WIRING A DOUBLE LIGHT SWITCH

DIY MAN DIM · Post by **DIY MAN DIM** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 8:50 pm

hi guys ,
having trouble wiring a double light switch , what i did was take the old switch off , i thought i wrote everything down right , but obviously not

, right i have a new one , i have wired the two red wires to each of the switches at the top , now i have 6 more wires , i have tried my best trying all different ways , sometimes the switch operates the hall downstairs and the landing together , which i dont want it to , then a other way just the hall light works downstairs and not the upstairs light , all i want is the one switch to operate downstairs and the other for upstairs , i hope you all understand what i am talking about

, im getting alot of ear bashing from the mrs

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 10:38 pm

so you have two swtches controlling one light switch, is this correct?

Does this help-

http://www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk/two_way_lighting.htm

DIY MAN DIM · Post by **DIY MAN DIM** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:31 am

yes thats correct , any ideas anyone

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:35 am

I think it would be a good idea to take some pictures of what you have as it is impossible to say without seeing.

Rich-Ando · Post by **Rich-Ando** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:20 pm

even with a picture it would be hard to tell because he has now lost all notes on which the strappers or 3-core to which light are. also which the live feed is or loop in & out lives. or the switched lives. it is impossible to tell from a picture. you need a tester now. sorry. always mark cables when takign switches or light fittings off.

DIY MAN DIM · Post by **DIY MAN DIM** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:41 pm

if i got a tester , how do i use it , what would i do

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:44 pm

I think you better get an electrician in to sort this one

Rich-Ando · Post by **Rich-Ando** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:07 pm

ultimatehandyman wrote:I think you better get an electrician in to sort this one

that is the best advice we can give you in all honesty. to explain what to test you need to have good knowledge of what electric circuits are all about and without being rude, i don't think you do.

when i said tester i didn't mean one of those sticks that light up either, i meant a proper continuity tester.

DIY MAN DIM · Post by **DIY MAN DIM** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:42 am

lol , thanks everyone for your help

ban-all-sheds · Post by **ban-all-sheds** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 3:24 pm

What is it that makes people who would never dream of just assuming that they could fix a car engine/mend a television/build a brick wall/etc with absolutely no idea how to do it, assume that they'll be able to work on their electrics without a clue?

Stoday · Post by **Stoday** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:28 pm

You can wire a plug in six different ways. Two won't work, so the numpty will swap wires around until he hits on one of the four that do work.

None of the four that do work will give him a shock, so everythings OK, innit?

If you can wire a plug, what's stopping you from wiring a switch? Simple innit? It's just that there are sixty permutations when you have 5 wires and six terminals. Numpties get tired before the 60's up and post for help.

DIY MAN DIM · Post by **DIY MAN DIM** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:42 pm

come on guys there's need for the name calling

, well this numpty still has not got there yet , i have enclosed a picture ,i know the two red wires at the top go to live , then the six wires left are 2 yellow with red sleeves, 2 blue wires with red sleeves , and then 1 single red wire and 1 black wire with red sleeve , and then there's the green wires , this numpty knows they are the earth ,so now i have 6 wires and 4 terminals on the spare L1 L2 & L1 L2 i thought the point of this forum was to help each other out not take the *iss
,

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Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:57 pm

Hmmm,

One of the sparks might be able to suss this one out.

Just for clarification the switch in the picture is a two gang switch.

Are both sides of the switch on two way lighting circuits ( so that the light can be switched on from two places)?

You have no three way switching arrangements have you ( a light that can be switched on or off from three different switches)?

DIY MAN DIM · Post by **DIY MAN DIM** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:03 pm

yes this a two gang switch , one side of the switch turns the landing light on/off and the other turns the downstairs on on/off

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 10:10 pm

Right,

I think I can sort this now

What you need to do when it is day light is remove the landing switch and see where the wires go to.

you will have something like this

com- yellow
L1- red
L2 Blue

Now what you need to do is replicate what you have in this switch and so in the switch with all the wires-

com- yellow
L1- red
L2 Blue

and do the same for the switch that controls the downstairs light.

Now the light switch that you have shown has a switched live and a permanent live in it. I do not know which circuit this belongs to?

You can find out when you remove the other switches as one of these will have a red and a black wire marked red in L1 and L2

So when you remove the other switch that controlls either the landing or downstairs light you will have 3 wires in one switch, yellow read and blue and in the other switch you will have yellow, red, blue, red, black- marked red!

Hopefully this makes sense now?

They will be like this-