Light Switch question

[DizzAssTer24]

Hi All

Struggling to install a bog standard light switch due to getting confused by different coloured cables.

I'm an avid DIY but never had this issue before.

So in a house where they put a dimmer switch in but it was flickering and light switch was making a weird noise. I hate dimmers so wanted to take it of put on a simple on off switch.

When i took it off there was 5 cables.

2 Red

1 Black
1 Blue

1Yellow

the 2 red were in the same hole on the old switch
The black and blue were both in the same hole on the old
The yellow was connected to nothing as appears the end snapped off in the 3rd hole.

Apologies, not quite sure on the port names as it crumbled in my hand when taking it off a heavily painted wall.

So i popped on my new switch with the same combinations. 2 Red when in the Com and the blue, Black into L1.

But what am i supposed to do with the yellow? Ordinarily there hasn't been another spare cable when i have done this as i believe L2 is for a 2 way light system.

I left the yellow out of it, popped back on the cover and turned the fuse back on and all is working absolutely fine but just a bit worried about whether i should have done something with the yellow at all.

Any help would be appreciated as i've been trying to dissect wire colours and years for quite a while and am no further forward.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[MJPD29]

Is this a 2 way switch? Have you got a voltage tester?

 

[DizzAssTer24]

Is this a 2 way switch? Have you got a voltage tester?

No it's just a normal one way switch.

However I did manage to come to the conclusion to check the other switch in my house and it was red, red to L1 then black,blue to L2 then yellow to COM. No idea why it's like that but I copied it on the switch I was concerned with and all works fine.

Got an electrician coming out next week to fit me some new plug sockets so am going to ask him to give it the once over too.

 

[MJPD29]

It is a 2 way switch. If it was a one way switch you wouldn't be using all 3 terminals. If there is no other switch be careful you havent got a live cable floating around somewhere.

 

[DizzAssTer24]

It is a 2 way switch. If it was a one way switch you wouldn't be using all 3 terminals. If there is no other switch be careful you havent got a live cable floating around somewhere.

This is what I thought when I first made the change and am now more confused. Why is L2 being used when it's not a 2 way switch etc.

It was like this beforehand and was fine so will leave well alone for now and get it checked out for the issue you mentioned.

 

[littlespark]

If there’s no other switch you can think of, then disconnecting the red/yellow/blue of the 3 core cable will disconnect that entirely. Pop a connector on each end, so no floating wires can drop onto a live terminal.
The red and black can go onto C and L1 and it can be used as a one way switch.

A second two way switch would have been at another door, or possibly by the bed headboard if it was a bedroom.