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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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 Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject: 3 Way wiring question please. |
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Firstly hello to everyone, i am a newbie.
I have a lighting wiring problem following a sparkie who let us down and left our wiring screwed up, i am attempting to sort my room light fitting and switches, I have a two way room light switching with intermediate switch.
In an attempt to sort out my problem i have atatched a scetch of my wiring having removed all switches and done a continuency test to see where each wire is going to/from, on the sketch i have marked each switch as to where it starts and terminates, can one of you nice people take a look and point me in the right direction as to putting it back together.
As a note the stair switch and the room switch are double switches, the stair is 2 way to the landing light and the room light also operates the porch light.
I can take pictures of the wires all marked up if needs be, i would aprechiate some help please.
Kind regards Andy
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ultimatehandyman
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9321
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject: Sorry here hopefully is pic |
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Am i posting wrong?
Andy
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ultimatehandyman
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
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Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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ultimatehandyman
I have emailed the pics, very sorry, maybe it was to large
Andy
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ultimatehandyman
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Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 9321
Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hopefully one of the sparks will have an idea as it does not make any sense at all to me, I am afraid 
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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:00 pm Post subject: Took pictures and resized |
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Hopefully this will explain better
Andy
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| Porch Light with spur to outside light |
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| Room Ceiling light with ringmain connected |
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238 Time(s) |
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andypandyere
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ultimatehandyman
Site Admin
Joined: 16 Jul 2005
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Location: Darwen, Lancashire
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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They are much better.
I can work out the switch wiring, but not the ceiling roses.
This will probably take one of the sparks about 10 seconds.
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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 5:07 pm Post subject: Its doing my head in |
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The cieling rose just at mo has a block connector for the mains circuit which continues the power to upstairs lights, the one in there marked up as 3 must be to the porch light, well that is where it traces to.
I know sparks have different ways of wiring but this setup is something new to me, the house is about 35yrs old.
Hopefully someone will see through the madness before i go next door and rip his identical switches off, wish i had paid more attention to what hte sparki did initially.
Regards Andy
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Rich-Ando
Approved Electrician
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 2495
Location: Derby, Derbyshire
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| Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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tbh this is somethign we can only 100% answer by testing it ourselves. the numbers you have on them mean absolutely nothing to me.
the wiring doesn't strike me as 35 years old, more like 25.
as i can see most cables are T&E it is a fair assumption that they are wired "loop-in" method. which is: -
find your switch pair and mark the black with sleeving (that goes to the lamp switched side)
the reds go together and the rest of the blacks go together.
the switches that are one way have red to C and black to L1.
the 2-way switches have the twin to L1&2 and the single to C
the intermediate switch will depend on how it is marked but usually a twin at the top & a twin at the bottom
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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Thu Oct 09, 2008 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, I used my Meter OHM thing and found the switch T&E in the ceiling and to one switch, connected all red wires together and blacks and earths, in the intermediate i connected the longest pair to the bottom of switch, shortest to top. clearly matching red upper to red lowwer same with black, i can now switch the room light on however i have nothing working in the other main switch, nor does my landing light or porch light work.
In my upper switch i can only trace one cable to the upper landing ceiling rose, the intermediate also does nothing, would any more pictures help, i have a small tail wire left out of the room switch thats not working, was this a loop to my landing two way switching? is it time to get a sparki in? would more pics help?
And thank you Rich for your assistance, its just a bit confussing, i have never had a problem with plugs or single switch light fittings but i cannot get my head round this one, i have a T&E in the upper landing light fitting and although unchecked, i assume its the other end of what is in the switch at the bottom of my landing.
Regards
Andy
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Rich-Ando
Approved Electrician
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 2495
Location: Derby, Derbyshire
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 12:02 am Post subject: |
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it is actually a very simple thing to fix but without being there it's dam hard.
if you get a spark in it won't take him long to sort out which pair are which and then the whole lot will work straight away.
it is a simple method of live& neutral to each fitting(loop in) and then a switch pair to each switch drop.
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andypandyere
Junior Member
Joined: 08 Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:32 pm Post subject: Message to Rich |
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Hi,
I got half way there Rich, i eventually got the room light working from one switch although the other switch did not do nothing nor the intermediate switch so i called in a sparki as by now i had also lost the upstairs landing light.
The sparki was at first baffled until he worked it all out in his head and an hour and a half later it was all done, he charged £40 which was fair and even better as my landlord just happened to call at the right time to get a right ear full from the Sparki regarding the way the wiring had been messed up by someone otherthan me, and the landlord paid him so i was quite chuffed.
Thank you for pointing me in the right direction and for all your help, your a great guy and a huge asset to this forum, keep it up mate and cheers..
Andy 
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