3 switches 1 light problem!

[ezzy99]

Howdy,

Moved into our house over a year ago and have only just found out we have a problem with the hall lights. There are 3 single switches in the hall that run a ceiling full of spots. The problem is that occasionally I turn on one of the switches (can be any of the three) and the lights do not change. If they are on and the switch is pressed they stay on and vise verser. Its starting to frustrate me now as it seems to be when I come home from work in the night and turn the switch at the front door on it doesnt work. When I come in from the garage and use the switch at the back of the door that doesnt work. It seems to follow me about the very switch i want to use doesnt work so i need to randomly press the 3 switches to get them to work!!!!!!!! Please help!!!


Cheers
ezzy99

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Maybe connected up wrong at the back....or there may be damaged insulation on the conductors and its shorting across.....switch wire to switch wire as its bound to be quite congested behind that 3 gang switch plate.........

 

[GLENNSPARK]

could be that conductors are finding a way across via the metal backbox if the insulation is damaged......what kind of fuse board do you have....rewireables? RCDs?....RCBOs?

 

[GLENNSPARK]

sounds to me though that it may be an insulation problem....when did the problem manefest itself?

 

[Des 56]

You have 2 No 2 way switches and 1 No intermediate
You probably have mixed up connections in one or other or even all of them

This was a thread on the subject ,there are many more
http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...rum/42324-two-way-intermediate-switching.html


Look at the wiring diagrams and compare to yours and alter to suit
You may need a spark if you cant understand the layout

 

[GLENNSPARK]

sorry mate ...just re read your post and you say there 3x SINGLE (1 gang) switches...........

 

[GLENNSPARK]

You have 2 No 2 way switches and 1 No intermediate
You probably have mixed up connections in one or other or even all of them

This was a thread on the subject ,there are many more
http://www.electriciansforums.net/e...rum/42324-two-way-intermediate-switching.html


Look at the wiring diagrams and compare to yours and alter to suit
You may need a spark if you cant understand the layout

I didn`t read the first post properly des...I agree with you it sounds like mixed up wireing.......

 

[Des 56]

I didn`t read the first post properly des...I agree with you it sounds like mixed up wireing.......

I suspected that was the case Glen,being a sadistic b-----d I just let you carry on

 

[GLENNSPARK]

He could do this himself though des?...just follow the colours from switch to switch i mean?.......common...then L1....L2 ...and so on.....

 

[adamwilliams]

May be you need a help of an electrician.

 

[Octopus]

I fixed an issue alongs these lines a while back. Customer had changed the switches and had got the cores/cables mixed up. Took a little while with my tester and wander lead to get it sorted.

 

[Richard Burns]

If nothing has changed then the problem is likely to be broken insulation or, as you are switching a lot of downlights, you may be getting one of the switches welding itself closed with the current and would require a new switch at the appropriate position.
If things have changed then the wiring should be checked, safely with the power off and a tester.
I attach a picture of the standard wiring diagrams for lighting taken from the TLC website for reference.
View attachment lighting WiringDiagrams.pdf

 

[ian.settle1]

May be you need a help of an electrician.

Thats why he came on here but it is one off those scenarios that you cannot give advice without phyiscally looking at it to see how it is wired.

 

[ezzy99]

Thanks guys for your replys (Glennspark, Des56) wasnt going to look back on here tonight was going to give it a couple of days. What a great forum. Literally only got in from work so to dark to look into things tonight but I plan to investigate further. Not sure how I post pictures on here yet but Ill probably post a few tomorrow showing the back of the swithces. Again thanks for your replys.

 

[ezzy99]

Thanks for the reply (murdoch, richard burns). Just got back from work so to dark to really investigate plan to have a look at the back of switches and possibly take photos to post. Cheers

 

[ezzy99]

Cheers ian.settle1 guess I was lucky to only get the one comedian

 

[telectrix]

comedian??? i ain't started yet. LOL. joking apart, some pics would help. isolate at the Consumer Unit before taking faceplates off, and please, don't disconnect any wires. that could make the situation 10 times worse.

 

[trev]

Post up your location Ezzy. If you're stuck one of our knights in shining armour will ride to your rescue

 

[topquark]

From the symptoms, it sounds like someone has miswired the switch connections and put the switch wires in common and L1, rather than L1 and L2. Piccy's would be good.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Either that or an IR problem......