Hello, new DIY warrior here

[ilsa]

I'm reluctant to call electrician because he just wired it up week ago... But he worked like a...mmmm..ermm..elephant mole? So I had to replaster a couple of walls after he left. So I have nice walls now, but no lights. If I call him back, I will have lights, but no walls.

 

[ilsa]

Hi Ilsa and welcome to the forum. I've given you a nice little tag below your name so that the members know your status.

Thank you, now people can pick on me!
I will have to qualify now to get the next "belt"

 

[Andy78]

I'm reluctant to call electrician because he just wired it up week ago... But he worked like a...mmmm..ermm..elephant mole? So I had to replaster a couple of walls after he left. So I have nice walls now, but no lights. If I call him back, I will have lights, but no walls.

Elephant mole ?
If the lights were wired and working correctly a week ago, then you've fiddled with something and now they don't work, it should be a simple case of unfiddling and should not require the chasing of any walls. Get the guy called up, offer tea and chocolate biscuits and hope for the best.

 

[ilsa]

Elephant mole ?
If the lights were wired and working correctly a week ago, then you've fiddled with something and now they don't work, it should be a simple case of unfiddling and should not require the chasing of any walls. Get the guy called up, offer tea and chocolate biscuits and hope for the best.

To be fair, he was called in to do chases so I shouldn't complain too much about wall destruction, but it was bad. I should have known when someone turns up with big sds drill instead of proper chase tool, and it is an old property. The plaster went. Gone.
I have had chases done before properly and no real fuss at all.
Now I'm staring at those three wires and I can't help but want to try out all possible combinations so I don't have to give anyone biscuits. If chases would have been done somewhat neatly, I wouldn't have had to fiddle and if I wouldn't have fiddled, I wouldn't have been in a pickle, and if I wouldn't be in a pickle, I wouldn't have to give my childs' biscuit to a spark

 

[Andy78]

To be fair, he was called in to do chases so I shouldn't complain too much about wall destruction, but it was bad. I should have known when someone turns up with big sds drill instead of proper chase tool, and it is an old property. The plaster went. Gone.
I have had chases done before properly and no real fuss at all.
Now I'm staring at those three wires and I can't help but want to try out all possible combinations so I don't have to give anyone biscuits. If chases would have been done somewhat neatly, I wouldn't have had to fiddle and if I wouldn't have fiddled, I wouldn't have been in a pickle, and if I wouldn't be in a pickle, I wouldn't have to give my childs' biscuit to a spark

It's one where there are a few too many variables to safely assist a diyer through a forum how to rectify this. An electrician with the right test equipment will have it sorted in minutes though if all you have done is connect the wires up wrong.

 

[ilsa]

Thank you for identifying my limitations. I mean it. It's somewhat comforting to know that it can be sorted in minutes with the right equipment. So it's not me, it's the tools ( the lack of)
Poor workman blames his tools, poor spark blames his switches.

Now I will have to find a good electrician, one that let's me watch and explains and doesn't charge more for the privilege. Cause I still want to know why that wiring doesn't resemble any diagrams.

On that note one small question:
Is it common to have 3 core coming in to the two way switch from light instead of two core? Why all examples of wiring only show 2 core?
And is it common to have not just the neutrals ( grey with blue sleeve in my case) separated in choc box but all the browns too?

I'm asking because I can't find any examples in writing or drawing of this and god have I searched! Knowing it's something more complicated I'm dealing with would make my failure to fix it a little easier to digest.

In fact, after all I've read and seen, I'm sure I can make a new two-way switch system from scratch in my house. but this one...
Watch this space!

 

[Des 56]

If you have a choc block with browns and another with greys sleeved blue,the reasons would make perfect sense to most electricians(without having to resort to test meters)
The diagrams,or lack of diagrams in your case,does not mean that the circuit is non standard or unusual
The diagrams displayed tend to just depict simple circuits rather than connections to best suit what is intended

 

[Richard Burns]

Unfortunately your description does not match what you have appear to actually have at the light switches so it can be hard to define the problem. (we would have to await the pictures)
A three core cable might well come from light fitting if the power were being taken on elsewhere, either from the switch (incoming supply) or from the fitting (switched supply), though often used for two gang switches as well.
Often the choice of core to use can be very variable depending on the installer so it is often not possible to assess a resolution without being there with test equipment.

 

[ilsa]

If you have a choc block with browns and another with greys sleeved blue,the reasons would make perfect sense to most electricians(without having to resort to test meters)
The diagrams,or lack of diagrams in your case,does not mean that the circuit is non standard or unusual
The diagrams displayed tend to just depict simple circuits rather than connections to best suit what is intended

Yeah, doesn't stop me from wishing there would be a clear instruction for every possible wire situation imaginable! But I understand why that would be dangerous.

 

[ilsa]

Unfortunately your description does not match what you have appear to actually have at the light switches so it can be hard to define the problem. (we would have to await the pictures)
A three core cable might well come from light fitting if the power were being taken on elsewhere, either from the switch (incoming supply) or from the fitting (switched supply), though often used for two gang switches as well.
Often the choice of core to use can be very variable depending on the installer so it is often not possible to assess a resolution without being there with test equipment.

I will post pictures tomorrow. Might be a bit tough to work out as the back box is so full of choc blocks and cables. But I'll try to show well the 3 sleeve-identified cores available ( the rest doesn't matter really as they are blocked together and I haven't touched them)
I have currently connected lights but the 2 way doesn't work quite like it would have to. If I turn one switch off, the other won't work but if both switches are in " on position " ( closed) I can turn the light off at either. I hope that's not unsafe.

Hopefully someone looks at a picture tomorrow and goes: this as simple as...

 

[Richard Burns]

If there are no unconnected cables and all cores are safely terminated and the circuit breaker has not tripped then it is unlikely that this would be dangerous in normal use. However we cannot say for certain.

 

[ilsa]

If there are no unconnected cables and all cores are safely terminated and the circuit breaker has not tripped then it is unlikely that this would be dangerous in normal use. However we cannot say for certain.

Thank you, it sounds like I have good odds of living to post a pic tomorrow

 

[ilsa]

Here I am again, with some pictures this time.
Just to recap:
I have a two way light switch for my hallway. There is a two gang switch downstairs ( one gang controls downstairs hall light and it has been wired up and working fine) and a single gang one upstairs. Both switches should be able to control upstairs hall light.
I can't quite wire it up right.

Upstairs switch contains 3 x 3 cores , 2 between switches and one coming in from above. There is one black core ( with brown sleeve) unconnected from top 3 core. From 3 core between switches there is one grey ( brown sleeve) and one black ( brown sleeve ) unconnected.

Downstairs switch has grey ( brown sleeve), black ( brown sleeve) and brown cores unconnected.

Any help?
I hope I have attached images right..

Thank you.

 

[The Ghost]

I don't think an electrician did that work. And those switches aint gonna work on that box. You did this did you? The back boxes arent deep enough. I don't think I would care to advise you in this case. You must get an electrician in this is not safe. Can you post the certificate you were issued?

 

[Pete999]

summat about switches i think, up for on or up for off. whatever.

Here I am again, with some pictures this time.
Just to recap:
I have a two way light switch for my hallway. There is a two gang switch downstairs ( one gang controls downstairs hall light and it has been wired up and working fine) and a single gang one upstairs. Both switches should be able to control upstairs hall light.
I can't quite wire it up right.

Upstairs switch contains 3 x 3 cores , 2 between switches and one coming in from above. There is one black core ( with brown sleeve) unconnected from top 3 core. From 3 core between switches there is one grey ( brown sleeve) and one black ( brown sleeve ) unconnected.

Downstairs switch has grey ( brown sleeve), black ( brown sleeve) and brown cores unconnected.

Any help?
I hope I have attached images right..

Thank you.

View attachment 34821

View attachment 34822

Crikey that's a right hodgepodge of wiring, Ilsa, do yourself a big favour and get an Electrician in to do the repairs, thats all wrong, wrong boxes wrong switches, could be life threatening