2-way 2-gang, 2-way 1-gang problem

shaneybaby55 · Post by **shaneybaby55** » Thu May 31, 2007 1:57 pm

Hi I have spent a few days looking around forums and am struggling to find an answer, for the little problem that my partners parents have, hope somebody could help us out, would be much appreciated. A wall lamp was replaced the other day at the bottom of the stairs this lamp works off a 2-way 2-gang switch, which also works the light at the top of the landing. At the top of the landing there is a 2-way 1-gang switch. I do not know if the problem persisted before, but if you turn the light off using the upstairs switch and tried to turn it on using the downstairs switch it does not work.

I looked at the lamp that was wired and you have brown cable connected to brown cable, blue cable connected to blue cable, and of course the earths were connected.

I have not touched the downstairs wiring on the 2-way 2-gang switch, here is a photo of it

As you can see top row, com red wire, L1 red wire and L2 black wire
Bottom row, L1 red wire which also has a red wire to the com and L2 is empty. These wires come in from 3 main white cables, there is also 2 black wires that are connected as you can see.

When I opened the 2-way 1-gang switch at the top of the landing, there was a red wire, which was not connected, it looked if the end had snapped and was just hanging there. Along with this red wire, there is 1 more red wire along with 2 black wires; these wires come in from 2 main white cables.

I have also noticed that the earths are not connected to the metal mounting boxes at either switch, the switches are plastic, is this why they have been left disconnected?

All advice welcome

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Thu May 31, 2007 5:20 pm

Hello Shaney, The switch you have open contains a number of No Nos , and shows its age. I will list them below

1. Earths twisted together are not sleeved with green/yellow sleeving and should be bonded to the backlbox ideally. This will probably apply to your socket circuits aswell.

2. The two black cables in the porcelain thing are not permitted anymore due to the connections coming loose. Best replaced with a connector block.

3. No red sleeving on the blacks that are used as lives in the switch set up.

I believe you will find this will be the case over the whole house and should be looked at really to bring it up to standard. Your non working light switch is definiteley going to be to do with your missing core in the switch . Can you post a pictiure of the other switch so i can draw the circuit out and try to work out where it should have been before it snapped.

Nick

shaneybaby55 · Post by **shaneybaby55** » Thu May 31, 2007 5:56 pm

Hi Nick, I thought this did look a bit dated, there is no sleeving on any of the wires. I did try a few routes and forgot how the upstairs light was wired, but I am think this was how it was but I am not 100% sure to be honest here is a photo

thanks for your advice and reply.
I am right or wrong in saying that whatever wire is in the common terminal downstairs, that wire must go in the common terminal upstairs? So as there are 2 red wires in the common terminal downstairs, should a red wire be in the common terminal upstairs?
Also is it a no no to have a black and a red wire going into the same terminal?

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Thu May 31, 2007 6:00 pm

Hello, Not necessarily the case that whatever red goes to the common stays as the common, As for a black and a red in the same terminal not a problem as the black is efffectiveley a live. In your second photo is the wire in the terminal block just extended or is there two wires in terminal blocks.

Will draw it out and see if i can work it out for you .

Nick

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Thu May 31, 2007 6:06 pm

I think that in your second phot the cable in the top of the switch should be one of the red ones not connected up. and the black one removed and made safe in the block. Basically you have a live in to the ground flor switch , 2 cores between the switches up and down called strappers, then from the upstairs witch you are taking a live to the light that is controlled by the 2 way circut. Do you have 2 lightiong circuits in your house or just 1? The reason I ask is it looks like the light may be getting its neutral from the upstairs circuit not the downstairs by the looks of it anyways.

Nick

shaneybaby55 · Post by **shaneybaby55** » Thu May 31, 2007 6:23 pm

I believe there is just one lighting circuit, as I only have to pull one fuse to disconnect all the lights, would I be right in saying that?
In the upstairs photo there is just the one red wire extended I then put the block on the end to, as it was too short to reach to the lower holes might have been the case why it snapped, if it did snap.

sparkydude · Post by **sparkydude** » Thu May 31, 2007 6:27 pm

If this is the case then i would try swapping the red cable with the extension on it for the black one in the top of the switch and see if that has the desired effect . I Do not think it has snapped off from anywhere as it would be unusual to have two cables in the top terminal, not beyond the realms of possibbilities, but i have not seen it . Try my suggestion and if all else fails try it in eaither of the bottom terminals, you wont affect anything by connecting it wrong as it is all the same circuit .

Nick