casts_by_fly Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 Hi gents, My wife and I moved into a rented house a month and a half ago. We have a front room light that I don't think is wired correctly, but I want to understand what is wrong before I decide whether to ask the landlord to fix it. The light is our front entranceway/hallway. There is a switch when you walk in our front door and two more switches as you exit the room, one before you go up the stairs and one before you go into the kitchen. It is a standard setup for a 4-way switch setup (or what I know as a 4-way switch). There are two issues though. First, the switch at the front door (where I suspect the issue is) works as normal. Whenever you flip the switch the light changes state. However, if you turn the light 'on' from one of the other two switches then you can't turn it off from the other. To be more specific, if I turn the light 'on' from the kitchen switch, then I can turn it 'off' from the front entrance but not from the steps switch. The opposite holds true if I turn it on from the steps that I can't turn it off from the kitchen. Clearly not how a 4-way works. Second, if I turn the light on from the kitchen and then flip the steps switch (or vice versa) then the other two circuits in the same box as the entranceway switch become energizes. Those two switches control the outside lights. So I can use the stairway switch to control something that isn't supposed to be on the same circuit. Can anyone explain this? I suspect that maybe they have switched the hot instead of the neutral. Would that do it? I haven't pulled the switches out to look at the actual wires used, but that is the next step. Has anyone else had this issue? Thanks Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Euget123 Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 Hello rick, You really would be better contacting the landlord,or a spark if you no any! Its probably a really simple case of someone having changed out one or more of the switches and connecting them incorrectly! Simple process to work through when your there but quite difficult to explain IMO! Sorry cant be of more help! ET Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cragrat Posted May 15, 2016 Report Share Posted May 15, 2016 As above , fairly easy to sort out for a sparky but very difficult to explain, once an intermediate circuit has a conductor in the wrong place it'll not work , get the landlord onto it chap D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Not a job for a DIY'er. As said get a sparky on it....sort of thing people try and get me to explain over the phone, hard work! Unlikely to be switching a neutral that's the problem though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet1747 Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 (edited) It's the two way switch wires , lot off people take switches off to decorate and don't make a note off were they we're,use to happen at least once a week when I was self employed , different ways off wiring a two way system better tell landlord as its not your property simple job but remember electric causes fires and serious injuries It's not a neutral problem they don't get switched or fused its against the regs Edited May 16, 2016 by bullet1747 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.