Confused and nagged.

[ljsalter]

Could do with a wee bit of help please. I think it is a simple question for you lot, so here goes......

I have moved into a house and in the hallway I have a 2 gang switch - one 2 way the other one way.

The 2-way switch powers 2 lights in the hallway and works fine. The one way switch is supposed to wire an outside light. At the moment there is no outside light, just a 3 core and earth wire hanging outside – I have tried to wire a light in but it doesn’t work. I believe the problem lies within the switch box.

I have looked in the “Sticky For Reference” section at the 2 gang wiring process but I am still a little bit confused.

I have 5 main wires entering the back box of the switch, say - A, B, C, D, and E wires


On the face of the switch we have options of:
TOP TC, T2, T3,
Bottom BC, B2, B3.


The current wiring:


Wire A - 3 core and Earth

Blue Wire with Brown Sleeve - T2
Yellow Wire with Brown Sleeve - T3
Red Wire - BC


Wire B - 2 Core and Earth

Blue Wire - Choc Bloc
Brown Wire - T2


Wire C - 2 Core and Earth

Blue Wire - Choc Bloc
Brown Wire - TC

Wire D - 2 Core and Earth

Blue Wire - Choc Bloc
Brown Wire - TC

Wire E - 3 Core and Earth

Not wired in. Assuming this wire is the problem.

Also there is a little independant brown wire going from TC directly to T3.


My first question is, where do I stick these 3 wires for WIRE E. Red, Yellow, Blue.

My second question is, the wire hanging outside my house again has these wires i.e. Red, Yellow and Blue. Where do I wire these into the light fixing in terms live & neutral. I know red is live and blue is neutral but this yellow wire has just thrown me completely.


Your help would be much appreciated. Oy yeah by the way, I’ve not included any of the earth wires above but everything is earthed don’t panic.

Regards

Mr confused being nagged by the wife.

 

[theshogun]

The 3 core&earth cable to the outside light ,this has probably been put in so that a security light with a PIR sensor could be fitted and an override switch used so that you could turn the light on if needed with out having to activate the sensor all the time .
ie red=permanent live yellow=switched live blue= neutral

Subject to confirming that cable in switch=cable at light

Yellow in a connector block on it's own in both light and at the switch.
Connect the blue to the connector block that has all blues connected to it at the switch,at the light connect this to the neutral connection or in one side of the lamp holder.

Connect the red to switch b2, and to the live terminal of the light or the other side of the lamp holder.
If the switch operates upside down the connect the red at the switch to b3 instead.
Sleeve the earth of the cable with green &yellow connect this at the switch to the earth terminal with the other earth cables ,at the light connect to the earth terminal ,if the light is double insulated so there is no earth required put it in a connector on it's own.
P.S. if this is the case the earth of the cable should still be connected at the switch end.

 

[ljsalter]

thanks for your help.

would the finished article look like this then?

i have reversed the top and bottom of the switch though, i.e. top of switch in drawing referred to as bottom in the text - if that makes sense?

http://imagehost.darkernet.co.uk/i/switch3.JPG

 

[theshogun]

Yes

 

[felix]

No it shouldn't look like that! If you wire it up that way you'll find that you can only get the outside light to come on if the hall lights are also on. You appear to have posted the same problem twice. Check the replies to your other post for the correct solution.

 

[theshogun]

I have looked at the solution you posted ijsalter , with regards it i have taken it that you have a main in and a main on, if you only have one cable at each light then felix has the right solution ie you have only a main in. If you have 2 cables to one light in the hall, and one at the last light then this would be the right solution.
Which one works?

 

[ljsalter]

Gentlemen,

I wired the switch as follows over the weekend:

http://imagehost.darkernet.co.uk/i/fixedswitch.JPG

The result was the outside light would only work when the hall lights were turned on. At least it got the wife off my back for a few days but need to sort the problem out.

I do apologise about posting the same query twice.

Any suggestions on how to solve the problem. Your help would be much appreciated.

Regards

Lee

 

[ljsalter]

I have just looked at your comment theshogun.

I haven't had the chance to look at the wires in the lights yet. Will look tonight.

If there are 2 wires for the first light in the hallway, am i right in saying this solution would therfore be right:


http://imagehost.darkernet.co.uk/i/switch3.JPG

 

[theshogun]

Yes i would expect that you have amain in and a main on and there fore only switched live and neutral at the lights with the second light wired from the first.

 

[ljsalter]

Job done -all works perfectly

Thanks for your help.