Switch operates wrong way round

[mrscalex]

I have a light switch, part of a 2-way circuit which operates back to front. So the light is on when it should be off and vice versa. The switch at the other end is okay. Both switches are the correct way up, ie the word top appears at the top.

Is there anything I can do to fix this? I don't want to just blunder ahead and try swapping wires in case I leave something live when it shouldn't be.

Thanks

 

[andy]

a 2 way switch can operate in any position...
if your that fussy about it, take switch off and put upside down, or swap L1 and L2 at the side with just the 3 core

 

[JohnD]

If you want the lights to be on when the upstairs switch is down, go and operate the downstairs switch.

If you want it the other way round, operate the switch at the other end again.

Every time you operate one switch, the other one (which has not moved) will be in the same position but the condition of the lamp will have changed from on to off or from off to on.

Don't change the wiring or the switch, there is no point.

That's how 2-way switches work. Did you expect the other switch to change its position?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

All you can choose by where you put the wires and/or which way up you fix the switches is whether the light is on, or off when the switches are in given combinations of positions.

You have 4 combinations of switch positions:

UP/UP
UP/DOWN
DOWN/UP
DOWN/DOWN

with 2 of those the light will be on, and 2 will be off - there is nothing you can do about that.

If you want UP/UP to be off, then DOWN/DOWN will also be off - there is nothing you can do about that.

If you want DOWN/DOWN to be on, then UP/UP will also be on - there is nothing you can do about that.

 

[pdcelec]

remove the switch, replace backbox with one with four fixings (or turn existing one 90 degrees) and mount the switch sideways.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Now why didn't I think of that...

 

[cozycats]

Nice bit of lateral thinking there!!!

 

[ebee]

Introduce an intermediate switch or two . It all adds to the fun.
One of my customers wants all switches to be up at any time irrespective of whether the lights happen to be on or off.
There`s nowt like folk

 

[mrscalex]

Banter very amusing, I could certainly do with a laugh at the moment!

However there is a serious point here. These light switches were clearly designed to be mounted with the word top at the top and so that the light is on when one switch is up and one is down. I don't think we can dispute that?

So if they operate when both are in the same position they were wired wrongly when the extension was built.

So a) Is there any safety implication by something being left on the live side when it shouldn't be? b) If it was wired wrongly then a wire somewhere is in the wrong place and presumably could therefore be swapped to achieve the desired effect without 'cheating' and flipping the switch?

And yes, I will turn the switch upside down if needs be.

Thanks!

 

[ebee]

up for off and down for on applies ONLY to 1 way switching.
In fact it is argueably safer to adopt the opposite standard.
Indeed some years ago we adopted this down for off on our consumer units.
Something sensible our continental cousins taught us

 

[danlightbulb]

Just out of interest, why is it safer to have up as 'on'?

 

[JohnD]

You'll be telling us next that it's safer to drive on the right.

 

[securespark]

These light switches were clearly designed to be mounted with the word top at the top and so that the light is on when one switch is up and one is down. I don't think we can dispute that?

No. But this only applies when the switch is used as a one way device. Up is generally percieved in this country as "off", whereas on the continent, down is "off".

So if they operate when both are in the same position they were wired wrongly when the extension was built.

Why are they wired wrongly? The switches work as they should, don't they? By this I mean that the switches achieve the desired effect - they all turn the light on and off?

So a) Is there any safety implication by something being left on the live side when it shouldn't be?

Don't quite understand this bit. When the switching circuit is off, the light is off, but some switch wires will always remain live. The electricity flow is interrupted by the switch mechanism.

b) If it was wired wrongly then a wire somewhere is in the wrong place and presumably could therefore be swapped to achieve the desired effect without 'cheating' and flipping the switch?

It isn't wired wrongly. If it was, it would not operate correctly.

And yes, I will turn the switch upside down if needs be.

Your perogative, but the switches will still have to be operated to turn the light on and off. IOW, the rockers will be in different positions regardless.

 

[ebee]

Drive on the wrong side of the road never.
The rest of the world should change to our way.
Down off is safer it`s easier to hit something down in an emergency usually.
With two way switching you could have 2 up or 2 down = ON or one up and 1 dwn = OFF if you want to .
But three way switching would beggar that up.
Why are you so Bothered by this

 

[ban-all-sheds]

However there is a serious point here. These light switches were clearly designed to be mounted with the word top at the top and so that the light is on when one switch is up and one is down. I don't think we can dispute that?

As said - that only applies to one-way use via COM & L1 when you want the UK convention of UP=OFF/DOWN=ON.

So if they operate when both are in the same position they were wired wrongly when the extension was built.

No - it depends on what the person who wired them wanted.

So a) Is there any safety implication by something being left on the live side when it shouldn't be? b) If it was wired wrongly then a wire somewhere is in the wrong place and presumably could therefore be swapped to achieve the desired effect without 'cheating' and flipping the switch?

You need to learn more about how 2-way switching circuits work.

And yes, I will turn the switch upside down if needs be.

What do you want?

Do you want the light to be on when the switches are in the same position, i.e. both up or both down, or do you want the light to be on when the switches are in different positions, i.e. either combination of one up, one down?