Replacing scatty landing switches

[rekrabwuh]

Hi guys,

I've spent most of today replacing more or less all the switches and sockets in our house and all has gone well other than the two switches that control the landing lights. To cut a long story short, the previous owner of our house had bodge it and scarper Ltd doing all his stuff so it's a bit weird.

Switch at bottom of stairs: was a dimmer switch, replaced with rocker switch. Wired red to COM and blue to L1. There's a redundant yellow wire in there.

Upstaies: replaced rocker with rocker. Red is bypassing the switch. Blue is wired to L2. A black has appeared from somewhere and is wired to L1. Also a redundant yellow in there.

I replaced it like for like but no dice, it doesn't want to work - not switching on or off in any position.

Any ideas?

Cheers!

 

[Belboz]

Have you checked the WIKI??

 

[sparkwright]

How were they wired before?

And did the old switches work effectively before?

And I imagine you SHOULD have two way switching - where a light is controlled from two switch positions.

If you can send photos, you will get a quicker response.

 

[riveralt]

If the standard two way switch operation applies to your situation then you would have three wires in the downstairs (Red, blue and yellow) into say C,L1 and L2 respectively and the upstairs switch would have the same red, blue and yellow wires into C,L1 and L2. In addition the incoming live from the ceiling rose would go to the upstairs L1 and the switch live (from the switch to the ceiling rose) to upstairs L2.
Since you appear to have 3 wires downstairs but only four wires upstairs then either another wire is missing or you have one of the alternate arrangements shown in Wiki.
Since you have already changed the switch wires photographs of them will probably not help but a 'clear' photograph of the ceiling rose wiring will.
You may also need access to and know how to operate a multi-meter.

 

[Iggifer]

Hi guys,
Switch at bottom of stairs: was a dimmer switch, replaced with rocker switch. Wired red to COM and blue to L1. There's a redundant yellow wire in there.

Upstaies: replaced rocker with rocker. Red is bypassing the switch. Blue is wired to L2. A black has appeared from somewhere and is wired to L1. Also a redundant yellow in there

Downstairs - red to common, yellow into L1, blue into L2
Upstairs - Red from the 3 core into common, black and yellow into L1 and blue and red (from the cable with the black) into L2.

That is how it SHOULD be wired. Might want to check the rose but I'd give that a go

 

[Iggifer]

Damnit. Too slow, again

 

[riveralt]

Damnit. Too slow, again

 

[Iggifer]

Since you appear to have 3 wires downstairs but only four wires upstairs then either another wire is missing or you have one of the alternate arrangements shown in Wiki

I think he has 5 upstairs, he said 'the redS bypass this switch', I took this to mean they were both in connector blocks.

Also, this new software usually tells you when someone beats you to the punch, but seemingly, not always

 

[riveralt]

I think he has 5 upstairs, he said 'the redS bypass this switch', I took this to mean they were both in connector blocks.
Also, this new software usually tells you when someone beats you to the punch, but seemingly, not always

Makes a change for me to be quicker even managed to spell most things write.....
5 wires would be great.

 

[flameport]

I think he has 5 upstairs, he said 'the redS bypass this switch', I took this to mean they were both in connector blocks.

If that's true then:
Downstairs:
Red C
Yellow L1
Blue L2

Upstairs:
Black C
Yellow L1
Blue L2
Reds joined separately.

 

[rekrabwuh]

Cheers guys, much appreciated. I've attached a couple of pics. The lights are three spots only accessible from the loft which could pose an problem as its full of rubbish!

Hope that helps.

 

[flameport]

Those cables have no earth in them, you cannot use those metal switches.

 

[securespark]

That will never work in a month of Sundays...

You can either:

Leave the reds in the top switch as they are, then: connect the red downstairs to Common, and use Y & B to link L1 and L2 on both switches, finally putting the black to Common on the top switch.

Or:

Put red (from the twin cable) and blue in L1 and black and yellow in L2 on the top switch, putting the 3 core red in Common. Then: put the red in common blue in L1 and yellow in L2 downstairs.

YOU NEED TO GET RID OF YOUR METAL SWITCHES, AS YOU APPEAR NOT TO HAVE AN EARTH WIRE IN THE CABLES.

REPLACE ALL YOUR METALLIC SWITCHES WITH PLASTIC ONES AS THESE ARE A SHOCK RISK!

 

[rekrabwuh]

I've used them in other rooms in the house with no earth and I'm still alive...I figured the cages are earthed as a number that I replaced were had metal cases...

 

[securespark]

Cages?

You mean back boxes?

Whatever you mean, I don't think you can figure anything is earthed if it does not have an earth wire attached to it (even accessories that do have an earth wire attached to them are sometimes not earthed!)