1 switch of 3 doesnt work any think

[bob s]

hi me again, when i come in the front door there is a set of 3 light switches, the 1st switch works a 2 way single light the other end of the hall, the 3rd switch works the light as you walk in the front door and the upstairs land light. but the 2nd switch doesn't seem to work any think. again asked the previous owner and no idea what it was for. did think it was for an outside light but no signs of any light now or previously. i think were the 3rd switch works 2 lights they should all just operate 1 light as if someone came to the front door why would you want the upstairs landing light on as well? . would i be right to expect if i unscrewed the 3 switches 1st switch would only have L + N , the 3rd switch would have 2xL + 2XN but the 2nd switch would have no wires? am i correct ? many thanks for any help or suggestions bob.

 

[He who knows]

Could well be that someone did decide they wanted the light near the door and the landing light to be switched together and moved the cable from switch #2 to #3. Or #2 broke.

But surely the landing light is 2-way switched?

One thing I can't advise too strongly is that you spend some time learning how light circuits and switches work, or you're very likely to end up in a world of pain.

For instance, those black or blue wires in the switches are not neutrals. A traditional ceiling rose will have 3 cables connected to it and getting them mixed up can result in losing all your lights after it, switching going weird, or short-circuits.

It really isn't rocket science - a few hours, or less, boning up on it is all it takes, but it is one of those things where if you don't understand how it works it can all too easily go horribly wrong.

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