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T

TCUK

Hello All,

Hoping someone could help me with a problem I have trying to change a light switch.

The switch starting feeling a bit 'loose' and didn't click anymore. Then it reached the point when the power would trip out downstairs every time I tried to use the switch. I thought it would be a straightforward change over however the new switch has a different configuration to the old one.

I've posted pics below of the old one in situ, and the old one removed, and the new one, and finally a pic of the wires.

Would anyone be able to tell me which wires go where on the new switch please?

I've tried a few different combinations but it keeps tripping out still?

Thanks in advance

Tony

View attachment 35120

View attachment 35121

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You've got serious problems there as the earth conductor is being used as a live and the original circuit has no earth.
I strongly recommend you get an electrician in to have a look but don't be surprised if they find there is quite a lot wrong with the installation.
 
Are you 100% you did not alter any wiring before the picture showing the connected wires was taken ?
It would appear from that photo that an earth wire was being used as a live conductor. This should not be reconnected as such and you should get an electrician in ASAP.
 
You have a nonsensical wiring arrangement there that is not standard and is potentially dangerous.
Although your old and new switches are equivalent, it is just that one of the old switches is upside down compared to the new switch, it would not be sensible to reconnect those lights without resolving the problems.
The wiring arrangement at the lights must also be fairly odd as there appears to be two supplies coming in on one cable and the other cable is being used for two different lights in the same cable.
I would expect from your pictures that you have one one way switch and that the other switch has been converted at some point inappropriately into a two way switch.
You would need to replace some of the cabling or rearrange the wring at the lights in order that have a safe arrangement.
 
Are you 100% you did not alter any wiring before the picture showing the connected wires was taken ?
It would appear from that photo that an earth wire was being used as a live conductor. This should not be reconnected as such and you should get an electrician in ASAP.
What he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
what they all said ^^^^^^^^. where in the northwest are you.?
 
Yeah, the pic in situ I purposely took to make sure I (thought I) knew where everything should go...honest!

The only other thing I forgot to mention (sorry) is one of the switches is for the kitchen light of which there is only that one switch. And the other switch is for the dining room and there is another single switch for this in the dining room - pic below. Does that make any difference please chaps?

Or just complicate things further! :-/

View attachment 35127
 
There is possibly a junction box under the floor somewhere and the wiring has been bodged in this junction box to create the 2-way switching of the dining room light. As others have said you really need an electrician to sort this.
 
The additional pic doesn't complicate things, it just confirms that the circuit has no earth and you need to get this looked at by an electrician
 
Just to add. The green yellow cable is just a bare cable with sleaving on it that is being used as a live 230 volt conducter , this could easly touch the metal back box making it live at 230 volts so even with the switch screwed back if you touched the screws that hold the switch back you will get an electic shock ,Do not turn the power back onto this circuit and as others as said get an electrian out to a least make it safe ,
 
OK good point thanks!

It really confusing me this; it's just an ex-council house/probably around 1960s build and I don't believe any significant work has ever been done on it so for the electrics to be such a mess is bizarre! Regardless, I'll try to get an electrician in to take a look.

Thanks again all
 
The black and red cores are probably original and the brown and blue cores on the white cable would be later than 2004 and the three core cable at the other switch is pre 2004.
The likelihood is that the wiring at the switch is not causing the tripping so the light fitting / junction box wiring should be checked anyway.
From the photos it looks as if It may be possible that the wiring at the (probably) kitchen light could be rearranged to allow the existing cables to be used as intended.
 
without the correct test gear and the knowledge learnt by a spark over years of dealing with bodges like this, you're pi$$ing in the wind trying to fix it as a safe, working installation. call a spark.several members are northwest based. one of us could be close to you and sort it out .
 

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