A hall with top and bottom lights and top and bottom single switches.
When top switch is on, only top light is on.
When bottom switch is on, both lights are on. Top light cannot be switched off with top switch.
Any suggestions?
I am reluctant to investigate further as it is a rental property.
Regards
Nothing picked up in the 5 year EICR that now mandatory for rental property's?
Sounds like the person buying the switches had not heard of two way switches when they put them in. Brian
In which case report the fault to the landlord or managing agent and let them fix it...
I thought it was still "recommended" and not in force for existing tenancies until July 2021??
Would that cover inconvient operational matters or just electical safety concerns?
That is my thought. There is a general philosophy that an electrical fault needs looking at sooner rather than later.
After much sketching, I think I have it figured.
Top switch is two way.
Switched live to bottom light also goes to NC of top switch. NO of top switch is an always live wire. COM goes to top light.
That would explain why the top lamp has a brief flicker off when switching the top switch with the bottom light on.
Any other theories?
Regards
Yup, that then gives the landing light a choice of "on" or "same state as the hall light".
The switches are break before make, there would be a very brief interruption in power.
That sounds seminally plausible and simple, so Occam's razor suggests is a good one to go with!
Do you know which circuit the upstairs permanent live to the switch fed from? Since that will dictate what you can do easily from the current starting point.
It has to cover both.
Or you get the phone call that the lights do not work.
I agree. Maybe only the top light existed originally, and both switches are two-way so that either one can control the light. The hall light was added later, connected to one of the two wires joining the two-way switches.
A wire is taken from the switched live at the hall switch to both the hall and landing lights. So when you turn on hall switch it provides power to both light fittings. This cannot be turned off using landing switch.
The landing light also has a switched live from the landing switch to the landing light and can therefore independently turn on and off the landing light (provided there's no power from hall switch).
Phil
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