www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

Hi All,

First time poster, would normally call a professional to remedy this but I've had no lights in bathroom or hallway for weeks due to lockdown.

I'm hoping that the problem will be easily apparent to someone in the trade :) I don't usually do anything more complicated than replacing like for like, light fitting or switches.

So my problem started when the bathroom downlighters stopped working. I replaced a few of the bulbs until they started working again, but as soon as they did I could hear a really bad short circuit sounding noise coming from behind the lightswitch. So I turned off all of the house electric and removed the switch (double switch - bathroom and hallway light) and there was a blue wire that was already loose, and as I pulled the switch plate out a bit to get a look at the rest of the wires a brown wire also popped out of its terminal, I didn't see where it came from.

I did a bit of research online and thought that the left side looked like a simple one way switch and most of the diagrams I had seen suggested that the brown wire usually goes in the L2, so I tried that (and left blue unconnected for now). When I tried switching on the bathroom down lighters the lights go on for a split second then go off again.

I tried to look at the other side of the plate which is the two way hall light where I assume the unattached blue wire goes in one of the terminals, but everything I saw online was just confusing.

The switchplate currently looks like this: If we weren't in lockdown I would get an electrician round, as we've been in the dark for ages. Please could anyone give me some advice on what to try next?

Thanks - Martin

Pic of the rear/wiring at the other 2 way switch will help