3 way switching - Solved :-)

[kreatiff63]

Using a 'power to the switch' method. At first I had a raft of issues, but by following these steps I was able to solve those issues and with some help from guys on this forum and professionals on YouTube

1. I had to get a supply to a 4 gang lights switch. At the start I used the wrong supply, a neighbouring light switch which was working and was 1 way. That was a mistake. I needed to get a live and neutral. Eventually I located and used a junction box. I had to ensure this was 6amp lighting loop. The connections in the JB caused me some issues, but then I switched over to wago connectors and wago junction box. The connections were then secure.
2. I then set about wiring the 3 way switching at the doorways leading into the kitchen. The method took the neutral feeding the lights and connected this to the neutral from the power supply feeding the light switch and was connected directly using a wago connector.
3. The rest is in the diagram below...
   
   
4. Ensure you work safely at all times... that Consumer Unit is off, you Test the terminals using a recommended voltage reader (make sure its working). And if you're not sure get a professional to help.
5. Issues I faced were:
   1. Lights were flickering - to solve this I ensured that the connections were secure in their terminals in the switches. Found some loose, and even some broken. All now firm and with sheathing.
   2. Power supply - I tried using the neighbouring switch. This was wrong. I found a true source from a lighting junction box to use. I got confused in this process and thought at one stage that I was using a 32 amp because when I tripped the 32apm RCB in the CU. This turned out to be beacuse I created a short when cutting a cable with my wire cutters and only had the lighting RCBs in the off position. It was a 6amp junction box. I had loose connections issue and changed the JB to a WAGO type. This secured the connections at the JB.
   3. I initially used the brown wires in the 3 core in L1. When I checked the lights afterwards I noticed that the light switch was in the wrong position down = off. So I switched to grey in L1 and brown in L2. This solved that issue.
   4. Number of cables feeding the 4 gang light switch was too much. So I trimmed the outer cable protective layer right back so so those wires that were linked by WAGO were behind the back box and in wago boxes. I brought only the wires that needed to be connected into the back box.
6. I also used the method shown in a two way switch and this, which has been successful too.
7. Lastly, I'm not a professional Electrician. I sort to emply an electrician several times and over a long period to do the above work. The quotes were £1000. I thought this was too much. Recently my contract came to end leaving me time to research this myself. I used what I thoguht were competent sources. Some here, and others on YouTube, practioners, and a lecturer. I made some mistakes but was in the end able to resolve the issues I had. Hopefully you will find this helpful. If there are any mistakes in here, please let me know and I will correct it.

 

[littlespark]

On your diagram, the colours change between switches.
If you make the brown core common, and looped right through to the end, this leaves black and grey as the strappers/ pass wires/ travellers (delete as applicable) in L1 and L2
The black and grey to be sleeved brown to indicate live conductors. (Just a cm of sleeving is enough)
You should be able to add a brown section to your diagram.

I’ll point to anyone else that the diagram does not show all the other cables that will be at each of the switch boxes.
Simplified down to just the additions mentioned in OP

 

[kreatiff63]

On your diagram, the colours change between switches.
If you make the brown core common, and looped right through to the end, this leaves black and grey as the strappers/ pass wires/ travellers (delete as applicable) in L1 and L2
The black and grey to be sleeved brown to indicate live conductors. (Just a cm of sleeving is enough)
You should be able to add a brown section to your diagram.

I’ll point to anyone else that the diagram does not show all the other cables that will be at each of the switch boxes.
Simplified down to just the additions mentioned in OP

Like this...



And yes as per your response this doesn't show the other switches and what I've had to do to accomodate them, but this is mentioned in the text. The four gang light switch at the front door was tricky. I also used the feed from the Junction Box to supply the hallway lights too. This was done using a wago connector. All the earths were connected into wago connectors too. The two other switches operate the outdoor lights and security lights. These were quite simply by comparison.

I used drawings to help fully understand what was doing what... like interpreting what each wire was doing in the junction box. Taking this from a JB to Wago connectors and JB was helpful...