HELP - replacing old double switch with new one!

[kirsteenatom]

Hi
I'm just replacing an existing double switch (to our lounge ceiling light and two wall uplighters).

The original double switch wiring available is

Left cable
Red wire
Black wire
Bare wire

Right cable
Red wire
Black wire
Green wire

On the right hand side of the recess is a yellow wire coming in seperately.

My naff wiring diagram from homebase only has two wires going into the double switch I bought so it makes no sense to me whatsover.

My new switch is set out as follows:

Each switch as COM at the top
and 1WAY and 1WAY at the bottom.

Which wires go where? I'd usually just have a go and see what happens but I'm pregnant and really don't want to risk giving myself a shock

Thanks!

 

[jj4091]

Are the swiches still connected? A little confused by the yellow wire where is that connected to? Pregnant or not please do not do anything without disconnecting the power

 

[ban-all-sheds]

A photo would help - please say you've not removed the old switch yet....

Apart from the yellow wire it sounds straightforward - a 2 gang switch with 2 cables, each with live/switched live/earth. But then "apart from" can sometimes be the most complicated words in the English language

The bare core should be sleeved green/yellow.

The green core in the other cable - is it really 100% green? Has it been sleeved that colour by somebody or is it sleeved within the cable in the same way that the red & black are? Is the outer sheath grey or white PVC, or black rubber?

 

[kirsteenatom]

Yes, I turned of the electric supply to the downstairs lights no danger hopefully!

I did take a photo of the old wiring but not sure how to upload it so people can view it. Basically the yellow wire is just a piece of wire with a yellow sleeve on it that can be removed from the corner of the recessed box. It (and the bare copper wire) were attached to a screw in the corner - i have no idea what that was attached to.

Then the yellow wire went to a connection on its own on the side of the old double switch.

A lenght of brown wire connected the two top connections.

A red wire went into the left switch top connection (with the brown wire)
A black wire went into the bottom left connection of the left switch.

On the other switch
the red wire and the black wire both went into the bottom left connection of the right switch.

If somebody tells me how to load a photo so you can see it i'll show you, and the new switch!

Thanks so much for replying

(I'm usually quite good at home electrics, having replaced all the plug sockets, fitted two wall uplighters and stuff, but this is confusing! lol)

 

[kirsteenatom]

forgot to say the green wire doesn't seem to be connected to anything! and it does have a green sleeve on a copper wire.

Kirsteen

i htink i've uploaded the pics here:

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb54/KirsteenandShawn/electrics/

 

[securespark]

You sure that's how it was when you took the switch off?

Those two wires don't look like they belong in the same terminal.

Maybe there was another switch somewhere and it's two way wiring adapted to one way...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Just connect the reds & blacks the way they were before - assuming it works OK now it will work the same when you swap the switch.

A few minor differences -

1) You can lose the yellow wire, as your new switch doesn't require earthing.

2) Both the earth wires in the cables should be sleeved yellow/green and must be connected to the earth terminal of the back box.

3) The black wires should have lengths of red sleeving put on them.

And one more thing - let me just polish my ball....

Does the left-hand switch control 2 lights?

 

[kirsteenatom]

I thought the wiring looked odd, but that's how it was and I put the plate back on and it's working like that again!

The left hand switch does turn on two wall uplighters, and the right hand switch does the ceiling.

I wish I could change all the sleeving but I have no idea how to and where to get sleeves from lol

I'm confused when you say both the earth wires - is that the yellow and the bare one? If you can clarify which current colours are the earth and what they both need connecting to that would be great (is the back box the thing in the wall? i don't know any of the lingo!) If the back box is the actual switch thing I'm putting on, it doesn't have an earth port like the old one does (see a picture of the new switch in my photobucket)

It seems odd to leave the yellow wire loose and the plain wire one as well! I'll give it a go when it gets light tomorrow and when my 16 month old is asleep (it's very hard to play amateur electrician when someone is tugging on your leg).

By the way I'm totally totally grateful for the help! thanks so much for taking the time out to offer advice

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I thought the wiring looked odd, but that's how it was and I put the plate back on and it's working like that again!

It's an odd way to do it, but pretty easy to see what's going on.

The left hand switch does turn on two wall uplighters,

It seemed a distinct possibility....

I wish I could change all the sleeving but I have no idea how to and where to get sleeves from lol

You don't change it - just slide a length over the top. Any of the sheds will have it, but I doubt you can still get red, so brown will have to do. So I suppose in theory you should oversleeve the reds with brown too....

I'm confused when you say both the earth wires

You have two twin & earth cables going to the switch - each one has a red, a black and an unsleeved earth.

is the back box the thing in the wall?

Yes.

It seems odd to leave the yellow wire loose and the plain wire one as well!

You don't leave it loose - you get rid of it, as you no longer need it. It was connecting the earth terminal in the box to the earth terminal on the switch, but the new switch is plastic, so doesn't need an earth terminal.

Nor do you leave the bare wire loose. Or bare. And there are two of them, one per cable, or there b****y well ought to be....

 

[kirsteenatom]

Hi

I think i've got it now! I'll have a bash tomorrow.

Thanks - i'll let you know how I get on (i'm sure you will be glued to the edge of your seat waiting to find out lol)

Kirsteen

 

[kirsteenatom]

I took the lenght of yellow wire out and connected it the same as the last one, but connected both the earths to the back box(which I think was the green one and the bare one).

No joy though - any other ideas?

Kirsteen

 

[kirsteenatom]

I took it off again to check and one of the red wires had come loose, so i tightened it and we have lift off!

Thanks so much for your help

I'm really grateful

Kirsteen