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Mike Hibbert
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

Hello all,

we moved recently and the previous owners took all the wall lights before
they went. I have replaced the dangling ceiling roses OK and fitted some new
wall lights where the old ones used to be. But....... they don't work. I
have checked the following.....

There is power to the red wire on the wall (checked with multimeter), but if
I put the blacjk lead to the black on the MM, there is nothing, I only get a
result if i earth it. So the red is live.

The black in the wall is the same black in the switch.

The switch is a 3 way switch, the other 2 switches wok the main lights and
they are OK.

There are a number of wires and crossover wires, but there is a blue and a
black which have been disconnected in the switch. I have tried wiring these
up to the space terminal (marked 2 way) in the switch - Nothing!

The live from the wall goes into the termial marked 1 way, and another red
live goes into the common at the top.

I have looked in my Wiring and lighting book, but it seems liek everythign
is Ok (clearly not though!)

dunno if anyone can help without seeing it, but any thoughts would be
welcome!

Thanks
Mike



  #2   Report Post  
John
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

In my house I have two wall lights on a circuit. Left hand light has the
neutral - right hand light has the switched live feed. (Twin + E links the
two locations.)

It is important to realise this when linking across between the wall
lights..

Worth checking to see if yours is like this.

--


Regards

John


"Mike Hibbert" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

we moved recently and the previous owners took all the wall lights before
they went. I have replaced the dangling ceiling roses OK and fitted some

new
wall lights where the old ones used to be. But....... they don't work. I
have checked the following.....

There is power to the red wire on the wall (checked with multimeter), but

if
I put the blacjk lead to the black on the MM, there is nothing, I only get

a
result if i earth it. So the red is live.

The black in the wall is the same black in the switch.

The switch is a 3 way switch, the other 2 switches wok the main lights and
they are OK.

There are a number of wires and crossover wires, but there is a blue and a
black which have been disconnected in the switch. I have tried wiring

these
up to the space terminal (marked 2 way) in the switch - Nothing!

The live from the wall goes into the termial marked 1 way, and another red
live goes into the common at the top.

I have looked in my Wiring and lighting book, but it seems liek everythign
is Ok (clearly not though!)

dunno if anyone can help without seeing it, but any thoughts would be
welcome!

Thanks
Mike





---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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  #3   Report Post  
Fraser
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.


"Mike Hibbert" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

we moved recently and the previous owners took all the wall lights before
they went. I have replaced the dangling ceiling roses OK and fitted some

new
wall lights where the old ones used to be. But....... they don't work. I
have checked the following.....


Contact your lawyer, this is completely unacceptable. Most purchases are
stated in the contract as for the home and "fittings". While you may take
lampshades and mirrors, removing the actual lights themselves is just not
on! If you want to do that, you switch them to other fittings before put the
home on the market.

If your lawyer agrees with me, you may be able to have a proper electrician
do the repairs at their cost. Remember, you've just bought an extremely
expensive item from the previous owners, you don't owe them a thing.

If your lawyer says no-go (or you can't do this for another reason), post
back. Will need more details though, you're going to have to work out
exactly how it's all wired up before going further. I'd be wary about
hooking random wires up to the switches until you have a better idea of
what's going on. As the previous owners are a bit iffy, I'd take care around
anything they might have wired themselves!

Fraser.


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BigWallop
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.


"Mike Hibbert" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

we moved recently and the previous owners took all the wall lights before
they went. I have replaced the dangling ceiling roses OK and fitted some

new
wall lights where the old ones used to be. But....... they don't work. I
have checked the following.....

There is power to the red wire on the wall (checked with multimeter), but

if
I put the blacjk lead to the black on the MM, there is nothing, I only get

a
result if i earth it. So the red is live.


The dead black wire at the switch is more likely to be the switched live to
the light fittings


The black in the wall is the same black in the switch.


Then this will become the live feed to light when it is connected through
the switch that has a live to it already.


The switch is a 3 way switch, the other 2 switches wok the main lights and
they are OK.


The main lights must already have a neutral connection, which is what you'll
need to find for the wall lights.


There are a number of wires and crossover wires, but there is a blue and a
black which have been disconnected in the switch. I have tried wiring

these
up to the space terminal (marked 2 way) in the switch - Nothing!


The switches sound as though they are two way, which have a common at one
side and an L1 and L2 at the other. If you are not using them as two way
switches, then forget about L2 on all of them.


The live from the wall goes into the termial marked 1 way, and another red
live goes into the common at the top.


The live feed goes to common on each switch, without exeption. It must link
all the switches together to make them all work. It is the live feed which
you are making and breaking when you flick each switch.

A circuit must be like a loop. The loop can contain a switch which opens
the loop and stops the flow of electricity around the loop. A bulb just
becomes part of the loop. The loop flows from LIVE to NEUTRAL through all
parts of the loop when the switch is closed (ON). When the switch is open
(OFF) no electricity can flow through the loop.

What you're trying to find on these circuits, is how to make them loop from
LIVE to NEUTRAL. So the first thing to do is to find the main LIVE and
NEUTRAL wires that feed all of these loops.


I have looked in my Wiring and lighting book, but it seems liek everythign
is Ok (clearly not though!)


Buy a new one.


dunno if anyone can help without seeing it, but any thoughts would be
welcome!

Thanks
Mike




Start at each light fitting and trace with the multi-meter to where each
cable goes to. Each light fitting can only have two wires going it that
make it work. Forget ALL the earth wires, they are connected to the metal
body of the light fittings, as a safety device. Once you've found these two
wires that make the lights work, then the light will work.

A Switch is only a device for breaking the loop (CIRCUIT), and literally
becomes part of the loop when it is closed (ON) so the wires going to a
switch literally become one wire that switch breaks (OFF) or joins (ON) to
allow electricity to flow around the rest of the loop (CIRCUIT). Once you
understand this concept, it becomes easier to deduce how all the different
loops are joined to the MAIN LIVE and NEUTRAL wires coming from the fuse
box, so that they all become little loops going through all the bulbs in the
light fitting.

Once you know where all the wires are going and coming from, then you should
be able to work out how to make them into loops that go through all the
switches and bulbs.


---
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Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.522 / Virus Database: 320 - Release Date: 29/09/03


  #5   Report Post  
RossG
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

Contact your lawyer, this is completely unacceptable. Most purchases are
stated in the contract as for the home and "fittings". While you may take
lampshades and mirrors, removing the actual lights themselves is just not
on! If you want to do that, you switch them to other fittings before put the
home on the market.


That of course would be the most "up front" course of action, however,
typically when a sale is initially agreed the first thing the seller
gets from his solicitor is a tick box style fixtures and fittings
form. You then specify what you are and aren't leaving. This goes to
the buyers, if the buyer is happy they go ahead if not, they can
complain and some agreement can be made. Therefore if the sellers
said they were leaving the lights then you have a case. However, even
if they took the lights I think they are still obliged to leave the
electrical fixtures in a safe and usable state.

We just moved house & we had some very nice and very expensive
lighting fixtures, we stated we wanted to take them, the buyer didn't
blink a proverbial eyelid (although they were first timers) and I
replaced them all with brand new single light pendants and a bayonet
style wall mounting.

As the original reply said contact your solicitor, if nothing else the
sellers
deserve a legal scare to point out the error of their ways.

Ross


  #6   Report Post  
Dave Plowman
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

In article ,
John john.plant90@NO-SPAMntlworldDOTcom wrote:
In my house I have two wall lights on a circuit. Left hand light has the
neutral - right hand light has the switched live feed.


I presume you're talking about the switches? In which case, the black
isn't a neutral, but the switch return. It should have a bit of red
sleeving to identify it as such in an ideal world.

(Twin + E links the two locations.)


Usually called straps.

It is important to realise this when linking across between the wall
lights..


Worth checking to see if yours is like this.


I've never understood why some do it this way as it wastes cable. Far
better to run the normal switch pair to one switch, then a triple and
earth to the other.

--
*I yell because I care

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn
  #7   Report Post  
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

Dave Plowman wrote:

I've never understood why some do it this way as it wastes cable. Far
better to run the normal switch pair to one switch, then a triple and
earth to the other.

Probably because lots of people don't have triple and earth quickly to
hand.

--
Chris Green )
  #8   Report Post  
Dave Plowman
 
Posts: n/a
Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

In article ,
wrote:
I've never understood why some do it this way as it wastes cable. Far
better to run the normal switch pair to one switch, then a triple and
earth to the other.

Probably because lots of people don't have triple and earth quickly to
hand.


Suppose they don't bother with grommets or sleeving then since that's not
to hand either?

--
*When cheese gets it's picture taken, what does it say?

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn
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Mike Hibbert
 
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Default Wiring a 3 way light switch.

"Mike Hibbert" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

we moved recently and the previous owners took all the wall lights before
they went. I have replaced the dangling ceiling roses OK and fitted some

new
wall lights where the old ones used to be. But....... they don't work. I
have checked the following.....



Thanks for all the useful advice, I will have a look and let you know what
happens!


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