Lighting

[samporter75]

I just swapped over a light switch and now my lights are permanently on… I was assuming it was a loose wire but I can’t see one.. anything else to check?

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Loose wire would normal result in things not working..
as the circuit continuity has been broken..

Sounds like you have a switched live wire connected to a permanent live loop connection..?

Or a faulty switch that isn't actually switching..?

Are there more than two wires at the switch position..?

 

[samporter75]

So there are 4 witches that control the same light… 1 of them is working and switching the light off and on, but the other 3 aren’t doing anything…. Added pictures if it helps…

 

[samporter75]

So there are 4 witches that control the same light… 1 of them is working and switching the light off and on, but the other 3 aren’t doing anything…. Added pictures if it helps…

I was thinking it’s where I have the 4 wires going into the L1 is the problem, but I’ve taken them in and out 5/6 times and am pretty sure they are all in….

 

[Fleeting]

Are you certain all those wires went into the same terminal.

 

[Murdoch]

Do any of the lights in the adjacent rooms not appear to be working correctly ?

 

[samporter75]

The one with the 4 wires? I didn’t actually change that one, I took it off to change it, then realised I didn’t have the right switch so I put it back on, but then when I swapped the second switch, and turned the power back on it wasn’t working…, I took off the one with the 4 to check it and one of the wires was loose….

 

[samporter75]

Do any of the lights in the adjacent rooms not appear to be working correctly ?

All working ok…..

 

[Murdoch]

Swap the 2nd switch back to the original?

You say there are 4 switches controlling 1 light ?

 

[samporter75]

I did try that as well and now I’m not 100% sure if wires are in the right L1/L2 in that one haha… so for the 2nd switch (without COM) should the two grey wires be in L1 and the two black be in L2 as is in the picture?

Yes - 4 separate switches for the one set of lights that are for the landing you see…

 

[samporter75]

Could it be that the switch the com on is somehow now faulty or would that just not happen?

 

[Fleeting]

Can you show the switch you have replaced and the original switch.

 

[samporter75]

Could it be that the switch the com on is somehow now faulty or would that just not happen?

 

[Murdoch]

That’s an intermediate switch

 

[samporter75]

That’s an intermediate switch

Which one? The one on the left or the right?

 

[samporter75]

Which one? The one on the left or the right?

And what’s the impact of that?

 

[samporter75]

So I swapped one of the other 4 as well. So basically my understanding is that I have 2 intermediate switches. I changed 1 of of them for the new switch and that is the one that works and the other don’t of which one of those 3 is also an intermediate switch which is the one I pictured. The new switches are both intermediate…. And replacing those with the other 2 intermediates…

 

[Murdoch]

If all that you’ve Done, the cables can’t be in the same places in the new switch

 

[samporter75]

If all that you’ve Done, the cables can’t be in the same places in the new switch

That was the issue…. I had the L1’s and 2’s mixed up on the first intermediate I did…

Thanks for your help here… really appreciate it

 

[binky]

Could it be that the switch the com on is somehow now faulty or would that just not happen?

no, you just got it wrong, which is easy to do.

Now you are confusing us, you say you have swopped 2 intermediates, yet your first photo shows a two way switch NOT intermediate.

If you have 4 light switches, you should have 2 intermediate and 2off 2way switches. You first photo also shows you have stuck grey and black in the same terminal, this is highly unlikely to be correct. For 2 way switching grey and black are normally used as 'strappers' and are usually in different terminals. So what I would suggest is you open up the switches you havn't messed with and copy the cable colours and which terminals they go into.