2 way 2 gang light switch problems

[EGerrard]

Hi,

I bought new chrome light switches to replace the plastic ones - one upstairs 2 gang and one downstairs 1 gang. The switches control the hall light, and the upstairs one also does the bathroom light. At the moment they aren't linked i.e you can't turn the hall light off upstairs if you turned it on downstairs. I just assumed the house wasn't wired properly. But putting the new switches on I realised there was a two loose wires and in actual it wasn't wired properly. I have now wired them as per 2 way and they are now linked and work. My problem is now the bathroom light no longer switches on. I thought on a 2 gang switch the two switches are independent of each other so why isn't it working? Is this the reason the switches, upstairs and downstairs were not linked in a 2 way? The bathroom light seems to only have one wire which is strange but it seem to work fine before. Any help or advice you have give would be much appreciated. I took a photo of the wiring before I took of the plastic switch you can see only one wire going into the COM and the loose wire and how I have wired it now. (not sure if they have uploaded I am struggling to do it)


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[westward10]

That chrome switch needs earthing.

 

[ImpededLoop]

It looks like the 2 reds which are twisted together should be in the L1 terminal of the bathroom light switch. However without seeing it all in real life it's hard to be certain.

I'd give an electrician a call. It should be straightforward to rectify.

 

[davesparks]

You need an electrician to sort this out for you as you have so far managed to take what was likely a safe installation and made it quite dangerous.

 

[JasperOban]

If that's T+E and the 2 black wires that are missing in that picture are neutrals connected together in a block, then the red going to the bathroom is a switch wire + u need to loop a feed from the adjacent switch. Odd to see a 2 way wired without 3 core though, I presume there are 2 cables at the 1 gang switch!

 

[westward10]

It is impossible to give accurate advice from your pics, get an electrician in to correctly connect and earth that switch.

 

[JasperOban]

It is impossible to give accurate advice from your pics, get an electrician in to correctly connect and earth that switch.

Yip I agree, if you're not sure then get a professional in to look at it!

 

[Phil Thompson]

Odd to see a 2 way wired without 3 core though

I use twin brown, brown and earth and single brown to do my switches, triple core is for bathroom fans and smoke alarms lol

 

[JasperOban]

I use twin brown, brown and earth and single brown to do my switches, triple core is for bathroom fans and smoke alarms lol

Do u mean you use a sleaved earth in a twin cable as a switch wire, how do you supply a cpc to the other switch?

 

[Phil Thompson]

No, cpc is always cpc, twin brown between switches, single brown from there to landing light, blue and earth from the landing light to the downstairs hall light, bottom of the stairs switch will be fed by a twin brown(hall individually switched) or a brown and earth(hall 2 way switched) from the hall light.

 

[Phil Thompson]

I've never seen triple core used anywhere in NI, for 2 way Lighting, it was taught in college once or twice I think at the start, but never after that.

 

[EGerrard]

Just to let you know the chrome switch is earthed, the electrics were off and I took that off just for the purposes of the pictures so you could see the other wires better.
I appreciate its hard to tell for the picture, the hall light and upstairs and downstairs light working fine. Just the bathroom switch. Thanks for the advice.

 

[JasperOban]

I've never seen triple core used anywhere in NI, for 2 way Lighting, it was taught in college once or twice I think at the start, but never after that.

3 core t+e is really common in Scotland for 2 way light switching, never seen a new build that's done any other way.

 

[ImpededLoop]

No, cpc is always cpc, twin brown between switches, single brown from there to landing light, blue and earth from the landing light to the downstairs hall light, bottom of the stairs switch will be fed by a twin brown(hall individually switched) or a brown and earth(hall 2 way switched) from the hall light.

I've seen 1960's houses in the south east wired like that, but frequently the landing light uses the live from the downstairs lighting circuit and the neutral from upstairs; the borrowed neutral causes problems when installing dual RCD boards!

 

[JasperOban]

I've seen 1960's houses in the south east wired like that, but frequently the landing light uses the live from the downstairs lighting circuit and the neutral from upstairs; the borrowed neutral causes problems when installing dual RCD boards!

Yip that's why I like joint boxes for lighting, everything back to a central point + able to operate any light from any switch with a single cable, not the most cost efficient as more cable is required but defo makes life much simpler.

 

[Phil Thompson]

Same here, borrowing the neutral off the upstairs circuits, its common in pre mid 80's houses here, I warn people at board changes that if it's in their house that it's extra to correct. Last one was a gift thankfully, they were getting new heating system and immersion moved to garage, so plumber had traps lifted everywhere, even right over the pipe for the downstairs switch and the wall behind the landing switch was the old hot press in the bathroom and was open to be ply lined for tiling for a shower lol a tasty bonus since I'd priced it to correct, if there, beforehand. Lol

 

[D00DY_T00DY]

No, cpc is always cpc, twin brown between switches, single brown from there to landing light, blue and earth from the landing light to the downstairs hall light, bottom of the stairs switch will be fed by a twin brown(hall individually switched) or a brown and earth(hall 2 way switched) from the hall light.

Thats sounds waaaay too confusing. Loop in to switch. T+Cpc to light. 3 core between switches. Simples
Still an apprentice. Be nice haha

 

[westward10]

Just to let you know the chrome switch is earthed, the electrics were off and I took that off just for the purposes of the pictures so you could see the other wires better.
I appreciate its hard to tell for the picture, the hall light and upstairs and downstairs light working fine. Just the bathroom switch. Thanks for the advice.

I may be sceptical but did you do the screw back in on the earth terminal after you disconnected it?

 

[Phil Thompson]

Just what I'm used to now, Pull your twin brown in and when passing the hall light pull a blue and earth in beside it, and leave the twin brown at the landing switch and take a single brown to the landing light with the brown and earth. Simples lol

 

[westward10]

Seems to me everyone is making this two way switching a very complicated affair.