Can anyone help with my bathroom light pull chord switch?

[Bgy333]

photo of the wiring in the loft it leads to this switch

 

[Bgy333]

So maybe this is where the issue is as there’s only one live wire here and I’m assuming there were 2 lives needed connecting, maybe the switch was being used as some kind of junction box and the switch was thswitch?

The switch isn’t in the bathroom and obv that wiring is new , I’ve discounted that switch as nothing as it “didn’t work”, it’s in a room connecected onto the bathroom by a door and this room was knocked into one massive bedroom before we moved in. I redid the partition and that switch never worked and so that’s where my problem maybe?

 

[Bgy333]

Whwre the switch is near the door into the bathroom

 

[Avo Mk8]

photo of the wiring in the loft it leads to this switch

I'm trying to make sense of those first two pics. This seems to be the problem.
the metal clad switch with the red, yellow, blue wires coming out of it seems to be a two way switch to operate the bathroom light in conjunction with the pull cord.
If the brown and blue wires leading off to the left go to your pull cord, then the old (broke) pull cord switch was being used two way. The bare copper earth wire is being used as the common live.
So it's not an earth wire at all!
If you want to continue to use that metal switch in pic 2, then that bit of brown/blue cable in pic 1 needs repacing with 3 core to the light switch. I think the problems you have been having are all because the earth wire is being used as a live wire, and now that is a problem at the new pull switch.
Is your new pull switch 2 way?
Can you replace the 2 core cable with 3 core without too much difficulty?

getting somewhere now !

 

[Avo Mk8]

I’ve just got my multi meter in the wires in the loft the blue and brown is showing no reading and the read and black a tiny one I’ll include a pic and show the settings on my multi meter, obv the wires are all dangling so if I’m supposed to be connecting 2 lives I’m not. Cos ones not live and the other minimal

In addition to the other recent discoveries, the leakage across red and black just using a multimeter is a bad sign.
You need an insulation resistance tester to check the resistance at 500V. Have you got a friendly sparky who could do that for you?

 

[Bgy333]

I'm trying to make sense of those first two pics. This seems to be the problem.
the metal clad switch with the red, yellow, blue wires coming out of it seems to be a two way switch to operate the bathroom light in conjunction with the pull cord.
If the brown and blue wires leading off to the left go to your pull cord, then the old (broke) pull cord switch was being used two way. The bare copper earth wire is being used as the common live.
So it's not an earth wire at all!
If you want to continue to use that metal switch in pic 2, then that bit of brown/blue cable in pic 1 needs repacing with 3 core to the light switch. I think the problems you have been having are all because the earth wire is being used as a live wire, and now that is a problem at the new pull switch.
Is your new pull switch 2 way?
Can you replace the 2 core cable with 3 core without too much difficulty?

getting somewhere now !

Like I said in original post I did my P16th papers (20 odd years ago like) so not up to date but yes replacing 2 core to 3 core no problem but I’ve no issues not using the light switch on the wall and just the pull cord.

When I was testing the wires one the earths was showing live and someone comments don’t trust pen testers!

I’m able to do whatever I just don’t know where to put which wires - one of the earths is scorched so maybe that’s the live one!

 

[Bgy333]

In addition to the other recent discoveries, the leakage across red and black just using a multimeter is a bad sign.
You need an insulation resistance tester to check the resistance at 500V. Have you got a friendly sparky who could do that for you?

I’ve got this if you tell me how to set it or what to do?

So basically forget the silver switch how would I connect just my pull cord to work the lights ! I can access the wires. In the loft to do any messing up there is not an issue!

 

[Avo Mk8]

Like I said in original post I did my P16th papers (20 odd years ago like) so not up to date but yes replacing 2 core to 3 core no problem but I’ve no issues not using the light switch on the wall and just the pull cord.

When I was testing the wires one the earths was showing live and someone comments don’t trust pen testers!

I’m able to do whatever I just don’t know where to put which wires - one of the earths is scorched so maybe that’s the live one!

So

I’ve got this if you tell me how to set it or what to do?

So basically forget the silver switch how would I connect just my pull cord to work the lights ! I can access the wires. In the loft to do any messing up there is not an issue!

The problem is a multimeter won't stress the cable with a high enough voltage to do a proper test. My concern is the old black/red section of cable might have be a problem, but putting that aside, there's the correct connection of the pull cord to sort out first.

 

[Bgy333]

So

The problem is a multimeter won't stress the cable with a high enough voltage to do a proper test. My concern is the old black/red section of cable might have be a problem, but putting that aside, there's the correct connection of the pull cord to sort out first.

That’d be sound pls do you want me to test the “earth / live “ see what that shows?

 

[Bgy333]

The red and earth is showing live on my pen tester but I don’t know how to test how much current on the earth wire like I say it shows minimal on the multi meter

 

[Avo Mk8]

Like I said in original post I did my P16th papers (20 odd years ago like) so not up to date but yes replacing 2 core to 3 core no problem but I’ve no issues not using the light switch on the wall and just the pull cord.

When I was testing the wires one the earths was showing live and someone comments don’t trust pen testers!

I’m able to do whatever I just don’t know where to put which wires - one of the earths is scorched so maybe that’s the live one!

I said don't trust pen testers, but ironically in this instance it was telling you the live earth wire was live!
It needs to be established if there is a permanent live at the pull cord that is not coming from the wall switch.

 

[Avo Mk8]

The red and earth is showing live on my pen tester but I don’t know how to test how much current on the earth wire like I say it shows minimal on the multi meter

It's not obvious to me where live is coming from!
Why are the blue and black wires connected together by the choc block? Were they together like that in the old pull cord?
Or did you put them together because that seems right colour wise?
The reason I ask is that I can't make sense of this wiring yet!

 

[davesparks]

I think it's time to suggest you call an electrician, you have some dangerous wiring there that needs sorting out.
Exposed connector blocks and the earth core of a T&E cable connected to live are not, and have never been, acceptable.

 

[Bgy333]

It's not obvious to me where live is coming from!
Why are the blue and black wires connected together by the choc block? Were they together like that in the old pull cord?
Or did you put them together because that seems right colour wise?
The reason I ask is that I can't make sense of this wiring yet!

I copied the old wiring i believe- they were always like that it’s possible- seems probable that I’ve done it wrong, maybe the red and brown should have gone one side of the pull cord switch and the live earth the other? That’s the only way 2 lives would connect on the switch ?

 

[brianmoooore]

I think it's time to suggest you call an electrician, you have some dangerous wiring there that needs sorting out.
Exposed connector blocks and the earth core of a T&E cable connected to live are not, and have never been, acceptable.

This!

 

[Avo Mk8]

I copied the old wiring i believe- they were always like that it’s possible- seems probable that I’ve done it wrong, maybe the red and brown should have gone one side of the pull cord switch and the live earth the other? That’s the only way 2 lives would connect on the switch ?

Let me have a think about this. I'm off for a few hours. I'll get back to you.
Are you able to check, safely, what if anything is live?

 

[Bgy333]

Like said I did my P16th edition papers 2007 so checking live wires besides feeling it they’re warm lol isn’t a problem I’ve got the two multi meter shown and the pen tester

 

[Avo Mk8]

I don't think it is possible to determine remotely exactly how your circuit was wired just from the photo's.
The original configuration might have been something like that shown below. That is just illustrative - I don't know which terminal is which on the wall switch.
And as has been said, the use of the bare earth wire as a live connection is unacceptable, and has caused you difficulties in trying to replace the switch.
Your experience previously as an electrician ought to allow you to work out how to correctly connect what you have.

However, the fact that you see a deflection on the needle of your multimeter, set to ohms range, when checking between L and N on the old cable between the lights (otherwise disconnected) leads me to join others here who have recommended getting an electrician in.

This forum is not supposed to give step by step guidance. I think I've gone as far as I possibly can to try and help, so it's over to you now to do the responsible thing and get this wired properly and made safe.

 

[Bgy333]

I don't think it is possible to determine remotely exactly how your circuit was wired just from the photo's.
The original configuration might have been something like that shown below. That is just illustrative - I don't know which terminal is which on the wall switch.
And as has been said, the use of the bare earth wire as a live connection is unacceptable, and has caused you difficulties in trying to replace the switch.
Your experience previously as an electrician ought to allow you to work out how to correctly connect what you have.

However, the fact that you see a deflection on the needle of your multimeter, set to ohms range, when checking between L and N on the old cable between the lights (otherwise disconnected) leads me to join others here who have recommended getting an electrician in.

This forum is not supposed to give step by step guidance. I think I've gone as far as I possibly can to try and help, so it's over to you now to do the responsible thing and get this wired properly and made safe.

View attachment 102624

You’ve been fantastic and don’t worry I know that sometimes the saying no good deed comes into play and I’ve had it myself tbh “well you told me……..” etc etc

See o fitted the bathroom and as part of it fitted new lights. So it was working fine, I never used the switch on the wall ever.

So thinking back I believe I bought a new silver plastic pull cord switch for the bathroom , and then it never worked since .

I would’ve thought that sleeved green / yellow going into com1 etc on the switch as wrong and connecting them together as normal, dismissing the original photo I had and then had this issue since

 

[UNG]

Looking through all the pictures and posts if the switch outside the bathroom is not needed then just lose the brown / blue T&E at the pull switch and it then looks like you are left with a live, switch live and an earth from the light fitting position in the remaining T&E