One to confuse you all!!

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axel132132

Right then this has now happened to me twice.. and ive not a clue whats going on so if anyone has had the same issue it would be good to see what causing it.

Anyways SO i have a 2G2W light switch upstairs and a 2G2W light switch downstairs.. I Wire them both correct.. Up have Brown from 3-core in Common, then black in L1 and grey in L2 and Live in in L1 and Live out in L2.. that controls the lights on the stairs..

Then i do exactly the same with the upstairs lights. Feed in, feed out L1 + L2 etc.. ok all simple so far..

NOW COMES THE CONFUSING BIT..

The stair lights are working fine on the 2-way wikid..
The LED spotlights in the celing dont work.. OK

SO i swap the cables, basically swapping the switch.. NOW the LED spotlights work on the 2-way but the stair lights dont..

OK so maybe the switch is broke.. Change the switch (TWICE still dosent work)..

Umm maybe i have a strapper down or something.. Bell out the strappers.. BELL OUT FINE.. ok now WHAT the hell is going on here??????? Switch is fine, strappers fine and if i move the strappers from one switch to the other it works so this proves that the Live IN to switch and the Live to the light works an that all the lamps are working..

any ideas anyone?

cheers
 
axel132132 said:
Right then this has now happened to me twice.. and ive not a clue whats going on so if anyone has had the same issue it would be good to see what causing it.

Anyways SO i have a 2G2W light switch upstairs and a 2G2W light switch downstairs.. I Wire them both correct.. Up have Brown from 3-core in Common, then black in L1 and grey in L2 and Live in in L1 and Live out in L2.. that controls the lights on the stairs..

Then i do exactly the same with the upstairs lights. Feed in, feed out L1 + L2 etc.. ok all simple so far..

NOW COMES THE CONFUSING BIT..

The stair lights are working fine on the 2-way wikid..
The LED spotlights in the celing dont work.. OK

SO i swap the cables, basically swapping the switch.. NOW the LED spotlights work on the 2-way but the stair lights dont..

OK so maybe the switch is broke.. Change the switch (TWICE still dosent work)..

Umm maybe i have a strapper down or something.. Bell out the strappers.. BELL OUT FINE.. ok now WHAT the hell is going on here??????? Switch is fine, strappers fine and if i move the strappers from one switch to the other it works so this proves that the Live IN to switch and the Live to the light works an that all the lamps are working..

any ideas anyone?

cheers
Click to expand...

Where are you taking the "feeds" from?
 
Murdoch it sounds like the feed and switch wire are dropped from the lights via a T&E and then a 3 core between switches, so 5 cores at the switch one end and 3 at the other, may be a strapper on the wrong switch.
 
Yeh the feeds are to the switch so in switch have Feed in, Feed out, and then Switch out so 3 Lives and the Neutrals are connected in a Wago connector in the back.
 
I think all will become obvious when you sit down and draw a wiring diagram of what you would expect to happen and then compare it with what you have actually got.
I can't help thinking that it something very simple such as as voltz has described
 
take the live in, out of the switch, and put it in a wago. Add both switch wires. Lights should be permanently on. This will confirm the switch wires. Then you have a feed problem somewhere. Double check the linked commons in the switch, it can't be anything else.


And do let us know!
 
Yeh 2 x 3 cores.. we have had 3 electricians look at it now.. AND ITS A MISTERY!! No one understands why its not working.. the 2 way next to it is WIRED EXACTLY THE SAME ackbar.. and that works fine so its not the wiring thats wrong lol.. and yeh murdoch, i 2nd fixing everything.. everything second fixed power on to make sure lightings goes on.. umm 2way does nothing.. wont switch the light on or anything absolutely MENTAL
 
Yeh i did that voltz linked it all through and lights were on.. It is the worlds most craziest issue i think theres something paranormal about this switch o_O..?!
 
axel132132 said:
Yeh 2 x 3 cores.. we have had 3 electricians look at it now.. AND ITS A MISTERY!! No one understands why its not working.. the 2 way next to it is WIRED EXACTLY THE SAME ackbar.. and that works fine so its not the wiring thats wrong lol.. and yeh murdoch, i 2nd fixing everything.. everything second fixed power on to make sure lightings goes on.. umm 2way does nothing.. wont switch the light on or anything absolutely MENTAL
Click to expand...

Sorry mate but I'm not sure that switching on the power before you've done the requisit dead tests is the right thing to do.
 
check your switch. Take it off the wall, put your continuity testers on them and operate the switch. Had a batch of double pole switches with broken neutral mechanism before now. I expect you have confirmed this already though. It's something simple though mate.
 
Yeh thats what i done just powered up to func test. Ill check that switch tomorrow then i didnt check i just assumed that 3 switches cant be faulty lol
 
Not trying to jump onto the wrong neutral are you?

as said above draw it out, it helps loads

But seriously, its a 2 way lighting circuit, im highly surprised that 3 sparks have had a look and not sussed it out by now, well actually not that surprised if they are anything like some of the members we get on here

Good luck with it, if you get stuck im sure theres plenty of decent sparks locally
 
Just re-read your original post

Why are you wiring the live out into L2?

when wired at the switch, live in and live out in a connector, a fly lead from the connector into L1 along with black, then the switch line( one that go's to LEDs in L2 along with grey
 
I dont get what people are saying here i have 2 switches WIRED EXACTLY THE SAME RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER how hard is that to understand o_O ONE WORKS FINE the other dosent work.. THEY ARE WIRED CORRECT im not thick! Ive also tried wiring it the other method as if it was wired in singles.. Thats same didnt work..

But vernam... dunno if u ment it to sound like you did but your basically saying were not 'Decent Sparks'

Well these not 'Decent Sparks' that we are wire Mansion New builds, all audio systems, alarm systems technical ****.. also do full tesco new builds etc SO i think a 2-way lighting is on the EXTREMELY EASY TO WIRE section of what we do!
 
Hi Axel.

As Vernam has pointed out, when you talk about 'live in - live out' in your OP I find the terminology confusing, can you confirm that you have 2 lives and 2 switch lives to each switch? or are you looping 1 live to both switches - if so the live should be looped from L1 on one switch to L1 on the next switch, and your switch lives go in L2.
 
axel132132 said:
I dont get what people are saying here i have 2 switches WIRED EXACTLY THE SAME RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER how hard is that to understand o_O ONE WORKS FINE the other dosent work.. THEY ARE WIRED CORRECT im not thick! Ive also tried wiring it the other method as if it was wired in singles.. Thats same didnt work..

But vernam... dunno if u ment it to sound like you did but your basically saying were not 'Decent Sparks'

Well these not 'Decent Sparks' that we are wire Mansion New builds, all audio systems, alarm systems technical ****.. also do full tesco new builds etc SO i think a 2-way lighting is on the EXTREMELY EASY TO WIRE section of what we do!
Click to expand...

We are trying to help you, if you have wired and connected it right, it would be working wouldn't it?
 
Yeh JESUS man im gonna stop bothering I KNOW HOW TO WIRE A FRIKIN SWITCH JESUS CRIST WHATS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND... soz but your all talking to me like im thick!.. Yes i have one brown cable that comes in from the mainsboard to the switch it then leaves to the next switch yes these are in L1 and a link over to the other switch OBVIOUSLY

Everyone needs to stop worrying about the simple stuff IM NOT A RETARD and have checked all the simple OBVIOUS stuff

Yes the switch is wired right
Yes the lights are working
Yes the cables are fine

Who knows its just bizzare
 
axel, calm down, we are not there and we are trying to find out what you see, connected etc, there is no magic fix

As i see you are a Arms member you must be a sparkie (according to the site admin/owner) so dont get irate and things will get sorted :)

Personal opinion.......Stuff what i posted above, i looked at your web site in your forum signature, if you are that good then how can you not fix such a small issue

You remind me of a local firm that are big on marketing and very poor on the staff that they employ

2way lighting is 1st year apprentice install
 
Last edited by a moderator:
well you have confirmed all wiring is correct, you have confirmed it is exactly the same as the adjacent switch and everything is correct, so it must be a faulty light switch then must'n it?unless you have missed out any other info which could help us work it out, it's a 2 way switch and as ashrow above mentioned calm down, if all wiring is right and all cables confirmed not to be broken via continuity tests then it must be the switch, just buy another and there you go.
 
possible causes IMO with the information presented here

1/ continuity on the failed 2-way switch line - could be a cut cable

2/ Failed switch on a 2-way lighting circuit - had one of those on Tuesday

3/ Live feed from switch-line 1 L1/L2 not connected to switch-line 2 L1/L2

4/ Only one switch line down to 2-ganged switch

5/ second switch line not connected up at 2nd rose or JB

I assume that the conversion method is use? If not then there are a few more possibilities
 
Yah gonna do that tomoz, was just making sure that there isnt some weird thing going on like something you wouldnt expect and someone has had the same before i go back tomoz and change it for it still to not work ha
 
axel132132 said:
Yah gonna do that tomoz, was just making sure that there isnt some weird thing going on like something you wouldnt expect and someone has had the same before i go back tomoz and change it for it still to not work ha
Click to expand...

The paranormal switch theory is beginning to sound good, think it has distinct possibilities, don't know much about them personally, must have had that day off at college, mind you, it was a long time ago. Lol
 
ackbarthestar said:
possible causes IMO with the information presented here

1/ continuity on the failed 2-way switch line - could be a cut cable

2/ Failed switch on a 2-way lighting circuit - had one of those on Tuesday

3/ Live feed from switch-line 1 L1/L2 not connected to switch-line 2 L1/L2

4/ Only one switch line down to 2-ganged switch

5/ second switch line not connected up at 2nd rose or JB

I assume that the conversion method is use? If not then there are a few more possibilities
Click to expand...

From what I have read, only 2 remains a possibility. He has linked out the live and switched live to confirm that the lights come on, so it is a switching problem.
 
If youve checked continuity and IR'd the strappers and twin and earths down to the switches and theyre fine, then the switches must be faulty. Have you checked for voltage at the LED lights when they appear not to work? Just incase its a neutral issue or something, cant see it being this if theyve been working in the other side of the 2 gang switch!
You will have probs already done this, but have you checked the other 2 way switch that controls these lights?
 
When all the other possibilities have been discounted, whatever remains - however unlikely - has to be the answer.

You have one light(set), 2 switches, 2 cables and one supply. The options for point of failure are limited.
 
This is true! ha i was just stood there thinking all the possibilites and id used them all.. And was like surely! WHAT THE HELL anyways must be the switch so shall change it =] gracias all
 
VoltzElectrical said:
From what I have read, only 2 remains a possibility. He has linked out the live and switched live to confirm that the lights come on, so it is a switching problem.
Click to expand...

It looks as though you maybe right. However, its quite common to have a poor connection in a wago or other JB where the conductors test out ok when disconnected and remain disconnected / not making contact when connected. The newer cheaper connector blocks give that impression. Although a dodgy batch of switches appear to be the most likely cause...
 
Wiring mansions? and your on here asking why your 2 way switch isnt working?

I wouldnt let you wire a plug let alone a mansion

FFS what are you expecting us to say " oh maybe its a ghost "

There is an explanation a very simple one infact...... You arnt competant enough, like said above its one of the first things you learn, and had you tested the cabling out correctly im 100% sure the fault would show

Everyday i read stupid s**t like this on here from people who actually call themselves electricians and charge people for the privellege
 
With out being to rude, if i could not wire a switch then i certainly would not post it in a forum where loads of electricians hang out. Yes even us electricians have tech issues but a switch is not one of them :p
 
Ashrow why do you say " Without being too rude"?

He has been rude most of the way through it and deserves all the roasting he gets.
Ialso happened to notice some of his previous posts on wiring basic things, do these mansion owners know who they have let in?

Own up pal before you endanger someones life
 
Lmao, wow i have explained from the start i know how its wired end of day i was asking if anyone else has had similar issues. Something not so SIMPLE being the fact that maybe i have had 2 broken switches WHICH i thought was EXTREMELY UNLIKELY now tomorrow i am buying a NEW 2G2W SWITCH and when i put that on its gonna work.. I personally didn't think that it was likely to have 2 broken switches. But clearly it is.

Other than that i Dont know were you have got the idea that i cannot wire a 2-way.. This is very bizarre where you seem to have come up with that.. Just by the simple fact that in my original post i have stated that it is a 2 gang 2 way light switch and one side of the switch which is 2-way WORKS PERFECTLY FINE and this side is exactly the same but does not work

NOW Im not a genius, nor am i some extreme brainiac BUT i believe by that simple sentence above it CLEARLY states that i know how to wire a 2-way OR the first switch WHICH WORKS clearly wouldn't work

Some people annoy me becoming electricians WHEN THEY ARE THICK AS PIG SH!T.. Utter retards

and Shropshire - I have just read about your post on Hotel re-wire...

Call an electrician mate

End of good bye
 
Umm switches are specialist £110 later - Some specialist MK chrome like scratch resistant mirror ones there absolutely mental you have to wear gloves just to fit them :S

Also im Labour only i dont supply the gear
 
Im not supplying the gear, and the guy in charge is a D!CK so when i do these jobs i make sure i have nothing on the van cable/switch wise as if hes about and something goes wrong with standard switches or he wants extra socket in.. He will be like OH mate just grab cable out of back of your van and wire that socket for us will u please.. I do it and dont get paid for it so make sure i dont carry nothing on me :)
 
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