Landing light won't turn off

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by Andrew taylor, Mar 16, 2019.

  1. Andrew taylor

    Andrew taylor Member

    I'm replacing the down stairs hall light switch ,two switches and one upstairs. Just replaced wires in new switch (all red) now when I turn landing light on from downstairs ,it won't turn off upstairs. Also it won't turn on from upstairs. On the new switch it says at the top 1 way then next screw just says 2 the bottom is just single holes in each one, saying com. Help guys please
     
  2. unphased

    unphased Screwfix Select

    You've mixed up the wires in the switch. There is no way of knowing what you have done without test equipment to find which wire is the feed to the switch. Just try swapping the wires around until it works. You can't cause any problems because all the wires are lives.
     
  3. MGW

    MGW Screwfix Select

    In the main two way switches have a three core cable liking them and each terminal uses same wire, so if L on one switch is red then also L on other switch is red.

    One switch will have two extra wires, these normally go to L1 and L2 so Com or L depending on make of switch will only have one wire.

    There are other ways to wire, but above is a common way.
     
  4. spirits are real 2016

    spirits are real 2016 Screwfix Select

    you did buy two way switches and not one way didn't you photos will help us help you.
     
  5. Jitender

    Jitender Screwfix Select

    The switch could be an intermediate one
     
  6. Philip Hyde

    Philip Hyde Screwfix Select

    not if it has a single hole at the bottom.
     
  7. MrA

    MrA Member

    Trial and error with the cables or get a sparky to test and correct, this happens more times than you can imagine. With the benefit of hindsight you should've marked the cables (not helpful I know). I'd should a millionaire by now with millionaire with my hindsight skills.
     
  8. MrA

    MrA Member

    Trying not to troll and failed, single hole at the bottom, (teehee). My bum is a light switch! :D
     
  9. Andrew taylor

    Andrew taylor Member

    I'm not sure it's by mk packet says 10amp double two way .

    I did take a pic but the old switch was old and had four holes at the nottow two either side and one either side at top.....unless there the other way round on this one ?
     
  10. Andrew taylor

    Andrew taylor Member


    I'll have a look
     
  11. Pollowick

    Pollowick Screwfix Select


    That picture plus one of the new switch may help.
     
  12. Philip Hyde

    Philip Hyde Screwfix Select

    Why is pointing out its impossible for it to be an intermediate switch Trolling?? It's got 3 holes in each switch Intermediate has 4! Or didn't you know that?
     
  13. MGW

    MGW Screwfix Select

    An intermediate switch can be used as a 2 way, and a 2 way as an off/on. Also often the same casing is used. So two holes either end could still be a two way or on/off you would need to count terminals. Even then some switches have linked terminals.

    As said pictures are good, we are all guessing, could be simply wrong type of switch fitted, and whole idea of intermediate has been superseded with the electronic switch with master and slave where you can have multi slaves connected to one master. Even the instructions that come with the switch don't help, I bought a master switch it did not call it a master and can see the S terminal but nothing to say what the S terminal is for, that's only written on instructions for the slave. And with a switch with an S terminal the comment "Just try swapping the wires around until it works." is daft as they could destroy the switch.
     
  14. MrA

    MrA Member

    Apologies, it was me trolling, just wanted to add a childish joke. Clearly I failed.
     
    Philip Hyde likes this.
  15. Andrew taylor

    Andrew taylor Member

    Hi guys thanks for the replys and help I persviered and now it works . Looks like being an engineer got me nowhere here lol thanks everyone
     
  16. spirits are real 2016

    spirits are real 2016 Screwfix Select

    in the end you saw the light.
     
  17. Andrew taylor

    Andrew taylor Member

    Lmao certainly did
     
  18. Jonathan Smith

    Jonathan Smith New Member

    I have just replaced my upstairs landing light switch. The bottom light works (from the downstairs switch), but upstairs wont turn anything on or off...
    When I went to take the original switch off, I isolated it 1st, but it sparked and the blue wire went black.
    Help..
     
  19. sparko69

    sparko69 Screwfix Select

    If it sparked then went black you definitely didn't isolate it
     
  20. Jonathan Smith

    Jonathan Smith New Member

    I flipped the switch on the main panel, do unless theres a fault as every other light upstart has been fine when replacing switches!
     

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