Help needed in wiring a wifi light switch - urgent!

[Fraser Dalgleish]

Hi, I'm new to the forum and it looks a great place for advice!


Anyway, I've just got a couple wifi switches of decent quality. Then discovered after wiring that these MUST have a neutral connection as the device needs to be powered permanently for the WiFi function. Yes i know i should have done my research prior to ordering but ock well what's done is done.

I've already opened a return for both units I ordered but hoping I could still get use of one of them. So the second one in the bedroom is 2 wires one way set up so no chance with that one. The one in the livingroom however... I'm hoping for a miracle. Inside the fitting for the light switch has 3 wires, one yellow, 2 red.

Further in the socket at the back however I can see another set of cables running through. This seems to contain a blue wire and a bare single core earth wire. These run through a grey sheath and go straight back into a wall. So could this blue wire be a neutral perhaps? Could I piggy back off it? Where does this cable even go?!

So the setup of my livingroom is 1 light, 1 switch. So confused as to why 3 cables present for the switch. The WiFi switch has 3 terminals soldered for use as I ordered 1 gang and the other terminals are for extra gangs. These terminals are neutral, Live and L1.

Please can somebody suggest what the hell I'm able to do as I'm at my wits end!

I can get the switch to function and light up even connect to app but it won't switch my bulb on or off. I can get a wifi bulb for the bedroom but don't want to go down that route for living room.

The reason I need help urgently is because my window for return closes soon and I only want to return 1 if I can get a solution for the other one to work.

Many thanks in advance.

Fraser

 

[Andy-1960]

It’s impossible to say from your description on how this has been wired or what the mystery wiring is that are passing through.

I would suggest you get a spark to look at this and you never know he may be able to pull a neutral down to the switch in the bedroom too!

 

[Spoon]

For the switch layout in the living room you only need 2 wires, as you only have 1 switch for 1 light.
Was this light ever operated from 2 switches?
It's impossible to know that the other wires are doing or were they are wired to by your description alone. Testing needs to be done.
Can you post some pics of the existing light switch and wiring.

Bugger... @Andy-1960 beat me to it..

 

[Deleted member 26818]

Also, it could be that you have two switches for one light and the extra wires are to connect the two switches?
If that’s the case, none will be a neutral.
You can get battery operated switches, and also I believe WiFi units that connect at the light fitting or ceiling rose.