Electric light switch problem

[Crem31]

Hi there, in my bedroom I have a switch at the door as well as a pull cord over the bedhead. The problem I have is if I turn it on at the door then turn it off at the pull switch, the next time I switch it on I have to use the pulls witch as it won't go on at the door.

Any ideas? is it the wiring set up?

Andrew

[raysparx1]

Hi Crem, Turn off the power, take the light switch off the wall and see how many wires there are,it should be a switch with 3 terminals, check that all contacts are tight and that in fact the 3 terminals are being used, if all is ok there,take down pull cord and do the same,making sure all terminals are tight, check these two first, if it still doesn't work post back here, and we can eliminate possible faults, Ray

[Crem31]

Hi there Ray,

I have checked both switches and there are 4 wires to the wall switch all in and tighta and the pull switch has 3 plus the earth.

It may have something to do with the junction box in the loft as when I moved the position of the pull switch in the ceiling I replaced the length of wire with a longer one. I was pretty sure that the same colour wires went into the ones the previous had come out of - but maybe not!

Many thanks in anticipation.
Crem

[raysparx1]

Hi Crem,

The important wire to get correct is the one that goes in the Common terminal, if it is yellow at the switch it must be yje same at the pull cord, it does not matter which colour you use but the common ones must be the same at each end, give that a check first, Ray

[Crem31]

A Ha -

On the wall switch Yellow is athe top by itself with Blue and Red at the bottom and in the pull switch Red is by itself and Yellow and Blue are side by side.

So do I swap the Red wire at the pull switch with the Yellow wire?

Many thanks

Crem

[raysparx1]

Hi crem, if you look at the pull switch it will be marked with probably, C or Common L1 & L2 so with yours the yellow should go into the one marked C or Common, give that a go and see if it works on 2 way, Ray

[raysparx1]

Any luck yet Crem ?

[Crem31]

Hi Ray I was abiout to change the yellow wire in the pull switch but when I came to undo the screw the screw snapped therefore unable to undo it.

I need to get a new pull switch tomorrow and will do it then.

Will let you know how I get on, cheers.

[raysparx1]

Typical, lol, that happens to me as well, good luck, Ray

[Crem31]

Hi Ray,

Got a new switch and fitted it but still the same.

I put the yellow in the top by itself and the red and blue at the bottom to match the wall switch.

Cheers Crem

[raysparx1]

Crem, check the wires in the junction box in the loft,if it was working before it must be one of those connections that is round the wrong way,have a look and see, Ray

[raysparx1]

Hi Crem, any luck yet ?

[Crem31]

Hi Ray,

Got up in the loft, the junction box has 6 wires going into it. I identified the two wires that went to the light. one to the pull switch and the other to the wall switch. The yellow went to the same yellow, the blue went to the same blue but the red went to a different red.

I didn't know if this mattered so I changed the red to go into the same red as the wall switch. When I tested the light neither switches worked, so I put the red wire back to its original position.

Any further ideas?

Crem

[raysparx1]

Crem the only other thing I can think of,without seeing it is that the actual wall switch is faulty ie:only working on one way. when you take the wall switch off how many wires are there, there would normally be a black and a red wire from a twin cable and red,yellow and blue from the 3 core, the yellow goes in the common the red with the red in another terminal and the blue with the black in the other ? is this how yours is wired ? of couse there are other ways of wiring it but this is the most common way. Ray

[Crem31]

As mentioned earlier - On the wall switch Yellow is at the top by itself with Blue and Red at the bottom.

Many thanks

Crem

[raysparx1]

Crem in the junction box have you got two 3 core cables and two twin cables ? if you have the conne ctions will be,

2 yellows together the red to light goes with the 2 other reds, the black to light goes with the other black, the red feed wire goes with the 2 blue wires does this make sense to you ? is this how the box is laid out ? wish I could see it, if you like take a digital picture of junction box and send it to me marking the wire that goes to the light,

[email protected]

[Crem31]

Hi Ray,

In the circular brown ********* box I have 6 wires going in to it.

2 - 3 core plus earth - Yellow, Red and Blue

and 4 - 2 core plus earth.- Red and Black

I have taken a picture but the PC has decided not to recognise the camera so now I am trying to fathom it out.

Crem

[raysparx1]

Hi Crem,

I would think the wiring in junc tion box is as follows

1 live pair in (red & black)
2 live pair out,(red & black)
3 pair to light as above
4 pair to switch as above
5 & 6 3 cores

The live pair in & out go together,red to red, black to black then the red from switch goes with the 2 reds.

the black from switch goes with the two blues from 3 cores

the red from light goes with the 2 reds from 3 cores

the black from light goes with the black feed in & out

the two yellows together, hope I have sort of explained it ok, just check that the yellows at switches goes into terminals marked C or Common. Good luck, Ray

[Crem31]

Hi Ray,

I have checked the Yellow wire in the switches once again and they are in the coimmon position.

I think I will leave it as it is and maybe get a leccie to look at if I have any electric work coming up in future.

Many thanks for your advice Ray.