Taking the power supply from a neighbouring switch

[kreatiff63]

I'm taking the power supply from a neighbouring switch and the source light is coming on when I turn on the new lights... any ideas?

 

[Magpie86]

How is the new light connected?

You wouldn't normally use an existing switch (unless swapping a 1 way switch for a 2 way etc.), with power normally taken from an existing light fitting (and common/switched live routed through a switch).

 

[kreatiff63]

Both sources are 1 way lights feeding outdoor security and outdoor lights, with the old black/red/earth cables.

This is the wiring for the 3 way kitchen lights

This is the wiring to the two way hallway lights

 

[Magpie86]

It's quite possible that this is just beyond me, but my understanding was that light switches didn't have neutral connections going to them, only common live and switched live.

Out of interest, if you remove the bulb from the new fitting, does the other one go out too?

 

[kreatiff63]

@Magpie86 thanks for the reply, had me thinking for a moment but I guess its just my misuse of terminology. The references to live/ neutral are basically to identify the colours of cables, in my case brown = live and blue = neutral. This is of course meaning permanent line and switching live in this case, the live = permanent and the neutral = switching line. And on saying that I've just also noticed that with the 3 core I'm using this would be black = live, and brown/grey would be switching lines. Anyway weird thing is I have the outdoor light I took the feed from (1 way), is coming on when I switch the kitchen lights on.

To be honest this is also on the edge of my knowledge, I've never looked at an electrical drawing and thought of it in this way. @AC_Power changes to my original layout make a lot of sense, sending the 'live' out to the end of the run of switches (COM) before bringing it back switching lines via the L1/L2 terminals.

 

[kreatiff63]

**of course the issue I have is that the outdoor lights now come on when switch on the kitchen lights, and when I turn on the outdoor lights the kitchen lights go off. Hmm..

1. So I'll try going back to the old wiring diagram
2. I'll also test the source to find out which is the live and neutral feed (easier for me to discribe this way (permanent/switching line))