Replacing old 2 gang, 2 way light switch

[ChiefBrody]

Hi, I'd be really grateful for some advice on replacing an old 2 way light switch with a new one... It's a 2 gang on the landing with one switch for the bathroom and one switch for the landing, which can also be turned on from downstairs.

The terminals on the back of each look different, so I got a bit scared and haven't attempted anything yet, but I think maybe in the old switch, everything on the right is for the bathroom light as there's only 2 wires in the little 'circuit' diagram on the back (sorry, not sure what it's called). I think everything on the left, with the 2 wires at the bottom is for the landing light?

I've labelled in the photos how I was going to wire up the new switch, although I'm not sure if I'd need to swap 3 and 4 in the new switch. Or am I miles away from getting it right?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[ericmark]

You are correct, swapping 3 and 4 will change if both switches same direction is on or one up and one down is on, but it will work either way.

 

[SUNRAY]

Do it exactly as the current layout, (don't swap your 2&5) that way the wires will reach without much reforming the shape.

 

[ChiefBrody]

Oh ok, so I don't have to use the black wire that's in the top right-hand terminal as COM2 in the new switch then?.. I just assumed those top 2 both had to be in COM1 & 2

 

[EFLImpudence]

Oh ok, so I don't have to use the black wire that's in the top right-hand terminal as COM2 in the new switch then?.. I just assumed those top 2 both had to be in COM1 & 2

Why? The switches are identical.

 

[SUNRAY]

Oh ok, so I don't have to use the black wire that's in the top right-hand terminal as COM2 in the new switch then?.. I just assumed those top 2 both had to be in COM1 & 2

They're not at the moment and there is no reason to change that

1 Is common to 3&4 so they just go into the new switch just as they are

5 Is common to 2 & the terminal beside it. and the red & black need to go into com (marked COM2) & L1 (marked L21) and it doesn't matter which way round, their existing shape will fit they way they are.

The one thing that is important is to fit an earth wire to the earth terminal on the left of your picture

 

[ChiefBrody]

Oh yes, so sorry I've just looked at the old switch again and the bottom right is labelled as common in very small writing and I'd missed that, so I thought everything at the top was common. Good job I asked on here then, phew.. Thank you.

Yes I will definitely be fitting an earth, I've actually done that for the 1 gang switches that I've replaced already

Thanks again for your help.

 

[SUNRAY]

Thanks for the update.

 

[ChiefBrody]

Just finished the swap and it works perfectly - thanks!

 

[ericmark]

Glad it has all worked, slowly changing my switches, to ones with large pad so I can switch on with elbow when coming into the room, unless really lazy, then I ask google.