Light switch problem - none working

Riskymove

Hi all, another DIY Disaster:pac:

I was changing light switches and all was going fine until suddenyl none of them work (downstairs in house)

I have gone back and taken all off, then tried putting old one back, still nothing

switch board does not indicate any trips


any suggestions?

Davy

Have you checked for voltage? Lose connection? Dimmers? possibly blown

edward543350

best thing to do would be to get a meter and check the voltage and then go from there l'd say your after mixing your feeds that all

Riskymove

I have taken all the new switches off though and just put back on one plastic one and still nothing



what do you mean by "mixing your feeds"?

2011

If none of the lights on this circuit (downstairs) are working that would suggest that the problem is at the first switch in the circuit. The chances are that this is the one that is closest to the distribution board. If I were you I would look here first. I would guess that the switch feed is connecting to nothing.

Try turning all of the switches to the on position and you may find that something comes on unexpectedly if some of the switch feeds are mixed up with switch wires.

Check the MCBs again, it is not always clear that one has operated.

2011

what do you mean by "mixing your feeds"?

A switch feed brings a supply to the switch. This is always live. A switch wire only becomes live when the switch is in the on position. Only when this is live will the light be on.

edward543350 is suggesting that you may have mixed these up, so am I. That is why I am saying you should turn all switches to the on position to see what happens. You may find that for a light to come on you have to have a few switches in the on position at the same time.

gazelec

Definitely a permenant live and switched live mix up, chances are you will have 3 cables in each switch (if they are single switches at least), one will be a permenant live, one will be a permenant live looping to the next switch and the other one will be the swiched live going to the light (if you dont have two switches that control the same light)
Find the permenant live and touch one cable at a time to it,when the light comes on that is your switched live and that goes into the L1 on the switch, the other cable goes into the common with the permenant live (two cables in the same connection) this gives the next switch its permenant live
Follow the steps above until all switches are done


If in any doubt at all get professional help though!!!!!!!!!!

Cheeble

Hi,

gazelec wrote: »

....Find the permenant live and touch one cable at a time to it,when the light comes on that is your switched live....

Are you sure about recommending live working to a DIY'er?
(Especially one who goes by the name "Riskymove").

Cheeble-eers

Riskymove

Thanks all for replies

I'll try it out this evening

the switch nearest the board was the most complicated alright (3 switches) so that might be it

Cheeble, I am presuming Gazelec means touch the cables withe the voltage meter!! ... at least i hope so:eek:

edward543350

let us know how you get on

Riskymove

after a lot of playing around I have most of the lights working again befiore got fed up:rolleyes:

will attempt to sort last couple tomorrow!!

labelling cables...the only way to go:pac:

Riskymove

I have managed to sort all lights bar the ones in my Kitchen and an light outside over kitchen door

the layout is a as follows

1
one gang 2 way switch which controls kitchen light - L1, L2, L3 connections
3 wires 1 twin (blue and brown) and 1 grey/brown no earth

Based on instructions and wiring in other swithces I have wired the L1 grey L2 blue L3 brown


2.

a double switch - one a second switch for kithcen light and one for outside light

2 gang 2 way 2 lots of L1, L2 and L3

4 wires 1 twin (again blue and brown) and 2 grey/brown

also a short wire connecting both L1 together

again i wired this as others 1 grey in L1 blue L2, borwn L3 and the other grey in L2 of second gang

I have tried various other combos without success...any suggestions?

Davy

Riskymove wrote: »

1
one gang 2 way switch which controls kitchen light - L1, L2, L3 connections
3 wires 1 twin (blue and brown) and 1 grey/brown no earth

Based on instructions and wiring in other swithces I have wired the L1 grey L2 blue L3 brown

The twin cable is probably the strappers between the 2 switches. Once you know the supply it would make things easier. This might help you:

Riskymove wrote: »

2.

a double switch - one a second switch for kithcen light and one for outside light

2 gang 2 way 2 lots of L1, L2 and L3

4 wires 1 twin (again blue and brown) and 2 grey/brown

also a short wire connecting both L1 together

again i wired this as others 1 grey in L1 blue L2, borwn L3 and the other grey in L2 of second gang

I have tried various other combos without success...any suggestions?

You really need a meter so you can identity the cable to be sure. The twin for the strappers as shown in the picture above. One grey could be the supply for the switches, and the and the other the supply to the outside light. When your saying grey, you mean brown singles with an grey mechanical protection outside the brown insulation? The brown loop is a supply loop from one switch to the other. This is common.

Once you know where the supply is coming from it will be a lot easier.

.G.

The blue is the neutral and shouldn't be connected into any terminals on any switch.All neutrals at each switch into a connector block together.

as mentioned above you need to find which of the cables it the supply to the switch(voltpen be handy for this).it goes to L1 or Common and Looped to other L1's/commons if its more than one gang switch.

The other browns are switch wires to the lights.

Davy

superg wrote: »

The blue is the neutral and shouldn't be connected into any terminals on any switch.All neutrals at each switch into a connector block together

I think in this case they used the twin (blue) as one of the strappers. Not right though

.G.

Yeah possibly,but given the description of the lights and switches I doubt it,wouldn't really get strappers in a kitchen too often.

Assuming its not though for number 1 just put 1 brown in L1 and the other in L2 and try it.If it dosen't work swap around and try it.

For number 2 do the same.One brown to L1 and try all the others one at a time in L2 till he gets a combo that works then just loop from L1 to the other L1 and put the remaining brown in the second L2.

EDIT:having re read it its unclear if theres just one light in the Kitchen that is being switched by both switches so possibly strappers at play

Riskymove

there is indeed 2 kitchen lights operated by the switches I overlooked that

I will try again but have tried most combos I can see to no avail

.G.

Riskymove wrote: »

there is indeed 2 kitchen lights operated by the switches I overlooked that

I will try again but have tried most combos I can see to no avail

If its 2 lights then there are no strappers at play and its straight forward.Don't connect the Blue into any terminal in the light switch.Ignore L3 on the switch too.For light 1 Since you only have 2 browns,1 in the twin cable and 1 single then one of these is the feed and the other is the switch wire.Put one in L1 and the other in L2 and try it.Swap them around if that dosen't work.

Same thing for the 2 gang,ignore the blues(if more than one connect together in a block) and the L3 and you should end up with one brown in one of the L1's and the other 2 brown's,one each in each of the L2's.Once you know which one is the one providing power to the switch it should be in L1 of one side of the switch.You will then need a small piece of cable running from the first L1 to the second L1 to give that side of the switch power.

Riskymove

yes there's already a bit of wire connecting the two L1s


I have tried this to no avail, at this stage I am thinking something else has gone wrong could something have gone wrong with light fittings in ceiling ( I was not near them)

to clarify position


one gang

---

light----light

---

2 gang

---

outside light
2 way switch 2 way switch


I have tried every combo and not an ounce of juice even to outside light which should be straightforward!

.G.

Riskymove wrote: »

yes there's already a bit of wire connecting the two L1s


I have tried this to no avail, at this stage I am thinking something else has gone wrong could something have gone wrong with light fittings in ceiling ( I was not near them)

to clarify position


one gang

---

light----light

---

2 gang

---

outside light
2 way switch 2 way switch


I have tried every combo and not an ounce of juice even to outside light which should be straightforward!

You need a voltpen or meter to determine if you have any juice at the switch.
Then you can go from there.

Riskymove

Ok..both of the brown wires (of the twin brown and blue) have 12v running, others have nothing