Light switch help

[Harry Bloomfield]

I have not read the entire thread, but simply looking at the photo, and the tape markings....

Try just swapping the one with the white tape, furthest from the camera, with the unmarked red wire, from the same switch. That should leave you with the two with white tape, adjacent to each, at the two terminals nearest the camera.

 

[SUNRAY]

I have not read the entire thread, but simply looking at the photo, and the tape markings....

Try just swapping the one with the white tape, furthest from the camera, with the unmarked red wire, from the same switch. That should leave you with the two with white tape, adjacent to each, at the two terminals nearest the camera.

There are no red wires and the 2 with red tape are in the centre switch

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

There are no red wires and the 2 with red tape are in the centre switch

I said 'white tape'! Sorry, you are correct, they look red on my monitor, the reds are in fact brown.

Looking only at the left hand switch - the wire in the COM terminal, simply needs swapping for the one in the L1 terminal.

 

[SUNRAY]

I said 'white tape'! Sorry, you are correct, they look red on my monitor, the reds are in fact brown.

Looking only at the left hand switch - the wire in the COM terminal, simply needs swapping for the one in the L1 terminal.

Understood. My monitor shows very different browns in the same cable with one verging on dark orange, I wonder if it is deliberate as an aide to identification.

The other 2 way switch (post#9) has a sheathed single brown in com and 2 browns each in L1&L2

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Understood. My monitor shows very different browns in the same cable with one verging on dark orange, I wonder if it is deliberate as an aide to identification.

The other 2 way switch (post#9) has a sheathed single brown in com and 2 browns each in L1&L2

The fact that the light works in one position of that switch, and the other two switches work correctly, supports the idea that only the three wires of the 2-way have become mixed up. A bit of a puzzle, is why one of the white taped wires, appears to be a single, rather than the pair I would expect were they strappers??

 

[SUNRAY]

The fact that the light works in one position of that switch, and the other two switches work correctly, supports the idea that only the three wires of the 2-way have become mixed up. A bit of a puzzle, is why one of the white taped wires, appears to be a single, rather than the pair I would expect were they strappers??

I'm thinking more in terms of a fault rather than mistake, I made a guess of wiring in post #16.
It is only my assumptions but I hope some on here will agree.

 

[Mystic255]

I'm thinking more in terms of a fault rather than mistake, I made a guess of wiring in post #16.
It is only my assumptions but I hope some on here will agree.

You were right! Turned out to be the upstairs switch that was faulty. Replaced it and it worked fine with the wiring in the hallway unchanged.

I think the fact that the downstairs switch was replaced after decorating (upstairs wasn’t touched) dad assumed it was a wiring error. The fact that the upstairs switch failed ant the exact same time wasn’t on the radar at all!

I appreciate all of your help, particularly @SUNRAY

I’ll keep and eye on the forum and hopefully return the favour someday!

 

[SUNRAY]

You were right! Turned out to be the upstairs switch that was faulty. Replaced it and it worked fine with the wiring in the hallway unchanged.

I think the fact that the downstairs switch was replaced after decorating (upstairs wasn’t touched) dad assumed it was a wiring error. The fact that the upstairs switch failed ant the exact same time wasn’t on the radar at all!

I appreciate all of your help, particularly @SUNRAY

I’ll keep and eye on the forum and hopefully return the favour someday!

Thank you for the feedback and well done sorting it.

Ironically exactly the same symptoms for some 5 years from the moment a rewire was performed and they only got it fixed when the switch fell apart and one wire, the brass terminal, shorted to the backbox to trip the RCD.