Light Switch

Verb

Can anyone help. My hall light doesnt jusy work when it should. Most of the time I need to flick the switch upstairs and downstairs to get it to work.

Its a double switch downstairs (Left switch for the bottom light and Right switch for the top light) I used to work okay until i put a new double switch on downstairs (thought i did it right) its the old black and red wires and the wiring is safe in the house as i had a full inspection last year.

Can anyone help please.

muckybutt

It sounds very much like you have muddled the wires up, easy fix for a sparky and should take no longer than 30 mins max.

I wouldnt recommend you try and rectify it being as you got it wrong first time, test equipment is needed to find the correct wiring and no reflection on you but if you cant get it right first time then I wouldnt class you as competant enough to do it again and get it right.

Verb

I would ecpect a spark to fix it in two mins. I was hoping someone could help me with what wire go where...

keystone

You could have helped yourself by taking notes of which wire went where before you took the old one out in all honesty.

CLICKY for the answer which your uncle google could have provided.

Cheers

zax47

Keystone, you've linked to a US site, which differs from how we wire 2-way switching over here. In 25 years of being a sparks I've never wired it like that and don't know anyone who does.

Over here we generally wire live & switched live from the fitting/ceiling rose to B&C in that diagram, then wire "strappers" in 3 core between the two switches A-A, B-B and C-C. If he's got old red/black wiring then the 3 core will be red, blue, yellow. What you've linked to will bear no resemblence to what the OP might find.

More here;

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

keystone

Oops. Mea Culpa. Bit slapdash in answering. OP look at the link in post #3 which I've also now linked to in my own post. Sorry.

Cheers

Verb

Thank you everyone.

I've just unscrewed both switches. Upstairs has a Red & a Black Wire connected. Down stairs has 3 Red and 2 Black Wires. The downstairs light has one of each (Red & a Black Wire) connected (This light works fine) This leaves 2 Red & 1 Black Wire.

Any advice on what Wire goes where??

DVardysShadow

Verb wrote: »

Thank you everyone.

I've just unscrewed both switches. Upstairs has a Red & a Black Wire connected. Down stairs has 3 Red and 2 Black Wires. The downstairs light has one of each (Red & a Black Wire) connected (This light works fine) This leaves 2 Red & 1 Black Wire.

Any advice on what Wire goes where??

Would you like to describe that again? Not only do we need to know what wires you have, but also what cables the wires are grouped in.

Verb

I'm in work now and not near the switch.

When i originally wired the switch i though i had done it as it was. I even took a photo to refer back to.

I will have another look when i get home.

Does anyone know if any of the wires need putting together

keystone

You either have to trace the wiring to see how it relates to Zax link or use a meter to find out what does what.

It would be irresponsible of anyone to answer (guess) what goes where based on the information you have given.

Cheers

dibuzz

We have a similar problem after my son replaced a double switch in the hall.
To get the upstairs light on we have to go down and vice versa, no idea what he did, he insists he just copied the old one but I'm not letting him near it again.