Advice needed on switching

[Alan Stirrup]

I've encountered a bit of a head scratcher here. We've taken down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room for a new open plan jobbie. The wall had two light switches, one fed by three wires for the dining room light and the other a twin gang two way switch for the kitchen lights. I've moved them from there to the wall that divides the dining and living rooms, however, the living room, hall and downstairs loo will only work when the dining room light is switched on!

But there's a twist in the tale. When my son in law was eagerly ripping the plasterboard off the wall ahead of demolishing it he shouted me saying "those cowboy builders have buried a wire behind the wall. " I checked the wire (two reds, one live and one sleeved neutral) and it was live. I've switch all over the house and it remains live so I can only think that this could be the cause of my switching issue?

Can anybody direct me with only the rudimentary info I've given, the first two pics are the dining room light switch.

 

[littlespark]

need to see the other switch, i think.... but a couple of things spring to mind....

Are we sure the blacks there are neutrals?... if so, then it should be fairly simple.

I am also presuming the red-red goes up to the light.... (you can check if its also red-red at the light)

This isnt right in the first place... as red-red cable was used in 3 plate wiring where all the feeds were at the lights, and there was a live down to the switch, and a switched live back up to the light. Some used red-red... others used red-black but sleeved the black in red to denote a live.... Not usual to see a red sleeved black... So there may be other surprises.

If this is the case, then the red-blacks are the feed from the fuseboard looping between the switches.... Thats why the rest of the rooms dont work.... theyre only being fed when this switch is on...
move the red (thats on the same cable as a black) into the same terminal as the other red that is with a black


I dont know why there would be a supposed live cable in the wall not doing anything. If its also a red-red.



Those metal switch plates should have been earthed when they were fitted.... just an earth wire between the back box earth terminal and the switch would suffice..... Make sure its done, if youre putting metal switches back in.

 

[James]

am I the only one to notice the broken earth?

This really needs an electrician to come make sure everything is safe.
hidden cables in walls, mean that there may be other places that cables are bare and hidden.

 

[littlespark]

i didnt see the last 2 photos to be honest.... but thats even worse.... theres an earth terminal on a plastic switch, but the back box isnt earthed!

Red wire has too much copper showing at the terminal.... surprised it hasnt found the bare bit of cpc when it was all screwed back.


Im going to have to agree with @James that your best bet is to get an electrician in....
Lighting circuits can be a minefield with alterations over the years, and not everything being as you might expect.

 

[Alan Stirrup]

i didnt see the last 2 photos to be honest.... but thats even worse.... theres an earth terminal on a plastic switch, but the back box isnt earthed!

Red wire has too much copper showing at the terminal.... surprised it hasnt found the bare bit of cpc when it was all screwed back.


Im going to have to agree with @James that your best bet is to get an electrician in....
Lighting circuits can be a minefield with alterations over the years, and not everything being as you might expect.

Thanks guys, I'm going for the safe option and take your advice in getting a qualified electrician to look at it. We've inherited these issues so best to be safe. I wondered if the errant wire found in the wall could've been pulled out of one of the switches by a crowbar wielding over exuberant son in law?