Bathroom light switch - can you fix it?

[securespark]

You could indeed. Trace the cabling to find out where it's heading.

Anyhow, multimeters are dead cheap. Tenner from Maplin:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/general-purpose-analoguemultimeter-25414

Stores near you here: http://www.maplin.co.uk/storelocator.aspx?cmd=searchlocation&location=BS1

Unfortunately, B&Q's search facility is so carp, I can't find a multimeter...

It'll make ID'ing the conductors easy-peasy.

 

[maltaron]

Deleted

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You could indeed. Trace the cabling to find out where it's heading.

Or, to use a modern idiom which has something to do with empathy, where it's coming from.

 

[securespark]

Or, to be entirely accurate (not to mention toe-curlingly anal), where the cables are both going to and coming from.

 

[streetlighter]

Could it be that the two grey sheathed wires are the live and neutral and the twin and earth goes directly two the fitting.
Hard to tell without being on site with a tester.

 

[securespark]

Indeed!

 

[diydiv]

Have you done what was suggested and put the red and brown wires into the same terminal (leaving the blue one taped up)?

Hi, yep, tried that last night - still nothing. But I've borrowed an electric pen tester from a friend which glows red when a live feed is detected. This will solve my problem won't it? I'll be able to identify which one of those two reds is the live.

 

[securespark]

Well they're not infallible...

Certainly if they read dead, don't grab hold of it...

 

[diydiv]

OK, thanks for that piece of advice - much appreciated. I'll do the test and (assuming I'm still alive) give you a shout before I embark on the next stage of this exciting odyssey into the unknown.

 

[diydiv]

Right, I've located the live feed with the pen tester. It's one of the reds (in the grey cable). Oddly, it doesn't detect live in the brown - only that one red. So how should I now proceed?

 

[diydiv]

Go into the loft and see where the wires were going.

Can't go into the loft tonight - it might wake the baby up and I'd get a right ear bashing (from the wife).

 

[RF Lighting]

I'm wondering if the two reds are feed ans switched live, and the twin is a neutral and spare, and has been put in to provide the passive with a neutral by someone that didn't have any singles.

 

[diydiv]

I'm wondering if the two reds are feed ans switched live, and the twin is a neutral and spare, and has been put in to provide the passive with a neutral by someone that didn't have any singles.

I think you could be right. That rings a bell somehow. I remember when we moved into this place that an electrician mentioned something along those lines. So now that I've (apparently) identified the live, can you remind me which wire goes where in the switch - i.e. which goes into the common and which into L2 (the L1 terminal is empty - no brass bits in it).

 

[securespark]

That seems logical captain, but the light don't come on when those conductors are put together.

Is the light fitting working?

Put an independent supply to it & see if it lights up (disconnect the L&N first, but not the cpc).

 

[diydiv]

Good question - I hadn't thought of that - the light fitting might not be working. I'm being dim again now, sorry, but how would I put an independent supply to it?