Electrician Dad Needed

[slaughteredlamb]

Okay so in our living room we have three ceiling lights and two light switches at either end of the room (switch 1 is a single switch and switch 2 is double dimmer switch).

Switch 1 only controls lights 1 & 2
Switch 2 controls light 3 on one dimmer and lights 1 & 2 on the other dimmer.

With me so far?

So this morning I come down stairs and turn Switch 1 on (to turn on lights 1 & 2). There was a loud pop seeming to come from light 2, a bit like when bulb blows, but the lights were on. As each light consists of 3 bulbs and now only 1 bulb was working in light 2 I assumed that it must have just been a bulb that blew.

Didn't think any more of it until my wife then tried to turn lights 1 & 2 off using Switch 1. Nothing happened, it was as if the switch was dead. She then went over to Switch 2 and found that she could turn lights 1 & 2 on and off using it and also light 3.

So what's blown?

I know a little about home wiring but probably only enough to get myself into trouble. I'm thinking that it's probably 'just' that the wires from switch 1 shorted where they joined at Light 2 which might then explain why they can still operate from switch 2, but I don't know why other than perhaps just a wire coming loose over time. Any thoughts?

[Whatever]

It does sound like a wire loose and maybe the grub screw inside the switch has dropped out over time, I saw this only the other day when I took a switch off and the wires were still 'moulded' in position but just pulled straight out of their terminals.

Switch off the lighting circuit at the main board and physically check each connection. If you're unsure if one is secure, fit a new switch.

[slaughteredlamb]

Cheers for that. I think I might be in luck as last night when I got home out of habit I tried to turn on switch 1 forgetting that this switch doesnt work anymore and noticed that it 'felt' wrong in that it no longer clicks into place in either the up or down position. I'm hoping therefore that it's just the switch that's blown. Just need to pop to B&Q on Saturday to buy a replacement to test this theory out.