2 Gang 2 Way With Pictures *help please!*

[Trem]

My mum is in hospital and I wanted to put her some new light switches in before she comes home (hopefully).

Her house was built around 1970. I am replacing a 2 gang 2 way light switch that controls the hall light and also the porch light and there is another single light switch at the other end of the hall to switch on the same hall light. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to wire up a new switch to get both lights and also the seperate switch to work.

The old switch had strapping in it and there is only 1 black wire but I am dubious if this is even neutral, so it could be a system with shared neutral?

I can get both lights to work without a switch attached by using a multimeter so the wiring is good and the bulbs are good but I just don't know if I still need to use strapping on the new style switches, I don't know which wire to treat as neutral.....I am actually struggling and something which started as a nice thing for my mum has turned into a nightmare for me. On one of the pictures I have removed wires to allow for a clearer picture of the strapping.

Help would be massively appreciated.

Untitled

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
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Untitled

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
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Untitled

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
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[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

The black core is not a neutral but switch wire.
You will have permanent live that comes from the supply there is a link between both gangs that link will/should be connected to the perm live.
If you have disconnected the cables without noting down where they where originally this will now become a headache. Do you have any test equipment that can test voltage and continuity?
Is there anyway you can untwist the cables and present a clearer picture?
Also pictures of the connection in the other two way switches could help.

 

[Trem]

I took the pictures as a way of noting it down, my head isn't right at the minute due to the stuff with mum. I am normally a bit more careful than this. I will get a picture shortly of the untwisted wires and pop it on here and hopefully that helps.

I only have an off the shelf multimeter thing, I did mark the wire that was in the terminal arrowed as common on the old switch.

Thanks for taking the time to reply so far, I know I'm an idiot but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

So do you now which cables where in which terminal?
And do you have the details of the terminals on new switch?
They do often look the same but are not always wired the same!
How many cables do you have coming to switch are they singles or sheathed as doubles?

 

[Taylortwocities]

There does not appear to be an earth on any of those cables. I hope that you have bought her new plastic switches, and not metal ones?

 

[Trem]

Yes I bought her plastic switches and there will be no metal batons/light fittings used anywhere else etc.

Ok some more pictures, first one is of the untangled wires, second one is what can only be described as a near expert level schematic of the wires and what they turn on, third is of the light switch at the other end of the hall that is used to turn the hall light on and fourth is of the back of the new light switch. In the first picture the red wire on the right with the blue ink on it was the one that was in the common terminal on the old switch.

Thanks so far lads, I do appreciate this, I really do.

Untangled Wires

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
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Expert Schematic

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
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Single Hall Switch

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
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New *Plastic* Switch

• Trem
• 29 Mar 2015
• 1

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Okay try this.
Red marked with blue ink to com of one of the gangs (call this "a"), then but the red wire link between that com and L1 on other gang (call this "b").

Now the red that is marked porch to L1 of one of the gang(a), this should hopefully allow porch light to be switched on/off.

Then try on the second gang (b), the remaining cores one red in to the com and black in to L2.

 

[Trem]

Thank you, I will try that tomorrow but tonight I am visiting mum at hospital.

I will report back with what happens. Thank you so much for your help so far.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Best wishes and speedy recovery for your mum.

 

[Trem]

Thank you.

Before I do this today and just so it's clear in my mind are we assuming the first red wire on the left is the neutral?

 

[Taylortwocities]

NO!!.

NONE of the wires on that switch are a neutral. The wires are either permanent lives, or switched lives.

Take a few minutes to browse the WIKI's guide to lighting circuits and you will see why this is the case.

 

[Trem]

Ha!

Thank you, it's easy to see why I thought that though......isn't it? I think to be double sure I might just lick the wires to test them

Thanks again and wish me luck.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Thank you, it's easy to see why I thought that though......isn't it?

Not at all. It would be obvious if you took the time to first understand what you are doing before you start out……

 

[Trem]

Yes I understand that but if you were in my situation with what I have going on and you wanted to get something done before someone you love dearly comes home then maybe just maybe you wouldn't think clearly either.

Not everyone who asks questions on here is an imbecile my friend, I messed up and I stopped and asked for help and you guys helped.

Would it of made it better for you if I had said all the switches were metal because I hadn't read about lighting systems without earth before starting (which I *did* do)?

Maybe change your sig for something more condescending?

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

Thank you.
Before I do this today and just so it's clear in my mind are we assuming the first red wire on the left is the neutral?

There are no neutrals at the switch plates you have posted pictures of.
It is not uncommon, not to have neutrals at the switch plate as the neutral will normally loop around the light fittings, rather than the switches.