DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi all

Got a massive problem. We have eventually been decorating our living room, and as usual removed the light switch plate from the box. And, in all of my 5 years I have never seen any wires come out. Problem is we are now stuck with two red wires and I have no idea where to put them.

The plan is to change it to a double dimmer, but at this moment in time I only want lights on the old switch. Can anyone help please? I really am so desperate. And everything I have ever known looks so different to this

I am sure I have seen these pictures before some where? Anyway starting at top cable to left seems to be a two way connection, but the yellow does not seem to be used. One can borrow a live from another lamp but why would anyone do that if they have a three core and earth cable?

Three cables to left seems to show a supply and to feeds to lights often done that way when transformers are used which have no terminals for the loop wires. The second and last picture shows the same.

However picture two seems to show two wires going to com and this being linked to com on other switch. Now this makes no sense.

I would have expected the permanent line to go to L1 or L2 with a two way switch and I would not have expected to see any of the right hand reds connected together. If one light is two way and the other on off I would expect the link to only go to com on one switch and to L1 or L2 on the other.

Anyway step one must be look at the other switch in the two way system and see how it is wired. Normally the three core cable that goes between the switches is the same on both switches. So if blue goes to L1 on one switch it will also go to L1 on the other switch of the pair. But question is why yellow is not connected?