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Cod58

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Hi All, I am new to the site and have recently started doing more and more electrical work in my house, nothing too major, changing face plates, light fittings etc, however I have encountered an issue that I cannot sort out.
I have a 2 gang light switch where it is looped in the switch. Nothing too strange there. There are a total of 5 sets of cables entering the switch, as far as I can understand there should only be 4. The live in, live out, then the 2 cables that are running to the respective lights. Therefore I don't know what the 5th cable is for, also I think whoever wired in the previous switch did something else wrong. There was a connecting wire from one side of the switch to the other, which from what I understand should have been on the COM terminals, presume this is to carry on the power to the other side of the switch and then out to the rest of the ring. however they had put it on the L2 terminals, if they had also put the 'live' wires in the L2 terminals would that have the same effect as if they were all in the COM terminals? I have managed to get the fuse box to come back on but none of the lights are working. To make matter worse, one of the 'live' wires is a T&E in a grey sheath, but the other T&E in a grey sheath goes out to one of the lights, the other light has open red, black and earth cables going to the switch, but there are another 2 sets of cables like this in there as well. Am sure after reading this you may understand why I am confused. How can I find out what wire does what without stripping all of my plaster and ceiling? Thanks
 
Hi All, I am new to the site and have recently started doing more and more electrical work in my house, nothing too major, changing face plates, light fittings etc, however I have encountered an issue that I cannot sort out.
I have a 2 gang light switch where it is looped in the switch. Nothing too strange there. There are a total of 5 sets of cables entering the switch, as far as I can understand there should only be 4. The live in, live out, then the 2 cables that are running to the respective lights. Therefore I don't know what the 5th cable is for, also I think whoever wired in the previous switch did something else wrong. There was a connecting wire from one side of the switch to the other, which from what I understand should have been on the COM terminals, presume this is to carry on the power to the other side of the switch and then out to the rest of the ring. however they had put it on the L2 terminals, if they had also put the 'live' wires in the L2 terminals would that have the same effect as if they were all in the COM terminals? I have managed to get the fuse box to come back on but none of the lights are working. To make matter worse, one of the 'live' wires is a T&E in a grey sheath, but the other T&E in a grey sheath goes out to one of the lights, the other light has open red, black and earth cables going to the switch, but there are another 2 sets of cables like this in there as well. Am sure after reading this you may understand why I am confused. How can I find out what wire does what without stripping all of my plaster and ceiling? Thanks
Can you provide a photograph?
 
it's possible that it was once a 2 way switch and the other switch has been made redundant.
 
Hi Cod and Welcome to the Forum :) .
If it's any consolation I still fondly remember sorting out a similar mess while up a ladder. Birds nest of wires stuffed into the ceiling space, oh the joy. Do you have any test kit?
 
it's possible that it was once a 2 way switch and the other switch has been made redundant.
Could the switch have been a 3 gang? and the mystery cable is a set of strappers going off the the next 2 way switch withthel and SL going to the light which has been fed by a LandN from elsewhere, Crikey I've confused myself now.
 
this is the best one I can find, the COM terminals are at the top, all the black cables are in a terminal together and the earth cables were just in a clump in the back but I have attached these to the terminal on the box.

Loop at switch - 2 gang switch light switch - EletriciansForums.net
 
Hi Cod and Welcome to the Forum :) .
If it's any consolation I still fondly remember sorting out a similar mess while up a ladder. Birds nest of wires stuffed into the ceiling space, oh the joy. Do you have any test kit?
no test kit I'm afraid
 
it's possible that it was once a 2 way switch and the other switch has been made redundant.
that is a possibility knowing what my house is like, however I have no way of finding out which one that would be, guess it would be just trial and error, looks like I may have to purchase a tester but then I would still need to know what the readings actually mean!!
 
that is a possibility knowing what my house is like, however I have no way of finding out which one that would be, guess it would be just trial and error, looks like I may have to purchase a tester but then I would still need to know what the readings actually mean!!

Say goodbye to about £350 then you won't know how to use it .....
 
Could the switch have been a 3 gang? and the mystery cable is a set of strappers going off the the next 2 way switch withthel and SL going to the light which has been fed by a LandN from elsewhere, Crikey I've confused myself now.
again this could be a possibility, it has always been 2 gang since we have lived here, roughly 20 years, the three cables that I can't fully identify all disappear in the same direction, could it have been a second light coming off the same switch? so two lights working off one of the switches and one off the other?
 
I think I have identified my two live wires, I know that one of them is a grey T&E and the other T&E goes to a light in my cellar, so I attached one to COM and the other to L2 and then attached one of the other red cables to COM, the light in the cellar came on, so presume this means that the ring has completed as it didn't trip? So if I now do the same with the other red cables I should be able to identify the other light's cable and presumably the one that isn't doing anything? Does this sound about right?
 
scratch that, i have just switched the 2 T&Es round and same thing was happening so assume they are creating a circuit no matter which way round they go!!
 
that's coz all the sparks are waiting fora royal command.... the lights have gone off in windsor castle.
 
Not sure if they are your terminations in the picture or what was there previously, but they are very poor, bordering on dangerous. There should be no visable copper on the cables outside of the terminal. Also, if they are all kinked like that they are likely to snap when you squash it all back in to the box.

If that was how you found it, it may be an indication of the rest of the wiring ib the house and could be worth getting it properly tested and inspected.
 
There are times to attempt jobs in most disciplines,there are also times that are not the best course of action

I think I best divert my attention to a more romantic subject now playing
 
update, i have now identified 2 'live' cables that form the ring, I have also identified the cable that goes to the light in my cellar, so the 2 lives are in a COM terminal and the light in the FL2 terminal, whenI swap out the L2 terminal for either of the other 2 wires the circuit trips, if I just leave the 2 lives in the COM terminal all the other downstairs lights work apart from the cellar and the kitchen. One of the rogue wires is for the light in the kitchen so I am assuming that there may be something wrong with the light fitting or bulb but still not sure what the other wire is for!!
 

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