Lighting Problem

[hazbart]

Spacecat,

All your points are correct. I have disconnected all the terminal block, not the actual switches.

But.....

The stair light used to work from the triple switch and a single switch at the top of the stairs. 2-way, although not done conventionaly!

Some how I've managed to reconnect the stair light to the triple switch, but not its original switch, It now runs on the switch that used to operate the hall light ( the one that was causing the initial problem). The upper switch for the stairs doesnt seem to do anything now, and I'm having real problems tracing where the wires go!! Labled the wires before I disconnected them but must be mixing something up when I reconnect.

I'll have another bash at it tomorrow!

 

[Space cat]

So ---

The stair light, which is downstairs, used to work on one switch in the triple and also the single switch. It now works on a different switch in the triple. That's consistent with previous posts because that switch in the triple once controlled the hall light and it worked. You still have live power to that switch but you have connected switched live to the stair light instead of the hall light.

The hall light, which is upstairs, now works from a different switch. Is this the one in the triple that once worked the outside light? If so then once again you have live power to the switch but have connected switched live to the wrong light.

The outside light doesn't work at all. One switch in the triple (originally for the stair light) does nothing and neither does the single switch upstairs. (There is only one switch upstairs isn't there?)

 

[hazbart]

Now found out that the triple switch is powered by a feed from the on the ring main. Rather worrying.

I have managed to get my outside light on, its just the stair light and I'm sorted. Problem I'm having is working out which cable is which.

More trial and error I think.

 

[hazbart]

So ---

(There is only one switch upstairs isn't there?)

Well theres actually two, one controls the stair light and one the hall light, hall light is working fine off that switch, granted its now only one way but I can live with that.

Its the one that dual controlled the stairs thats bugging me now!

 

[Space cat]

This one's a real corker.

I haven't given up yet but to get any further I need a comprehensive list of what goes where. How many cables do you have converging on those terminal blocks? Are they all two core and earth? Do you have any cores not connected to anything? Do you still have two black wires hanging loose in a switch and, if so, what does - or did - that switch control?

 

[hazbart]

Ok here goes.....

Originally the problem was with the hall light which was controlled from a single switch (lets call it switch1) in the hall and a triple switch at the foot of the stairs, but not in a true 2way way. The triple switch seemed to act as a master. I have taken this light out of that circuit now and have it running off the single switch in the hall without any problems. It has a set of wires loose inside the switch but they are not bothering me at the moment as I'm guessing they were how it was controlled from the triple switch. I'm happy to have this light working 1 way at the moment - At least its working now!!

There is a second single switch (switch2) in the hall which should control the stair light in a 2way fashion (although there is no 3core wire, but it did once work!) also with the triple switch (switch 3).


SWITCH 2

A- Is COM it is a black wire from a 2 core cable
B - The red wire in the same cable as B
L1- as in the image
L2- as in the image

I'm not sure if this switch is wired correctly, it seems to be getting power when I check it with volt stick though.

Tripe Switch - Switch 3

This is the triple switch.

Com A - Seems to be the main feed
Com B - Seems to be "piggybacked" on to Com A
Com C - Single black cable. - Note this switch used to control hall light, this terminal is not live when circuit on - possibly as I have removed hall light from this circuit.

D&E - Should be 1way and 2way for stair light - The problem one
F - 1 Way - Also believe this operated hall light before I moved it
G - Controls Outside light which is working perfectly and would seem to be connected to the circuit seperately of the stair light.

This is the loft where the cable from the switches and the fitting meet. They were previously joined in terminal block with the hall light included, I have removed this and replaced the block with junction box.

A - Single black wire - I believe this is attatched to Com C on switch. Therefore maynot be needed at the moment.

B - 2 core, red and black cables - Would seem as if these are connected to single switch2

C - 2 core red and black - Would expect these to be from Switch 3.

Does this help?

I'm at a loss to work out how to connect these to the fitting.[/img]

 

[Space cat]

It might help if I could see the pictires! Can anybody see them or is it just me I'll have a look later on a different computer.

 

[hazbart]

It might help if I could see the pictires! Can anybody see them or is it just me I'll have a look later on a different computer.

Works fine for me. Try refreshing the page

 

[Space cat]

I'm on my own PC now and I can see all the pictures. It must have been a problem with the other computer. I need to confirm what I'm seeing:

1) The set of wires loose in switch 1 are two cores of the same cable?

2) Red wire B in switch 2 is not connected to anything?

3) Wires in L1 and L2 in switch 2 belong to the same cable?

3) E and F in switch 3 belong to the same cable?

4) D and G in switch 3 are both black wires. Are there any loose reds in there that go with them?

5) Does wire A in the loft have a red alongside it cut off at the cable end?

6) Does the black wire in COM C of the triple switch also have a red alongside and, if so, is it cut back or loose?

Got to go now but I'll be back.

 

[hazbart]

I'm on my own PC now and I can see all the pictures. It must have been a problem with the other computer. I need to confirm what I'm seeing:

1) The set of wires loose in switch 1 are two cores of the same cable?

Yes

2) Red wire B in switch 2 is not connected to anything?

yes its wrapped in tape and fed back out of the box

3) Wires in L1 and L2 in switch 2 belong to the same cable?

Yes

3) E and F in switch 3 belong to the same cable?

4) D and G in switch 3 are both black wires. Are there any loose reds in there that go with them?

No no loose wires in this switch

5) Does wire A in the loft have a red alongside it cut off at the cable end?

Yes

6) Does the black wire in COM C of the triple switch also have a red alongside and, if so, is it cut back or loose?

Yes - cut off, which is what makes me think its wire A

 

[Space cat]

Take a close look at the back left of that picture of the triple switch. Do I see a red wire in the terminal next to black wire D? I hope so because without three wires in that switch it could never have worked as part a 2-way pair!

The picture of the loft wiring shows nothing connected to anything else. From this we can conclude two things:

1) Black wire G in your triple switch must be going directly to the outside light and not through the loft. Perhaps it is in the same cable as the red wire in COM A.

2) Your hall light, which now works exclusively on switch 1, must be getting its power from one of the wires in that switch. You have a permanent live in there.

Way back at the beginning of this thread you said this switch (switch 1) had two red wires in it and that there were two black wires hanging loose. You now have a red and a black in the same cable hanging loose. It follows that you must have moved these wires around. You have a red and a black in the switch - they're the only two wires left - but are they in the same cable?

 

[hazbart]

Take a close look at the back left of that picture of the triple switch. Do I see a red wire in the terminal next to black wire D? I hope so because without three wires in that switch it could never have worked as part a 2-way pair!

The picture of the loft wiring shows nothing connected to anything else. From this we can conclude two things:

1) Black wire G in your triple switch must be going directly to the outside light and not through the loft. Perhaps it is in the same cable as the red wire in COM A.

2) Your hall light, which now works exclusively on switch 1, must be getting its power from one of the wires in that switch. You have a permanent live in there.

Way back at the beginning of this thread you said this switch (switch 1) had two red wires in it and that there were two black wires hanging loose. You now have a red and a black in the same cable hanging loose. It follows that you must have moved these wires around. You have a red and a black in the switch - they're the only two wires left - but are they in the same cable?

I'm basically now left with 2 sets of cables, I've taken the single black cable out of the equation for the time being as from what I can make out it is not meant to be involved with this light.

One of the cables clearly comes from the switch at the top of the stairs, for this light to be operated 2way am I right in assuming the other cable would come from the other switch?

 

[fireman22]

haz, going back to the start of your post if it stopped working and you said it seemed to be a switch issue, in that you could operate only if the triple switch was in the correct position. if you havent changed too many things could it be simply a faulty 3 gang switch ? and just try replacing it? especially if it feels "gritty" or doesnt move like the others

 

[Space cat]

Are you still there hazbart? I was away for a while and then I lost my doodles. If you still want some help with this speak up now.