2 Way Gang Switch Wiring

[zingo1327]

I have two separate lights in my kitchen operated from the same double switch plate (which broke).
I tried to replace it but the terminals are named differently.The old one had L1,L2,L3 at the top and the same L1,L2,L3 at the bottom.
The new one has L1,L2 and Com both top and bottom.
I rewired it exactly as the old one but I'm left with a red and yellow pair which went into L3 on the old switch.I tried putting them into one of the Com terminals but it didn't work.
The old switch had a red wire going into L1 and L2 at the top. At the bottom a red going into L1, a blue going into L2 and a red wire joining these.
Hope someone can make sense of what I'm trying to say a guide me.
Thank you

[The Builder]

Zingo, do you have two cables ... each with a red/yellow/blue?

[zingo1327]

Hi Builder
I have 3 "bunches" of grey cable coming into the box.
1 has red,blue,yellow cables plus an earth.
2 has red,black and an earth
3 has red, black and an earth.
I'd disregard the black and earth wires as they are connected to there own thing and weren't tied into the on/off switch terminal.

[The Builder]

OK ........ easy to trace if I was there. Otherwise, a bit of guesswork.

So the blacks (neutrals) are connected together?
The Earths are connected together?

I'm guessing one of the lights has another switch somewhere else, and the other light doesn't?

[zingo1327]

You're correct Builder.I forgot about the switch at the door and you're also correct about the Blacks and Earths

[The Builder]

Ok... one light is 2-way, and one is one-way.

The 2-way is the red/yellow/blue cable.
Put the red into a Com terminal.
Put the yellow and blue into L1 and L2. It shouldn't matter which way around unless it's wired differently from how I imagine it.

Make sure the L1 and L2 are corresponding to the Com... ie opposite it on the switch.

Take the other two reds (from the red/black cables)
Put one in the other Com, and the other red in either L1 or L2 corresponding to that particular Com

Try that first

[zingo1327]

Not quite sure what you mean Builder.In step one do I put the yellow and blue into L1 and L2 at the top terminals and the red into Com at the top or bottom terminal?
ie...blue/yellow/red or blue/yellow and an empty Com terminal.

[The Builder]

blue and yellow into the top L1/L2
Red into the Com opposite ie below the L1/L2 (bottom)

The Com next to the L1/L2 is for the other light.

[The Builder]

http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq36/TheBuilder_photo/wiring.jpg

[zingo1327]

Hi Builder
I have 3 red cables coming from the red/black earth grey cables.
I now have from grey cable 1 Red to bottom Com and blue and yellow to top L1 and L2
From grey cable 2 I have the red to top Com.. this leaves me with 2 reds?

[The Builder]

Something silly going on here, Zing. A cable can have a red & black in the old colours, but not 2 reds & black :o(

I think that's as far as I can go without doing some simple tracing.

You need a voltage tester to find out which of the reds is the live feed. It'll all be quite logical, but right now I'm really sorry, but the possibilities are mounting up.

I'd love to know where the extra Red comes from.

[zingo1327]

thanks for your help anyway Builder..Looks like I'll be getting an electrician in on Monday

[BRIGHT SPARK]

This sounds like a 2 way conversion...three plated at the switch.We need to know where the live feed is terminated at the other plate switch.Take the switch off and tell us which colours are where.I would say that the 2 reds will terminate at either L1 orL2 with the blue or yellow.Dont connect anything to any blacks.

[daveygh]

hi zingo, do you think you could put the cables back in the old switch exactly as they were. Take a pick and post it on here. We should be able to sort it from that