Wiring cabinet lights

Haithabu

Hi, wonder if anyone can help with this scenario :

I moved into a new home and in the living room I have a cabinet with lights in it. Also, there is an outside light on the balcony. The outside light is always on and I found no switch to switch it off.

Then I realised that the previous owner would have used the switch for the balcony light to toggle the cabinet lights. There is one standard light switch but four cables (all brown) wired like this :

Common : 1 cable, must be live, L1 : 2 cables, must be switched live and cabinet out, L2 : 1 cable, must be cabinet in

I took the switch off and if I disconnect the cabinet cables I can toggle the outside light now. So I bought a double switch because I want to have one switch for the outside light and the other for the cabinet. I wired as follows :

CommonA : live plus bridge to CommonB, L1A : switched live plus cabinet out, L1B : empty, CommonB : bridge from CommonA, L2A : cabinet in, L2B : empty.

Unfortunately it did not work as planned, I can now toggle both outside and cabinet on or off at the same time rather than having one separate switch for each light. Better than outside permanent on but not really right.

Can anyone advise how I need to wire this (2 Gang 2 Way) switch so I have one switch for the outside light and one for the cabinet ?

meercat

Looks like it was wired arseways from day 1

on your new switch

In this sequence what it should be is :-

live in to both com( put a small link wire to join each. You’ll have to find a new piece to do this)

switch for outside to L1

switch to cabinet lights to the other L1 terminal

the remaining cable then connects into the com terminal also