Light Switches [BangheadSmiley]

Jaeger_S2k · Post by **Jaeger_S2k** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 6:45 pm

Oh

Light Switches,
Yeah that old chestnut.

They always get me. I think I've figured out we've got a loop? I think.

Prior to me changing anything everything worked.

Have Double Gang switch in front room, Switch 1 for pendant, Switch 2 for wall lights.

Want to remove wall lights. So identify one wall light is spurred from other, easy disconnect and cut back so only one feed to the wall to consider.

Switch has 4 twin and earths coming to it

Earths twisted and on switch panel earth screw.

Blacks together in a terminal block.

Red as follows...
Switch 1
1 to common.
1 to L1

Switch 2
Is now empty!

I have 2 Red and 2 Black and 2 Earths.

There was a spur across from Switch 1 Common to Switch 2 L1 and one of the spare reds was in there too.
Other Spare Red was in Switch 2 Common.

Ceiling Pendant works fine and switches on and off.

Problem, Downstairs hall light (on Double Gang with upstairs) not working , Upstairs working.
Kitchen lights not working.

Help?

I hate light switches!!!!!!! :twisted:

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:26 pm

SO what your saying is you have four twin and earths at the switch and BEFORE you touched it the blacks were all in a connector block together, and the reds went to the switch. am i right so far??? now you have 2 blacks in a connector block two reds in the switch and two complete twin and earths not connected??

IN my mind what you have is a loop in system to the switch as opposed to the light point. So all the blacks together in the block are neutral in,neutral out, neutral wall lights and neutral centre light.

The reds are as follows, one will be live in, one will be live out one will be wall light live and the other pendant live.

If i have understood you correctly then thats what you have , the link between the commons on the switch maintains the permanent feed to the rest of the lighting circuit.

Hope this helps if not get back to me

Nick

Jaeger_S2k · Post by **Jaeger_S2k** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 10:02 pm

sparkydude wrote:SO what your saying is you have four twin and earths at the switch and BEFORE you touched it the blacks were all in a connector block together, and the reds went to the switch. am i right so far??? now you have 2 blacks in a connector block two reds in the switch and two complete twin and earths not connected??

Yes. Correct.

sparkydude wrote: IN my mind what you have is a loop in system to the switch as opposed to the light point. So all the blacks together in the block are neutral in,neutral out, neutral wall lights and neutral centre light.

The reds are as follows, one will be live in, one will be live out one will be wall light live and the other pendant live.

The reds are as follows,
one will be live in, that is in Switch 1 Common.
one will be live out not sure which one this is, will this need to be looped to the live in?
one will be wall light liveI'm sure I identified that one and it's one of the spare Reds
and the other pendant live. that's connected to Switch 1 L1

So all the Blacks Commons should stay connected in the terminal bloke?

And tape and mark the remaining 2 reds and the 2 earths?

No wait I need the other Live out Red? Wonder which one it is? Any tests I can do? Have a meter, can measure Volts/PD. In fact I was suspicious when I was testing them before as I was getting a slight Voltage kick on the meter about 5 to 10 volts between the Reds and the Blacks, I thought it might be inductive, perhaps not.

Jaeger_S2k · Post by **Jaeger_S2k** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:09 pm

Got it.
One of the Reds and all the blacks now connected I have Kitchen and Downstairs hall light back on.

So I have 2 Earths and 1 Red spare. Should I tape the Red and reconnect the earth or tape both?

I think Tape the Red and connect the earths back with the others?

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 8:58 am

So you have everything working as it should be now then? if you are removing the wall lights completeley then you should also remove the neutral and the earth at the switch ,or else you might get some stray voltages going up the cable and if the other end is shorted out you may get problems with rcd tripping if you have one fittted as your main switch. Whenever you remove a cable from a switch disboard etc , you should alweays remove all the cores of the cable.

Hopefully you have it sorted by now

Nick

Jaeger_S2k · Post by **Jaeger_S2k** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:15 pm

Sorted now Nick thanks.

Will be removing the associated Black and Earth, tape, label and folded into switch.