confused wiring

[sandy1962]

Hi im hoping someone out there can help.
i am trying to change the front of my switches all round the house have been done but i am having problems with the one in the hall way,

By the front door i have a double switch the right side switch works the outside light, the left works the hall light.
by the living room door i have a single switch that works the same hall light.
the single light switch has one cable going into it.

The double light switch has 3 cables
2 yellows with red sleeves
1 blue with red sleeve
1 black
1 blue
3 red
also there is a small piece of red wire that i presume was connected to two points.
i would be very grateful for any help
sandy

 

[wingcoax]

Photographs(clear) would help. This is why it is always best to make a note of what goes where or take a pic.

 

[sandy1962]

will take photos tomorrow in daylight

as the back of the switches were different we didn't think marking the wires would make a difference ( our mistake )
The old back had six terminals three at the top three at the bottom

\the new one has two at the top and four at the bottom
sandy

 

[EFLImpudence]

Draw two isosceles triangles - both with the bases at the bottom.

Then another two - one with the base at the bottom and one with the apex at the bottom.

Ring any bells?

If it helps draw a little circle on each corner.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

as the back of the switches were different we didn't think marking the wires would make a difference

Why didn't you think that you needed to make sure the wires ended up in functionally equivalent terminals?

Did you really think you could put them just anywhere and it would still work OK?

Do you actually know what goes on inside a switch?

 

[sparkwright]

Was one of the blues and the black connected in a separate connector block by any chance?

At the other single switch in the hall, we need to know which colour wire is connected to 'common'.

 

[sandy1962]

Yes the blue and black were connected to a separate connector.
On the single switch i have a red ... live
blue ... and the yellow is common both the blue and yellow have red sleeves

 

[sparkwright]

Let's give each cable a name so we know what we're talking about;

Cable 1 is red, yellow with red sleeve, blue with red sleeve.

Cable 2 is red, yellow with red sleeve, blue WITHOUT red sleeve.

Cable 3 is red and black.

Hall switch consists of one set of com, L1, L2.

Outside light switch consists of another set of com, L1, L2.

DO NOT PROCEED IF ANY OF THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

Cable 1 red to hall common.
Cable 1 yellow AND cable 2 yellow to hall L2.

Cable 1 blue AND cable 2 red AND short red link wire to hall L1.

Other end of short red link wire to outside light common.

Cable 3 red in outside light L1.

Leave outside light L2 empty.

Cable 2 blue (without red sleeve) and cable 3 black to separate connector block.

 

[sandy1962]

Thankyou very much
all works a treat. nothing at all like the instructions that came with the switch.

 

[sparkwright]

Yes the blue and black were connected to a separate connector.
On the single switch i have a red ... live
blue ... and the yellow is common both the blue and yellow have red sleeves

I think I have given you wrong info.

You say YELLOW is common in the single switch.

Are you finding the two switches for just the hall aren't switching the light on and off properly? In other words, the two way switching isn't right?

In that case, at the 2 gang switch you need to swap the red from cable 1 and the yellow from cable 1 over (on the hall side of the 2 gang switch). Don't move any other wires.