.

ShiverinEskimo

I love the OPs photos.
no sign of a back box etc,even a wall.
Is this switch just flapping around in the breeze?
The worst work I've seen on baords!!

This is it

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

They're switching two lights in a two gang switch, not two way switching. I think we were all caught out

This is it

Just to note, when I did a quick search for two way switching I got some mental diagrams. They probably work, I didn't get a chance to look over, but the above diagram is correct and the most simply drawn, no sign of it when I searched!

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

That’s how I’d tackle two way switching. But looking at the OPs workmanship, why would you give that to them, his jobs in bits!

Bruthal

This is it wrote: »

Last thing you want is a house fire this close to Christmas.

I suppose it wound`t be as bad in late June

Bruthal

This is it wrote: »

Just to note, when I did a quick search for two way switching I got some mental diagrams. They probably work, I didn't get a chance to look over, but the above diagram is correct and the most simply drawn, no sign of it when I searched!

There is another wiring method I used a few times. Makes wiring from an existing single way (which is changed to a 2 way) to a new 2 way easier. No need to wire the light from the second switch as the standard diagram would show. So just 3 wires and earth needed to loop from switch 1 to switch 2, and that`s it

Feed into L1, and onto second switch L1
Switch wire into L2, and loop to second switch L2
Common from first switch just links to common of second.

Bruthal

Bruthal wrote: »

Feed into L1, and onto second switch L1
Switch wire into L2, and loop to second switch L2
Common from first switch just links to common of second.

Nice,
Don't think I've ever seen that done.

salmocab

lukin wrote: »

I was off yesterday and got it done. This link explained it to me:
https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/101304/wiring-an-attic-light-and-bathroom-light-to-a-2-gang-switch
I bought a different switch but I am sure it was the same as the one I had already.
The two lights are working independently now, here is the way I have it wired:
https://ibb.co/QpCjyfv
At the bottom of that pic the two blue cables from the lights are connected via a joiner to live from the power (even though you can only see one blue cable in the pic).
Live and neutral had the same colour so I couldn't tell which was which.
I was too proud to go an electrician really
I have everything insulated safely btw.

To be honest looking at that photo and reading your description I think you should still get an electrician out.

Bruthal

BrownFinger wrote: »

Nice,
Don't think I've ever seen that done.

Useful if adding second switch to existing single way. No need to reroute switch wire. Or any situation where switch wire is easier wired from the same switch that the supply is going to.

Lex Luthor

2 switches, both 2 way type (they have 3 terminals, L1, L2 & Com)

Turn off power
Connect the brown live wire from consumer unit to Com of Switch 1
Connect Live wire of light to Com of Switch 2
Connect L1 of SW1 to L2 of SW2 (use a brown sleeve to indicate this wire is occasionally live)
Connect L2 of SW1 to L1 of SW2 (use a brown sleeve to indicate this wire is occasionally live)
Switch on power

BOOM...!!!

aido79

Lex Luthor wrote: »

2 switches, both 2 way type (they have 3 terminals, L1, L2 & Com)

Turn off power
Connect the brown live wire from consumer unit to Com of Switch 1
Connect Live wire of light to Com of Switch 2
Connect L1 of SW1 to L2 of SW2 (use a brown sleeve to indicate this wire is occasionally live)
Connect L2 of SW1 to L1 of SW2 (use a brown sleeve to indicate this wire is occasionally live)
Switch on power

BOOM...!!!

You might want to read the rest of the thread. The OP was talking about 2 one gang switches and he's butchered that so best not to give any further advice to be honest. A little knowledge is a danger thing sometimes.

ShiverinEskimo

Lex Luthor wrote: »

BOOM...!!!

Apt.