Wiring a light switch...

Howdy folks..

I know I'm probably gonna seem like a bit of a simpleton here, but this is wrecking my head!

I've two sheds at the back of the house, run off the same fusebox.

One was being refurbished a bit and so all the plug sockets, light switches etc. came down (not by me). But it's me putting them back up. And for the life of me, I can't figure out what goes where.

This is what I'm looking at:






Now, this set up isn't working. When I turn everything on, nothing happens. However, the other shed (that wasn't interfered with) has the light switch set up like the above (and it's working fine).

(although the light in the other shed has a single switch.. this is a double but only one switch will be used.. i think it was just a case of 'use whats there' when it was being built).

I've tried a few combinations, but gotten nowhere. Frustrating.


Anyone know for sure?

Cheers



EDIT: I have 7 wires. 2x green/yellow, 2 blue and 2 brown. There's also a grey one (with brown inside) but im not sure if that has any relevance. There was supposed to be a spotlight/security light installed on the shed, but it never was, so I think that's off a light that never got installed. Could be wrong! But that wire isn't in the other shed anywhere, so I've been ignoring it).

brightspark

Are either of the brown wires live? (Ideally both with the switch on)

Or is the lamp blown?

(Or as you didn't disconnect them, maybe the one with the tape is the live?)

one of the brown is live it seems. the one taped up isn't. (they were all taped in pairs, like with like).

there are 3 sets of lights on the roof, and 2 switches (one each side of the shed) to control them. is it a case that both switches need to be wired up before either will work?

Don't want to hire an electrician for something so simple (well.. clearly not too simple!). haha.

Cheers for the reply.

brightspark

I'm going to guess that the other switch also has one wire taped separately?

Yes if both switches control the same lights then they both need to be connected.

hufpc8w3adnk65

Having the grey in with the earth is your first mistake!

You could create a dead short from live too earth

Stoner

OP you might have a broken neutral at one of the fittings. I think you would need a REC with the correct equipment to find and fix the issue .

The Sidewards Man

MrMac84 wrote: »

Having the grey in with the earth is your first mistake!

You could create a dead short from live too earth

It isn't, look again.

Op this grey single that is taped off is the reason the lighting isn't working, have you two way switching on that light?

Howdy folks,

Indeed, there are two switches to control the same lights.


As someone pointed out, the wire that I was ignoring and considered redundant, was actually the 'comm' wire, and both light switches needed to be wired up before anything would happen.


Lights are firing away on all cylinders now, thankfully, and I'm a happy camper!


Whilst I have ye guys, though, can I ask, the lights i have are on the roof in sets of 2, there are 3 of them (6 bulbs in total).

They're the flourescent tube kinda light bulbs. This is an old photo of the shed from a year or two ago, when it was just a dumping ground. I've since done a bit of work on it (plastered, new doors, ceiling etc.) and Im wondering, whilst im in 'shed mode', is there anything out there that would be better than these lights? In terms of either money saving/energy saving, or light output.





These lights are very good, and only 2 bulbs went in the 10 years they've been there, so im leaning to keeping them, but figure there'd be no harm asking (as I dont know anything of this kinda stuff at all). Anyone have any advice?

The side of the bulbs used say: Osram L 58W/535 White

Cheers

hufpc8w3adnk65

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

It isn't, look again.

Op this grey single that is taped off is the reason the lighting isn't working, have you two way switching on that light?

I see now thanks! The strapers are mixed up so with the L/SW