Help needed! Double switch three main wires.

[teacaker]

Hello everyone,

I have done a stupid thing and not noted down which output my wires go to in my 2 gang switch, as I was putting a new face plate on.

I have two ceiling lights going to a double switch. Said double switch has three sets of wires coming from it..so I guess one is from my main supply, one goes to light one and another goes to light two.

There is no indication on the wires what they are and where they go to.

I used a single switch to try determine which terms to put the wires in to no avail (except that one of the two core wires trips the electrics out when I wire them in. The others don't do anything.)

Any help muchly appreciated.

I can upload a pic but theres not much to see, except three sets of two core wiring. (Red, Black and earth)

 

[Echo the husky]

It's best to call an electrician, guessing can cause injury or damage.

 

[flameport]

so I guess one is from my main supply, one goes to light one and another goes to light two.

That may be, but without some form of testing equipment it will be impossible to know.

Do you own a multimeter?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

one of the two core wires trips the electrics out when I wire them in

Seriously, please get an electrician.

You obviously don't know how what you are fiddling with works, and trial-and-error, hoping to hit on the right connections by chance, is dafter than a daft thing that's very daft.

 

[John D v2.0]

I assume you didn't connect the earth to anything other than earth when you were testing. And the thing that trips is an MCB not an RCD or rcbo.
If that, The one that trips it must be the supply so a loop by switch system, the other could be one to each light or could be one to the lights and one the supply to the next light (switch)
Best thing would be to turn off all power and check continuity from the cu to the cores and from the ceiling roses on that room to the cores. Then label what you have and come back.
Don't just connect things at random and hope you can work it out as you could leave a dangerous situation.

 

[teacaker]

Yes, I have a multimeter.

(I know I sound like an idiot, but I do have basic knowledge of electrics. Having sorted all the other broken electrical things in my house.
I appreciate the help, really. I cannot call an electrician I'm broker than broke, hence why I'm doing it and asking the generous public for their help.)

I assume you didn't connect the earth to anything other than earth when you were testing. And the thing that trips is an MCB not an RCD or rcbo.
If that, The one that trips it must be the supply so a loop by switch system, the other could be one to each light or could be one to the lights and one the supply to the next light (switch)
Best thing would be to turn off all power and check continuity from the cu to the cores and from the ceiling roses on that room to the cores. Then label what you have and come back.
Don't just connect things at random and hope you can work it out as you could leave a dangerous situation.

How do I check the continuity John? Let me see if I understand..using my multimeter I should test each wire from the switch and compare it with the current in each ceiling rose?

Thanks guys. No doubt I'll be back!

 

[teacaker]

That may be, but without some form of testing equipment it will be impossible to know.

Do you own a multimeter?

Yes, I own a multimeter. What do you reckon?

 

[John D v2.0]

Basically need to find which cable in the switch is the other end of the same cable at the cu/light fitting. So continuity setting with all power isolated.