Splitter a double light switch

[Leezers]

Hi. Looking for advice. I want a timer for my outside lights (led) they are operated by a double switch just inside my front door. This switch also has a switch for hall light which is controlled by another switch at opposite end of hall also. 

I done some research and bought a little immersion timer, other timers wouldn't work with leds, I bought a dual back box and a single light switch. 

I atempted it yesterday day but I'm lost tbh. Bamboozled with all the L1 L2 ect.  I connected timer only up to a point but outside lights started flashing when on. 

Could someone help me out? Ideally in such a way that I can send pics of what I have ect. Thanks 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Have you actually got a neutral at the switch to power the timer?   (not just the cable colour BUT an actual wire connected to the neutral of the supply)

A light switch may or may not have neutrals, depends on the wiring method...

All that is essential for a switch to work is a 'permanent live' in and a 'switched live' out...

The neutral connection only becomes essential at the other side of the light fitting.

Without a neutral looped at behind the switch I think you will be struggling.

:C

 

[Leezers]

Have you actually got a neutral at the switch to power the timer?   (not just the cable colour BUT an actual wire connected to the neutral of the supply)

A light switch may or may not have neutrals, depends on the wiring method...

All that is essential for a switch to work is a 'permanent live' in and a 'switched live' out...

The neutral connection only becomes essential at the other side of the light fitting.

Without a neutral looped at behind the switch I think you will be struggling.

:C

Hi. Sorry I should have said, there is a neutral in behind the switch, I have blues and green/yellows going into a little connector 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Are you sure they are nothing to do with the two-way switch to the other end of the hall.?

i.e. do you have a test meter to verify voltages or continuity to confirm 100% that you actually have a proper permanent supply live and neutral...

From the symptoms you described I would guess you haven't and you may have wired your timer up in series with another lamp in the circuit or something.

Have you got a single physical cable that goes to supply the LEDs?

i.e.  1 cable grey or white sheath with three conductors either, Red/Black & bare copper or Brown/Blue & bare copper..

If so that would be your output from your timer L N & E  

and the input would just be connected to the permanent live wires you have identified.

Guinness

 

[Leezers]

Are you sure they are nothing to do with the two-way switch to the other end of the hall.?

i.e. do you have a test meter to verify voltages or continuity to confirm 100% that you actually have a proper permanent supply live and neutral...

From the symptoms you described I would guess you haven't and you may have wired your timer up in series with another lamp in the circuit or something.

Have you got a single physical cable that goes to supply the LEDs?

i.e.  1 cable grey or white sheath with three conductors either, Red/Black & bare copper or Brown/Blue & bare copper..

If so that would be your output from your timer L N & E  

and the input would just be connected to the permanent live wires you have identified.

Guinness

I think I'd need to get a photo to you mate for you to see what's there. If I try to explain it I'll mess it up lol 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

you need to make 10 posts before you can add photos....

stops spammers or something...

unless one of the Admins are reading and can change your setting??

Go add a few comments in the introduce yourself bit...

 

[Leezers]

You can upload photos now

Bloody pics are too big! Nightmare 

 

[Richard-the-Ninth]

You need to resize your pictures (Obviously) I found This one

 

[Tony S]

Resize the pictures or use photobucket and link to here

 

[Leezers]

You can upload photos now

Let's hope this works. It may need rotated so my have to tilt your heads lol

 This is what I have at switch. Can take pics of timer and single switch if needed. 

 

[ProDave]

That looks like "loop at switch" so should be okay.

Take a blue wire from the terminal block with the blue wires in to the timer N IN terminal.

Take a brown wire from the brown that loops into both switches to the timer L in.

The brown that is currently in the top left terminal (as the picture appears on the screen) is the L to the light so take that to the timers L OUT terminal

No need to connect anything to the timer N out terminal.

And don't forget a green / yellow earth to any earth terminal on the timer. 

 

 

[Leezers]

That looks like "loop at switch" so should be okay.

Take a blue wire from the terminal block with the blue wires in to the timer N IN terminal.

Take a brown wire from the brown that loops into both switches to the timer L in.

The brown that is currently in the top left terminal (as the picture appears on the screen) is the L to the light so take that to the timers L OUT terminal

No need to connect anything to the timer N out terminal.

And don't forget a green / yellow earth to any earth terminal on the timer. 

 

I should point out that the right hand side switch on this plate works the outside lights which I want timed. The left is hall light. 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

To expand a bit on what PDave said...

The wire I have coloured red is your permanent live supplying BOTH the LEDs and your hall light...

The wire going out at 'C' coloured purple is the wire going to the LEDs..

when you split your switches off and put the single switch in to keep the hall lights working manually you will need to make sure you keep the supply coming in at B (Red)

connected other wise your hall lights will stop working.

The single switch you bought is a 2-way switch isn't it..?

e.g. a switch with three connections  either (L1,L2,L3) OR (C,L1,L2) depending on make.

{The blues in the connector are your neutral so should be good to work once connected correctly.}

Guinness

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

The three core & earth cable (BROWN/GREY/BLACK) is the two way switching cable between the two hall switches..

The brown wire going into the L2 terminal shared with the Black of the three core is your switched live out to work your hall lights.

opcorn

 

[Leezers]

View attachment 7690

To expand a bit on what PDave said...

The wire I have coloured red is your permanent live supplying BOTH the LEDs and your hall light...

The wire going out at 'C' coloured purple is the wire going to the LEDs..

when you split your switches off and put the single switch in to keep the hall lights working manually you will need to make sure you keep the supply coming in at B (Red)

connected other wise your hall lights will stop working.

The single switch you bought is a 2-way switch isn't it..?

e.g. a switch with three connections  either (L1,L2,L2) OR (C,L1,L2) depending on make.

{The blues in the connector are your neutral so should be good to work once connected correctly.}

Guinness

Ok starting to understand it now. The single switch I have only has a " 1 " "2" "SP" "COM" bugger! 

 

[Leezers]

View attachment 7690

To expand a bit on what PDave said...

The wire I have coloured red is your permanent live supplying BOTH the LEDs and your hall light...

The wire going out at 'C' coloured purple is the wire going to the LEDs..

when you split your switches off and put the single switch in to keep the hall lights working manually you will need to make sure you keep the supply coming in at B (Red)

connected other wise your hall lights will stop working.

The single switch you bought is a 2-way switch isn't it..?

e.g. a switch with three connections  either (L1,L2,L3) OR (C,L1,L2) depending on make.

{The blues in the connector are your neutral so should be good to work once connected correctly.}

Guinness

So I know where those 3 are going man but there's like 4 other wires, can I be a total pain in the ***, could you do another pic and just write to wires telling me where they go on timer and also where on new switch? Sorry to be a pain but that way I know exactly what I'm doing lol 

 

[ProDave]

Ok starting to understand it now. The single switch I have only has a " 1 " "2" "SP" "COM" bugger!

I thought you said you had an immersion heater timer switch that would normally have L in, N in, L out, N out.

Can you post a picture of the new switch.
 

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I thought you said you had an immersion heater timer switch that would normally have L in, N in, L out, N out.

Can you post a picture of the new switch.
 

think he means a timer switch (for LEDs) and a separate manual switch (for existing two-way hall light)

Take double off refit 1x timer + 1x 2-way.

 

[Leezers]

Yeah sorry just to confirm. I have a small immersion timer for led lights and a single switch for the hall lights. Putting these together in dual back box. 

 The switch I described in last post was the new one way light switch I bought. 

think he means a timer switch (for LEDs) and a separate manual switch (for existing two-way hall light)

Take double off refit 1x timer + 1x 2-way.

Exactly

 

[ProDave]

think he means a timer switch (for LEDs) and a separate manual switch (for existing two-way hall light)

Take double off refit 1x timer + 1x 2-way.

What he has described with FOUR terminals does not describe the replacement single switch either.