Wiring light switch
- Thread starter seeker68
- Start date
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I assume the old switch had 3 connections.
The single red wire to common.
The pairs of wires to the L terminals.
And the green yellows to the terminal at the side.
The single red wire to common.
The pairs of wires to the L terminals.
And the green yellows to the terminal at the side.
So was the old switch not a 2-way?
How was it connected up? Whatever sort of switch it was it is essential that you find the drawing you made before you removed it, as you need to connect the new one in the same way, or it won't work the way it used to.
It's a light switch, so there is probably no neutral there. There might be - your drawings/notes will give a big clue.
But if there is a neutral there you MUST NOT connect it to the switch, or bad things will happen.
You really, really would benefit greatly from doing a bit of learning about how what you want to fiddle with works before trying to do any (more) fiddling.
- http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+(basics+OR+101)
- http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+house+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
- [wiki]Electrics%3ALighting[/wiki]
- [wiki]Electrics%3Abooks[/wiki]
- [wiki]Electrics%3Aindex[/wiki]
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I assume the black and blue wires went into the old switch (and NOT in a seperate connector block on their own)?
Answer the above, and we've cracked it.
It appears the only significant difference between the old switch and the new switch is an extra terminal.
That brass terminal on the edge of the new switch is for connecting the earth (the striped green and yellow wires connected to the plastic wall box.
You need to earth the metal faceplate of the switch - that is what the brass terminal on it's own is for.
That terminal should be marked E, or have an earth symbol printed very near it.
Answer the above, and we've cracked it.
It appears the only significant difference between the old switch and the new switch is an extra terminal.
That brass terminal on the edge of the new switch is for connecting the earth (the striped green and yellow wires connected to the plastic wall box.
You need to earth the metal faceplate of the switch - that is what the brass terminal on it's own is for.
That terminal should be marked E, or have an earth symbol printed very near it.
The earth terminal is the fourth connection, for the op anyway.
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