Lighting for hallway and landing

[Jupiter01]

Hi,

I want to establish a principle with your help please.

I have seen that the lighting in the landing upstairs typically has two-way switches: hallway and landing. This makes sense.

Am I also right in my observation that the hallway lighting (downstairs) doesn't typically have a two-way switch? i.e. only switched on and off from downstairs.

Thanks

 

[bernardgreen]

Generally the lighting for the stairs has two way switching. That said if the downstairs hallway is a long one it may be necessary to have two way switching on the hallway light. Likewise a long landing upstairs may need two way switching.

In some large houses there may be three or four way switching. A switch outside each door that accesses onto the the hallway or landing may be needed to avoid having to walk some distance along an unlit hallway or landing to find ( in the dark ) a switch.

The principle should be that switches are placed where they are needed.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The principle should be that switches are placed where they are needed.

Sometimes life is so simple.

 

[JohnD]

Am I also right in my observation that the hallway lighting (downstairs) doesn't typically have a two-way switch? i.e. only switched on and off from downstairs.

No.

 

[davelx]

All the houses I have lived in have had two-way switching for the hallway - one by the front door and one at the other end between the lounge and dining room/kitchen doors.

 

[Jupiter01]

Yes @davelx. That config makes perfect sense. I should have been clearer in my original post.
I'm also wondering whether it should be possible to switch the hallway lights on/off from the upstairs landing. I think this is uncommon but interested in your views.

 

[davelx]

Yes @davelx. That config makes perfect sense. I should have been clearer in my original post.
I'm also wondering whether it should be possible to switch the hallway lights on/off from the upstairs landing. I think this is uncommon but interested in your views.

You could do that using an intermediate switch for trhee-way control if you run the appropriate cables. I've always found there's enough light from the upstairs landing (which is over the stair-well) for me to safely go downstairs and turn the hall lights on, though these days I do it all by remote control and don't touch the switches.

 

[Gerrydelasel]

Yes @davelx
I'm also wondering whether it should be possible to switch the hallway lights on/off from the upstairs landing.

I've never seen a house where you can turn on the hall light from upstairs, but my grilfriend commented on this only the other day! She said it seemed weird that you could turn on the upstairs light from downstairs, but not the other way around. Naturally I just pulled a face like she was talking nonsense.

 

[EFLImpudence]

As Bernard said, it is (also) the stair light.

 

[winston1]

I've never seen a house where you can turn on the hall light from upstairs,

You"ve not seen my house, but when I re wired it I did exactly that. Saves going downstairs when you forget to turn the hall light off.

 

[Jupiter01]

But the extension to that logic would be that you have a switch for the lounge, kitchen...etc...upstairs too as you may have forgot to turn them off

 

[Echo the husky]

One of the first bits of wiring I added here was a switch for the hall lights at the top of the stairs, it's so much more convenient. Switch light on, walk towards the light...

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I am in the midst of doing much of my extension. The structure was built by the builder and I am doing most other tasks myself.

Sounds like you still don't have an electrician to do the electrical work which you are singularly unqualified to do.

Who is going to be signing the EIC, and what do you think is going to happen about Building Regulations approval?

 

[flameport]

I'm also wondering whether it should be possible to switch the hallway lights on/off from the upstairs landing. I think this is uncommon but interested in your views.

Not normally. The usual arrangement is two switches downstairs (down & up) and one upstairs for up only.
Less common is two separate switches downstairs, with the stairs one located at the bottom of the stairs, the hall is separate on the opposite wall.

Only ever done one where it was possible to switch both from either floor, and that had 3 floors and was completing the mess that someone else had partly installed and yet more persons had mangled over in an attempt to get working, only to give up and run away leaving it in a partially working state.
That ended up as 2 switches on ground, for ground and 1st, 3 switches on 1st for ground/1st/2nd, 2 switches on 2nd for 1st/2nd.

However you can have whatever you want in your own house, just because something is not commonly installed does not mean you cannot have it.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

That ended up as 2 switches on ground, for ground and 1st, 3 switches on 1st for ground/1st/2nd, 2 switches on 2nd for 1st/2nd.

Sounds like what it should have been from the start.

was completing the mess that someone else had partly installed and yet more persons had mangled over in an attempt to get working, only to give up and run away leaving it in a partially working state.

That's the sort of thing that happens when people who do not know what to do decide that their ignorance and incompetence should not be a reason for them not to have a go at doing.

However you can have whatever you want in your own house, just because something is not commonly installed does not mean you cannot have it.

It does though need to be done by someone who does know what to do.