Faulty Common On Three Way Switching

[steptoe]

Thinker, if hearing the truth and not simply what you want to hear is not your quest then why do you come on to the internet with.a very very basic fault then pat yourself on the back constantly?

You are constantly using words that are wrong bit in your sad persona perhaps you think it makes you sound knowledgeable,

Metal sheathing? What is that exactly? Is it like capping?

I suppose you will red mark me for this too.

If you do think my remarks are misjudged then perhaps you should rethink how you post your 'questions' ,

They certainly come across to me as a typical DIYer out of their depth and desperately trying anything to get it to work.

 

[Badger]

i dont want to sound funny but the op obvously hasnt got any idea what they are doing electrically, he/she would be better, to get a local sparky in to sort this switching problem out whereby a fully qualified can test the wiring and determine the route of such cables. this sounds like the best idea to be honest

 

[thinker]

Thinker, if hearing the truth and not simply what you want to hear is not your quest then why do you come on to the internet with.a very very basic fault then pat yourself on the back constantly?

You are constantly using words that are wrong bit in your sad persona perhaps you think it makes you sound knowledgeable,

Metal sheathing? What is that exactly? Is it like capping?

I suppose you will red mark me for this too.

If you do think my remarks are misjudged then perhaps you should rethink how you post your 'questions' ,

They certainly come across to me as a typical DIYer out of their depth and desperately trying anything to get it to work.

Dear Steptoe I am very happy thank you not sad at all, I thought this was a Forum where the General Public are welcome to ask questions -Yes metal sheathing is like capping, happy to help you out there.

No I'll not bother to give you a red mark as I was always told to show tolerance to those that can't help themselves.

Yes I confess I am a typical DIY out of my depth- Is this the wrong forum? But not desperate definitely not desperate.

Try and lighten up a bit, I just know there is a really nice person inside just waiting to get out -all the best, if i can help you in anyway, with say, anger management let me know.

 

[SLIPSHOD & SLAPDASH]

ROTFWL

 

[thinker]

i dont want to sound funny but the op obvously hasnt got any idea what they are doing electrically, he/she would be better, to get a local sparky in to sort this switching problem out whereby a fully qualified can test the wiring and determine the route of such cables. this sounds like the best idea to be honest

Thank you Badger for your offering, as the problem has been discovered -it has been a simple matter to revert to 2 way protem, I have a few projects on at the moment but as soon as I get an electrician in to wire up the new work I will get it sorted then. cheers

 

[Sharpend]

Dear Steptoe I am very happy thank you not sad at all, I thought this was a Forum where the General Public are welcome to ask questions -Yes metal sheathing is like capping, happy to help you out there.

No I'll not bother to give you a red mark as I was always told to show tolerance to those that can't help themselves.

Yes I confess I am a typical DIY out of my depth- Is this the wrong forum? But not desperate definitely not desperate.

Try and lighten up a bit, I just know there is a really nice person inside just waiting to get out -all the best, if i can help you in anyway, with say, anger management let me know.

Steps this ain't your wifey in another guise?, she seems to have the measure of you!!!

 

[Doc Hudson]

Thinker, I am glad you have achieved the result you wanted. However I would post a clear waring that your testing methods do not meet any safe working practices and the forum would never condone the methods you used. The forum is here to help, but when people choose to ignore good sound electrical advice then one wonders why people ask questions in the first place? As was pointed out, all of the conductors could and should have been fully tested dead, before energising any part of the circuit. A low resistance ohm meter would be used for this. As you suspect vermin have been damaging parts of the cables, you should now also fully test the remainder of the circuit for both continuity and insulation resistance as some of the other "apparent" working conductors may now have missing insulation which could come into contact with exposed metal or earthy parts. These tests require an insulation resistance tester to verify the integrity of the cables. Just because something operates it does not mean it is functioning safely. Of course you are free to ignore this advice as well but this neither detracts form the goals or purpose of the forum. Some people ask , listen and take guidance, others ask, don't like the answers and just carry on with what they were doing anyway. A neon screwdriver is not an industry recognised device for safe isolation and live testing should be avoided at all costs.

Doc H.

 

[Steve3948]

Thinker, if hearing the truth and not simply what you want to hear is not your quest then why do you come on to the internet with.a very very basic fault then pat yourself on the back constantly?

You are constantly using words that are wrong bit in your sad persona perhaps you think it makes you sound knowledgeable,

Metal sheathing? What is that exactly? Is it like capping?

I suppose you will red mark me for this too.

If you do think my remarks are misjudged then perhaps you should rethink how you post your 'questions' ,

They certainly come across to me as a typical DIYer out of their depth and desperately trying anything to get it to work.

Steps since I was an apprentice some 40 years ago, my then boss always said right lets get some Boxing & Sheathing done, and I have done the same ever since,

It may be a location thing, I don't know, but it's always sheathing for me, but I do say to the blokes get that capping done now and then, so maybe times are changing O)

 

[thinker]

Thinker, I am glad you have achieved the result you wanted. However I would post a clear waring that your testing methods do not meet any safe working practices and the forum would never condone the methods you used. The forum is here to help, but when people choose to ignore good sound electrical advice then one wonders why people ask questions in the first place? As was pointed out, all of the conductors could and should have been fully tested dead, before energising any part of the circuit. A low resistance ohm meter would be used for this. As you suspect vermin have been damaging parts of the cables, you should now also fully test the remainder of the circuit for both continuity and insulation resistance as some of the other "apparent" working conductors may now have missing insulation which could come into contact with exposed metal or earthy parts. These tests require an insulation resistance tester to verify the integrity of the cables. Just because something operates it does not mean it is functioning safely. Of course you are free to ignore this advice as well but this neither detracts form the goals or purpose of the forum. Some people ask , listen and take guidance, others ask, don't like the answers and just carry on with what they were doing anyway. A neon screwdriver is not an industry recognised device for safe isolation and live testing should be avoided at all costs.

Doc H.

Dear Doc I hear what you say and if nothing else I am glad I came of this forum to find out how dodgy using a neon tester can be!

However in my defence the testing was done before I came on this forum and before I was aware of the dangers. I would point out I have ignored no ones polite advice!

Please just get our facts right before we accuse one of ignoring advice. I am very grateful to all sincere contributors and thank them for there efforts on my behalf. I also thank you for this further advice I will see that it is done.

 

[binky]

Good morning, I have just by-passed the suspect wire with a temporary lash up and all lights are working as they should . All switches work.

Steptoe your remarks are misjudged and condescending- misogynist is a word that springs to mind , If you have nothing polite to say then please refrain from malicious comments .

Trailer boy my electrician friend did every thing to the book. He is a very fine electrician with his own successful business, this is my home and not up for sale. and has been signed off by BR.

I suspect that vermin have had a go at the wire where it was routed through the landing floor. They get everywhere don't they!

It is no big deal to chase in a replacement cable and rewire to the last switch- Yes I can do a bit of plastering as well. thanks for all your interest.

you get used to Steps, he means no harm really, we see so much dangerous work done by people who think sparkying is simple we get a bit peeed off. Anyway get a cat (Steps really likes them - not :slap ) to sort out vermin. Replacing cable is defo best option if you suspect vermin are the issue - they don' half do some damage and leave real fire risks. Would be worth lifting a few floor boards and checking other cables in the area.

 

[boltonsparky]

. A neon screwdriver is not an industry recognised device for safe isolation and live testing should be avoided at all costs.

Doc H.

my college tutor swore that it was true but whether it is or not is debatable but he used to tell us a story everytime someone mentioned a neon screwdriver that a sparky mate of his dropped his neon screwdriver in a puddle obviously wetting it through, he dried it off with a cloth and put it back in his pocket and went to use it again later that afternoon and still being wet inside it the current bi-passed the high resistor passing through the water instead and killed him, again this may have been a fictional tale to emphasise his dislike for neon screwdrivers.

 

[RogueManc]

Had this problem in a rented house. Tennant had hung a picture directly above switch and later took it down. Nail hole had been filled but was still visable!! No common!!

 

[RogueManc]

Don't use the neon!!!

 

[ProDave]

Had this problem in a rented house. Tennant had hung a picture directly above switch and later took it down. Nail hole had been filled but was still visable!! No common!!

I've said it before. I'm not convinces the safe zones have been thought through properly.If hanging something on a wall with a switch on it, to make it look right, people will carefully measure, to ensure the nail is placed EXACTLY on the centreline of the switch.

Running a cable up the wall on a line right at the edge of the switch seems more sensible to me, and is still (just) in the safe zone.

 

[Steve3948]

IMHO there is no such place as a safe zone.

 

[boltonsparky]

IMHO there is no such place as a safe zone.

Agreed, you go into some houses (mine in particular when i first moved in before i filled them all in) and the walls are like a sieve with the amount of holes that have been nailed and screwed in over the years.

I bet if you asked the majority of home owners where in the wall they thought an electrical cable was running they wouldn't have the foggiest idea.