Can anyone help with my bathroom light pull chord switch?

Avo Mk8 said:

I'm trying to make sense of those first two pics. This seems to be the problem.
the metal clad switch with the red, yellow, blue wires coming out of it seems to be a two way switch to operate the bathroom light in conjunction with the pull cord.
If the brown and blue wires leading off to the left go to your pull cord, then the old (broke) pull cord switch was being used two way. The bare copper earth wire is being used as the common live.
So it's not an earth wire at all!
If you want to continue to use that metal switch in pic 2, then that bit of brown/blue cable in pic 1 needs repacing with 3 core to the light switch. I think the problems you have been having are all because the earth wire is being used as a live wire, and now that is a problem at the new pull switch.
Is your new pull switch 2 way?
Can you replace the 2 core cable with 3 core without too much difficulty?

getting somewhere now !

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Avo Mk8 said:

In addition to the other recent discoveries, the leakage across red and black just using a multimeter is a bad sign.
You need an insulation resistance tester to check the resistance at 500V. Have you got a friendly sparky who could do that for you?

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Bgy333 said:

Like I said in original post I did my P16th papers (20 odd years ago like) so not up to date but yes replacing 2 core to 3 core no problem but I’ve no issues not using the light switch on the wall and just the pull cord.

When I was testing the wires one the earths was showing live and someone comments don’t trust pen testers!

I’m able to do whatever I just don’t know where to put which wires - one of the earths is scorched so maybe that’s the live one!

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Bgy333 said:

I’ve got this if you tell me how to set it or what to do?

So basically forget the silver switch how would I connect just my pull cord to work the lights ! I can access the wires. In the loft to do any messing up there is not an issue!

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Avo Mk8 said:

So

The problem is a multimeter won't stress the cable with a high enough voltage to do a proper test. My concern is the old black/red section of cable might have be a problem, but putting that aside, there's the correct connection of the pull cord to sort out first.

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Bgy333 said:

Like I said in original post I did my P16th papers (20 odd years ago like) so not up to date but yes replacing 2 core to 3 core no problem but I’ve no issues not using the light switch on the wall and just the pull cord.

When I was testing the wires one the earths was showing live and someone comments don’t trust pen testers!

I’m able to do whatever I just don’t know where to put which wires - one of the earths is scorched so maybe that’s the live one!

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Bgy333 said:

The red and earth is showing live on my pen tester but I don’t know how to test how much current on the earth wire like I say it shows minimal on the multi meter

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Avo Mk8 said:

It's not obvious to me where live is coming from!
Why are the blue and black wires connected together by the choc block? Were they together like that in the old pull cord?
Or did you put them together because that seems right colour wise?
The reason I ask is that I can't make sense of this wiring yet!

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davesparks said:

I think it's time to suggest you call an electrician, you have some dangerous wiring there that needs sorting out.
Exposed connector blocks and the earth core of a T&E cable connected to live are not, and have never been, acceptable.

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Bgy333 said:

I copied the old wiring i believe- they were always like that it’s possible- seems probable that I’ve done it wrong, maybe the red and brown should have gone one side of the pull cord switch and the live earth the other? That’s the only way 2 lives would connect on the switch ?

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Avo Mk8 said:

I don't think it is possible to determine remotely exactly how your circuit was wired just from the photo's.
The original configuration might have been something like that shown below. That is just illustrative - I don't know which terminal is which on the wall switch.
And as has been said, the use of the bare earth wire as a live connection is unacceptable, and has caused you difficulties in trying to replace the switch.
Your experience previously as an electrician ought to allow you to work out how to correctly connect what you have.

However, the fact that you see a deflection on the needle of your multimeter, set to ohms range, when checking between L and N on the old cable between the lights (otherwise disconnected) leads me to join others here who have recommended getting an electrician in.

This forum is not supposed to give step by step guidance. I think I've gone as far as I possibly can to try and help, so it's over to you now to do the responsible thing and get this wired properly and made safe.

View attachment 102624

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UNG said:

Looking through all the pictures and posts if the switch outside the bathroom is not needed then just lose the brown / blue T&E at the pull switch and it then looks like you are left with a live, switch live and an earth from the light fitting position in the remaining T&E

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