Wiring fo exterior light

[dingbat]

Sorry, I've been out.

Snico, I have to echo what others have been saying. That middle switch can only be two-way in a limited sense because, having only one wire in and one out, it is, essentially, a one-way switch so what you have there is a genuine miracle. (It could work as a second switch in series with another but I can't see how it could independently switch a light on an off irrespective of the position of the second switch.)

Your posts all indicate one thing that is certain though - that you are not (yet, at least) equipped with the knowledge to do this job safely. Please call in an electrician before somebody gets hurt.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Poor quality of the picture is one thing, but do yourself a favour, get someone to do this for you. The center switch can't switch 2-way as there's no third wire and the quality of the joint to the common of the centre switch is worse than the picture quality. You should not be able to see ANY bare conductor!!

Firstly...I did apologise for the poor picture quality as camera had to be close up!

and oilman, do you have a camera i can buy from you , i thought this was an electrical forum, not a forum for discussing how to take decent photos!

I think what oilman was saying was never mind apologising for the picture quality - you've got a far more important quality issue to be concerned about, namely the quality of the wiring job done on that switch.

And the middle switch i can guarantee is 2 way, if turning on and off from 2 different points is 2 way?.....

Let me get this straight. There is a second switch somewhere, and with it in either position you can turn the light on and off using the middle rocker in this switch, and in either position of the middle rocker in this switch you can turn the light on and off with the other switch?

 

[oilman]

Thanks b-a-s, your interpretation's what I had intended. There is something seriously fundamental here, brings to mind the king's new clothes.

 

[dingbat]

I think we've scared him/her off now. Shame; I'd love to know how that middle switch worked!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Intermittently would be my guess.

Like the 2nd one.

 

[snico]

no i dont think you scared me off, and i do know for a fact how my landing/hall light turns on and off, i wouldnt bother posting on here and wasting my time if i wasnt so,

If there are any electricians in here who are in north west (uk) they are welcome to come and have a look at it for themselves, I am a computer software developer so I aint dumb like you may think!, electrics just aint my thing!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Sorry, snico - it's just that not one of us here can work out how if you have a 1-way switch like this in the supply to a light:

how you could add a second switch to the circuit so that each switch can turn the light on and off independently from each other.

 

[securespark]

Snico. I'm in Stockport. Where are you?

 

[snico]

i'm just outside liverpool

 

[securespark]

Could come tomorrow afternoon, maybe.

If you're interested, then send me an e-mail with your details.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Did you ever go?

Or did Snico suddenly realise that what he'd got so indignant about couldn't be the truth, and has just gone quiet, hoping this will all go away?

 

[securespark]

No, mate, I didn't. Shame - I could have sold the idea of two way off a T & E cable for a lot of dosh!!

Suspect it was using the cpc or there was another single core he had omitted to connect when the pic was taken. Those are the only explanations I can think of for now.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

He has all gone quiet over there, though, hasn't he...

 

[securespark]

Yes indeedy.

 

[snico]

I could have sold the idea of two way off a T & E cable for a lot of dosh!!

so you rip people off then?