2 Way Light Switch driving me mad

newbie9857

Hi I need some help.  I have a 2 x 1 gang 2 way light switches - 1 on the upstairs landing and 1 downstairs.  They both used to work to control 1 light but have recently stopped.  I have opened them up and messed around and now cluelesss how to put them back!  The upstairs switch has 6 wires!  1 Earth (green/yellow), 2 red, 1 yellow, 1 black and 1 blue.  The downstairs has 4 wires.  1 Earth (green/yellow), 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue.  Can anyone shed anylight on this please?  Any info would be greatly appreciated!!  

John_Gray

To be quite honest, if you don't know what you're doing then you stand a high chance of tripping the circuit breaker, blowing up a wire, giving yourself a nasty shock, or worse.  Electricians know what they are doing with electricity - ask one to sort it out for you!

mobileron

http://www.sparkyfacts.co.uk/Wiring-Diagrams-Two-Way-Lighting-Circuit.php

neilmcl

newbie9857 said:

Hi I need some help.  I have a 2 x 1 gang 2 way light switches - 1 on the upstairs landing and 1 downstairs.  They both used to work to control 1 light but have recently stopped.  I have opened them up and messed around and now cluelesss how to put them back!  The upstairs switch has 6 wires!  1 Earth (green/yellow), 2 red, 1 yellow, 1 black and 1 blue.  The downstairs has 4 wires.  1 Earth (green/yellow), 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue.  Can anyone shed anylight on this please?  Any info would be greatly appreciated!!  

Get an electrician in, you clearly don't know what you're doing which could prove dangerous if you keep "messing around" with it.

pramsay13

I'm all for attempting things myself and have done in the past, but for the sake of your family and neighbours maybe it is time to admit defeat.

forgotmyname

Beware not all sockets are the same also.  Replaced one of mine recently and as usual
i put the multimeter across the terminals to check its the same as the one i removed.

Lucky i did, the new socket was backwards. Could have ended with the lights on no matter
which switch setting,  lights off no matter on the setting or worse it could have popped the
breakers.

This was a new build when we moved in and they did something wrong, if you fit an LED
into the landing it glows with both switches off.  You could find how the light should be
wired, but thats not to say that is how it was wired originally.

virgo17

forgotmyname said:

This was a new build when we moved in and they did something wrong, if you fit an LED
into the landing it glows with both switches off.  You could find how the light should be
wired, but thats not to say that is how it was wired originally.

Ditto: Similar experience here.

I can only reitterate the advice given to the OP, get someone who knows what they are doing in.