Replacing light switches

[lorlmh]

Hi just wondering if anyone can help. I need to replace light switches in my hall and landing (I have completed the one on the landing and it works!) The hall one has got two switches 1 for the downstairs light obviously just on and off, the other to switch the stair light either on and off or just on or off depending on the one upstairs (think its called 2 way?). When I removed the one at the bottom of the stairs (it looks nothing like the new one with the 2 separate little black boxes each marked L, L1 and L2!) it had got 2 red wires going into the hole marked 1 way and 1 red wire going into the hole marked com both across the bottom of the switch across the top it has a red wire into hole marked com, yellow into 1 way and blue into 2 way. Can anyone please tell me how to transfer these to the new one? Thank you

 

[rebuke]

I'm not quite following your description, but L, L1 and L2 on your new switch will be the equivalent of Com, 1 way and 2 way on your old. It sounds like your old switch had one set of contacts across the bottom for one of the switches, and another across the top, whereas presumably your new one has them side by side. It should just be a matter of transferring each set...

 

[lorlmh]

Hi I tried that and it didn't work! It meant that the stair light could only be switched off at the top and the hall light switch switched on both lights with one switch then I could not turn the stair light off at the top! And the other switch did just the hall light!

 

[sparkyspike]

The rows of terminals at the top and bottom of the switch don't correspond to switch 1 and switch 2 respectively. Instead, the L on the top row corresponds to L1 and L2 below it. Like a triangle. Likewise the L on the bottom row corresponds to L1 and L2 above it. Like an inverted triangle.

So try swapping the two L connections with each other.

A photo would help

 

[ColJack]

post a photo.. always take a photo before you disconnect wires...

you will have one 3 core and earth cable with red, yellow and blue in it.. this is the 2 way lighting..

the other cables from the description is 3 reds? one from a 2 core red and earth?

the 2 reds that are together go in the L1 of one switch the other red that is not part of the 3 core and earth goes into the COM oposite it..

View media item 10422

 

[ban-all-sheds]

lorlmh - read this: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

Once you understand how 2-way switching works you'll have no problems.

 

[lorlmh]

Thanks for the info will try again over the weekend!

 

[lorlmh]

Finally got around to having another go at replacing switch. Had hubby holding torch so I could see what I was doing and hey presto it worked!! Thanks for all the info especially the diagram from ColJack.