Junction box on lighting circuit

[newuser31555]

Hello All,
I am new here so please forgive if there any mistakes. A month ago I was planning to install a couple light which go under the wall mounted kitchen cupboards. Upon finding a junction box which I tested a with a multi electrical test meter that the when the light switch is off the box is live and when the switch is on it is dead. A imcompotent electrician installed the junction box. I have a three gange single box light switch in the kitchen. The middle switch is for the under cupboard lights, the right hand switch used for ceiling fan light and the left hand switch for the outlside light these are already installed and working. I can show you with a simlar switch which I downloaded from goggle images (the only difference is mine has not got the rope edge).

Any advice welcome

 

[Guitarist]

Sounds like a 2-way lighting circuit. There will be another switch somewhere which if you "switch" it will make the supply in the JB behave as you expect. If you are unsure about anything then I would suggest you get a competent (not compotent) electrician to have a look.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

what you may have here is a mix up in the back of that 3 gang switch.......i had a similar scenareo the other day where there was a 3 gang switch in a living room with an open hallway going upstairs....looking at the 3 gang switch the left hand one was 2 way`d with the 1 gang switch on the opposite side of the living room....the middle switch was 1 way controlling the lamp in the hallway and the right hand one was 2 way controlling the landing light......what happened is when switching the living room light off at the 1 gang...then switching on again with the 3 gang....the hallway light would come on......it was a right old mess in the back of that 3 gang....someone had been arsing about in there.....sounds like a similar scenario here.....kill the power and go round with the wander lead......R1...get em belled out to find out whats what here or you could be going round for ages.......

 

[Guitarist]

Glenn, I am guessing this is a DIY'er with a tester.

 

[Octopus]

Get a competent electrician in!

 

[Richard Burns]

Sounds like the electrician wired the centre switch using the other terminal of the centre switch.
If the switch is not a two way switch as Guitarist said then...
If the plate is standard it will be three switches each with the capability to do two way switching.

For each switch there are three terminals normally C L1 and L2.
If there are these terminals and the centre switch is used a one way switch there will be one wire in C and one wire in either L1 or L2. (if there are wires in both L1 and L2 then it is a two way switch).
SWITCH OFF THE CIRCUIT at your consumer unit and test to ensure that all cables in the switch are not live.
Take the single cable that is in L1 or L2 of the centre switch and connect it into the other (L2 or L1 terminal) of the switch. The junction box would then be powered as expected.

If you are unsure about this information then ask an electrician to check this.
This is only one possible scenario and there could be others; at a distance one cannot definitely say what is wrong. So I cannot say that I can definitely give the correct information.

 

[newuser31555]

The switches are in the kitchen and the ceiling fan light and the outside light are on a one way circuit. This junction box has got me baffled. I am now of even thinking of taking a course in electrics

 

[Guitarist]

I am now of even thinking of taking a course in electrics

Orrrr, you could ask someone who has already done a course in electrics to have a look for you. :25:

 

[telectrix]

sounds like the switch is wired to L2 instead of L1. just means it works the other way round, i.e. up for on. best get a sparks in, as previously suggested.