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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:12:57 GMT
I'm sort of familiar.
Bat + to first 3 way switch common.
Bat - through lights to other 3 way switch common.
Other contacts connected between switches.
There are 3 sets on my boat. Every switch had 2 wires on one of the "un" common terminals.
Is there a different way of wiring this circuit?
One of my circuits needs one switch "on" for the other to work and I want to fix it - it's the bathroom and my son and I base ourselves either side of it.
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Post by Telemachus on Oct 6, 2017 21:18:16 GMT
No that's wrong.
The battery negative just goes to the light negative.
The battery positive goes to the first switch common. The light positive is connected to the second switch common. The two other terminals on the first switch (often called L1 and L2) are connected to the same terminals on the other switch.
edit: actually, having re-read your OP it might effectively be the same as I have described! But anyway, my description is the way to do it!
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:22:23 GMT
Sorry, forgot to say all commons have thicker red wires attached and it appears they stay low level and all the other wires are blue and appear to head for the lights.
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:32:15 GMT
No that's wrong. The battery negative just goes to the light negative. The battery positive goes to the first switch common. The light positive is connected to the second switch common. The two other terminals on the first switch (often called L1 and L2) are connected to the same terminals on the other switch. edit: actually, having re-read your OP it might effectively be the same as I have described! But anyway, my description is the way to do it! Yes my description glazed over the light part! So what do you think accounts for the second wire on L2 on every switch? |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:40:19 GMT
+ve to one side of the load, -ve to the other.  As a wire hadn't fallen off either switch I was intending to test continuity of the wiring on the L1 and L2 terminals between the switches but the second wire has thrown me. |
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Post by Telemachus on Oct 6, 2017 21:52:26 GMT
No that's wrong. The battery negative just goes to the light negative. The battery positive goes to the first switch common. The light positive is connected to the second switch common. The two other terminals on the first switch (often called L1 and L2) are connected to the same terminals on the other switch. edit: actually, having re-read your OP it might effectively be the same as I have described! But anyway, my description is the way to do it! Yes my description glazed over the light part! So what do you think accounts for the second wire on L2 on every switch? Dunno, seems odd to me. Where do these other wires go? |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:54:28 GMT
I've found another way of doing it. It does explain the extra wire but doesn't tally with the gauges or colours.  |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:55:52 GMT
Yes my description glazed over the light part! So what do you think accounts for the second wire on L2 on every switch? Dunno, seems odd to me. Where do these other wires go? Oi! That was my question! |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 6, 2017 21:56:26 GMT
Simple job for a Friday evening...
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Post by IainS on Oct 6, 2017 22:28:33 GMT
That's the usual way of doing it; power to L1, load on L2., and each terminal connected to it's equivalent on the other switch. Also, it doesn't matter which switch power and load are connected to; they're probably on the same switch, more often than not.
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 7, 2017 11:53:38 GMT
Back on this due to rain. Thinking out loud after some continuity testing... I now know one end of defective wire and choice of two at the other end. Neither wire connects to the lights, so I checked and the double connection on the other switch does. So my two wires, one must connect to the battery. That must be good or the lights wouldn't work at all. The switches are working. I'm feeling dim, how do I work out which of the two is my bad boy and which connects to the battery. Someone having cunningly and apparently permanently fitted them up the inside of a two ply MDF bulkhead will be the next hurdle.  |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 7, 2017 12:10:03 GMT
I spit the wires and know which one it is.
Now I'm scuppered, I see the 3 wires between the switches passing by a light fitting in the ceiling. There's no give pulling from either end, they're trapped inside the bulkhead and I see no alternative route to that switch. Bugger!
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 7, 2017 12:19:06 GMT
This is the offending article.  Maybe if I prise the architrave and doorframe off a piece at a time I'll get lucky, the wires do leave the hidy hole in the top corner on that side. Just as well I don't have a wife to bollock me if I split the wood.  |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 7, 2017 12:47:04 GMT
Now feeling a bit silly, having prised the door frame off and failed to get at the wiring I pulled a bit harder at t'other end which gave, then pulled this out of the ceiling. The good news is the wire in the wall is ok. The bad news is no light holes near where it broke so connecting to the non-bulkhead end is the new problem. From the length it seems to have been trapped from new by some woodwork around a side hatch top hatch. Before I start on that I think I'll pause for some considerating.  |
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Post by lollygagger on Oct 7, 2017 13:25:34 GMT
Ah-ha! I like this bit of a mystery job, when you know for sure just how you're going to be able to fix it.  I've also learned there are 2 ways of wiring this circuit, the proponents of each regarding it as normal and the way it's always done. Every day's a school day as they say. |
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