Help With 2 way Light

[Roswellian]

Wondering if anyone could help?

I have a top landing light and a hall way light that were connected to the same switch. The connection downstairs is within a three way gang which also has my two living room lights connected. The switch upstairs is just the standard one gang.

The two lights haven't worked for awile now and I seem to remember that a piece of copper wiring fell out of the switch downstairs when I was checking the connections a good few years ago. I misplaced this now.

Anybody able to tell me what I need to get this working again? The light is connected in the middle in the 3 gang switch. Not great photos as the wires were tight.

 

[UNG]

Difficult to say without some testing
Looking at the pictures I think it is more than just a link wire falling out of the switch which could only be verified with test kit

 

[ProDave]

As above. The downstairs switch that is supposed to operate the landing light should have 3 wires connected to it So if it was just the link wire missing I would expect the COM terminal of the landing light switch to be empty.

Has ANYONE tried to fix this since the link wire fell out? have ANY of the wires been moved since then? did another wire fall out at the same time as the link wire and did ANYONE make a guess at where to put it back?

Best get an electrician to fix it. If you can find someone local who can call in when close on his way to or from another job is should not cost much and he has the equipment and knowledge to sort it quickly.

 

[Roswellian]

As above. The downstairs switch that is supposed to operate the landing light should have 3 wires connected to it So if it was just the link wire missing I would expect the COM terminal of the landing light switch to be empty.

Has ANYONE tried to fix this since the link wire fell out? have ANY of the wires been moved since then? did another wire fall out at the same time as the link wire and did ANYONE make a guess at where to put it back?

Best get an electrician to fix it. If you can find someone local who can call in when close on his way to or from another job is should not cost much and he has the equipment and knowledge to sort it quickly.

No one has tried to fix since the link wire fell out and no wires have been removed.

So the link wire that fell out, would have been in L2 and something else in the middle gang? (Sorry if I dont know the terminology)

 

[UNG]

Looking at the state of the terminations on the 3 gang switch suggests a DIY job and link wire or no link wire I doubt this switch has ever worked as it should
The 3 gang switch is a DIY swap gone wrong IMO and without being able to identify the 2 way strappers you are on the road to nowhere as @ProDave says it's likely to be a simple fix for an electrician with some test kit

 

[UNG]

So the link wire that fell out, would have been in L2 and something else in the middle gang? (Sorry if I dont know the terminology)

No if the link wire fell out then one of the cables in the other switches would be loose as well

 

[Roswellian]

No if the link wire fell out then one of the cables in the other switches would be loose as well

Yes one of the dining rooms wire was loose as the light was going on and off. thats when I opened the switch to check and the link fell out.

Not sure about the DIY job. I've been at the property for 15 years and the lights were working for the first 9 years.

 

[Mike P]

No if the link wire fell out then one of the cables in the other switches would be loose as well

If they can remember which terminal they tightened to secure the loose cable, they would be half way there!!

 

[ProDave]

Which of those downstairs switches is supposed to / used to operate the landing light?

The fact remains for 2 way switching to work properly, the downstairs landing light switch will have had a wire in both L1 and L2, these are the strappers that go to the same terminals in the upstairs switch.

That is what makes me think there is a lot more wrong.

It is quite possible that the link wire that fell out was a live feed but it would have connected to COM in the landing light switch which would now be vacant after the link wire fell out.

I really don't see this being solved on a forum.

 

[Roswellian]

Which of those downstairs switches is supposed to / used to operate the landing light?

The fact remains for 2 way switching to work properly, the downstairs landing light switch will have had a wire in both L1 and L2, these are the strappers that go to the same terminals in the upstairs switch.

That is what makes me think there is a lot more wrong.

It is quite possible that the link wire that fell out was a live feed but it would have connected to COM in the landing light switch which would now be vacant after the link wire fell out.

I really don't see this being solved on a forum.

Okay Thanks for the help. I will call someone to have a look

 

[Alarmist]

Yes one of the dining rooms wire was loose as the light was going on and off. thats when I opened the switch to check and the link fell out.

Not sure about the DIY job. I've been at the property for 15 years and the lights were working for the first 9 years.

I think theink that dropped out was most likely the LIVE supply for the upstairs light/switching- from a live at to switch to the Common of the middle (landing) switch. The other 2 in that switch will be the STRAPPERS between the two switches on L1 & L2 on both upstairs and downstairs switches. On the upstairs switch, the Common will go to the landing light.
Good luck.

 

[Philip01]

just looking, the one gang switch up stairs needs the red and black separating into L1 and L2, the cable in the com goes to the light, the downstairs switch will also have red and black cable split between L1 L2 so say L1 red L2 black and there won’t be anything in the com, this is were the small link cable fell from this is your live feed, so you need a small piece of cable from the common to a live on any of the switches, power off for all this work