Need help wiring a new light switch

[Jurassicspark]

Looks like its time to call an electrician.

 

[ericmark]

One starts by labelling so you can test and remember what you have found so it seems likely EA and EB are earth, and L1 and L2 are line supplies, and one black is neutral. The earth seems likely the one wire one is sure what it is, so we can reference using that wire to start with. So step one put wires in a junction block so safe to work with this is cheap enough, and means you can test safely. This

goes here

and leads into

so you are measuring AC volts on the 700 volt range. Set before you use, and don't turn dial after, so you are looking for 230 volts, but the exact reading does not matter, so start point is confirming the two browns are live feeds. So brown to earth shows 230 volts.

You can't test for neutral with the meter, line in to line out and line in to neutral will both show 230 volts, but the picture seems to show one grey is neutral and the other disconnected, so also likely neutral.

So it seems likely one black and one grey is line out, one could look in ceiling rose to confirm, but seems likely you want wiring nuts on one black and one grey wire, so most likely is brown to L1 and black to L2 and one grey and one black into nut likely an error will just trip the MCB or RCD but better if that does not happen.

I am dyslexic, so may be better to wait and see if anyone corrects my logic.

 

[terryplumb]

One of the cables is for two way switching eric ,and all 3 of its insulated conductors would be strappers.
As the OP told us that one of the earth conductors was sleeved brown it's questionable as to it's true status

 

[SUNRAY]

the 2nd switch (one I haven't touched at all)

I assume you are refering to the other switch of the 2 way pair. A picture of the wiring there would be very helpful in our diagnosis

 

[Vadevious]

I assume you are refering to the other switch of the 2 way pair. A picture of the wiring there would be very helpful in our diagnosis

Hi, at work currently but I do have a photo of the 2nd switch. The 2 way that I'm having trouble with is the switch that is 2nd from left:

 

[Vadevious]

One starts by labelling so you can test and remember what you have found View attachment 347186 so it seems likely EA and EB are earth, and L1 and L2 are line supplies, and one black is neutral. The earth seems likely the one wire one is sure what it is, so we can reference using that wire to start with. So step one put wires in a junction block so safe to work with this View attachment 347187is cheap enough, and means you can test safely. This View attachment 347188 goes here View attachment 347189 and leads into View attachment 347190 so you are measuring AC volts on the 700 volt range. Set before you use, and don't turn dial after, so you are looking for 230 volts, but the exact reading does not matter, so start point is confirming the two browns are live feeds. So brown to earth shows 230 volts.

You can't test for neutral with the meter, line in to line out and line in to neutral will both show 230 volts, but the picture seems to show one grey is neutral and the other disconnected, so also likely neutral.

So it seems likely one black and one grey is line out, one could look in ceiling rose to confirm, but seems likely you want wiring nuts View attachment 347191 on one black and one grey wire, so most likely is brown to L1 and black to L2 and one grey and one black into nut View attachment 347191 likely an error will just trip the MCB or RCD but better if that does not happen.

I am dyslexic, so may be better to wait and see if anyone corrects my logic.

Wow, thank you for taking the time and all the detail; I've actually had an offer from terry here to call up and help this evening to do this testing so fingers crossed more answers will surface...

 

[SUNRAY]

Hi, at work currently but I do have a photo of the 2nd switch. The 2 way that I'm having trouble with is the switch that is 2nd from left:

View attachment 347193

That makes things easier, assuming that second switch cable comes directly to the first switch and not via the light fitting or a junction box, we now believe one of the cables has no power on it, checking with the meter should soon verify this and which cable is which.
My expectation is this is likely to be a solution employing the convential method:

I have very likely got grey and black of the sideways cable reversed making the switches control the wrong light
I'll offer my thanks to Terry in advance for the personal touch.

 

[terryplumb]

Thanks for your suggested wiring / picture mate ,but I can't see how the switched live to the light fitting ( two way one) will be routed to it, as in your pic it would be the grey wire from the other cable ,which would be odd. Or am I missing something?

 

[EFLImpudence]

And surely the COM of the two-way wiring must be Brown...

 

[SUNRAY]

And surely the COM of the two-way wiring must be Brown...

Errrrrrrrrrrrr...... WHY?

 

[SUNRAY]

Thanks for your suggested wiring / picture mate ,but I can't see how the switched live to the light fitting ( two way one) will be routed to it, as in your pic it would be the grey wire from the other cable ,which would be odd. Or am I missing something?

pm being sent

 

[Vadevious]

Thank you everyone for the advice, especially helpful was the diagram labelling the new terminals to match the old. Also a huge thanks to terryplumb who kindly spent an hour on the phone with me troubleshooting (we've found there's something wrong with my earth wire(s) which means I still need an electrician to come over at some point). But for the time being, the new light switch is wired up and everything works perfectly!

 

[Eccles]

You have what is known as a two gang three way switch and these are normally used to control two lights from the same location. I say normally but if one of the light fittings has been removed in the past, then someone may have decided to leave the switch in place. You need to understand that all switches have a permanent live feed form somewhere (usually the light fitting itself); if they did not have a cable which was always live, they wouldn't work would they and if the electrician did it right it will be a red or more recently brown but in your case the former. Once you have found which of the wires is the live one by using a multimeter you then apply logic and that is because the com or "common" terminal is internally linked to either the L1 or L2 terminals by operating the switch. However, if you don't want to go through all that palaver why not just copy how the old switch was wired onto the new switch then re-connect the relevant feed from the consumer supply and switch on to see ifyou got it right. You will have to use the labelling which EFL is showing in his post to do this and I am singularly unimpressed with the labelling on said new switch which is not conventiental in my opinion and probably chinese or similar, let's hope EFL is right.

 

[SUNRAY]

Thank you everyone for the advice, especially helpful was the diagram labelling the new terminals to match the old. Also a huge thanks to terryplumb who kindly spent an hour on the phone with me troubleshooting (we've found there's something wrong with my earth wire(s) which means I still need an electrician to come over at some point). But for the time being, the new light switch is wired up and everything works perfectly!

View attachment 347249

Brilliant, well done.

 

[securespark]

You have what is known as a two gang three way switch

??