Wiring a light switch. 2 gang 2 way

[Peckerpecks]

Hi I have a feed to a light switch consisting live, neutral and earth.

The switch has 2 switches. I want one switch for ceiling fan and the other for the light. I have a feed to both Fan and light. So basically 9 wires into back of switch. How do I wire it up please I'm confused as it's a 2 way 2 gang switch. I have attached a photo of the switch. Thanks Dan

 

[EFLImpudence]

Do you mean you have run new cables to the switch?

If yes, what cables were originally there?

 

[Peckerpecks]

Hi yes I've taken them off the sockets circuit via a 3a fused spur . It's actually in a conservatory.

 

[endecotp]

Join all the neutrals together.
Join all the earths together and to any earth terminal on the back box or switch.
Join the incoming live to the COM of bpth switches.
Join the outgoing lives to the L1 of the respective switches.

(Am I missing something? This is about as easy as it gets....)

 

[Peckerpecks]

Thanks that's great I'll take another look at it. It was late in the day yesterday and I looked at the switch and thought :-/ OMG . But a fresh day and it will most probably all make sense. Thanks Dan

 

[Gutterball]

Don't you think that if you can't work something that simple out, that you shouldn't be playing with electricity.

 

[Peckerpecks]

I asked for a second opinion and advice. We all have blond moment days so don't be quick to judge. Thanks all for your help. All sorted now and working. Isn't that what forums are for? To get a second opinion and advice not to have people coming on here getting there 'two penneth' in. Honestly some people. Thank you every one and great forum. You could say that about every post on here then - if you are needing advice you shouldn't be doing it! Fact is I didn't do anything until I had got the right information. I didn't bodge anything or compromise safety. And most of all it works! Happy Days

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Don't you think that if you can't work something that simple out, that you shouldn't be playing with electricity.

Seriously, Pecker - this is really basic stuff about a fundamental knowledge of what completes a circuit, what switches do etc, and you must know it if you want to fiddle with your electrics.

You must, you absolutely MUST, understand what you are doing. You must not, under any circumstances, start following instructions to 'insert this wire in that hole' without a full and genuine understanding of why.

Please take some time and learn how lighting circuits and switches work before diving in and trying to do things.

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  

 

[endecotp]

"Blond Moments" are fine if you're working with 12 volts, or plumbing water pipes. Mains electricity can kill. (Either you now, or someone else later.) You should be working well within the limits of what you can do confidently.

You didn't ask for a second opinion; you asked for a first opinion. You didn't say "I think it goes like this, please confirm". You asked "how do I wire it up". I posted the obvious reply, half-expecting you to say "no, it's more complicated than that because BLAH".

Having said that, the reality is that people will wire up things with a lower than ideal level of understanding. In that case, pragmatically, I think it's important to urge TESTING since some of the common faults won't actually stop the device from working (especially if there is no RCD). In a case like this, test earth continuity and test polarity at the light fittings. Have you done that? Do you know how?

 

[Peckerpecks]

Light circuit is off the sockets ring via a 3 amp fused spur. I also have the sockets in the conservatory on a 13 a fused spur. It is all into a breaker that has double RCD coverage. Freshly required and certified to 17th edition regs. In the end I asked for an opinion of how to wire a switch up because I was in doubt and didn't want to do anything wrong. Its all sorted now tested and safe end of. I'm not getting into a debate about things I wanted advice on the forum which is what I thought it was for just like many other people have posted for advice in the electrics section. Mission accomplished and thanks for all the advice.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It is all into a breaker that has double RCD coverage.

What does that mean? 2RCD on the same circuit?

In the end I asked for an opinion of how to wire a switch up because I was in doubt and didn't want to do anything wrong.

But that's just it - you should not have been in doubt. Your knowledge and understanding should have been at the level, before you thought it would be a good idea to fiddle with your electrics, that you would have had absolutely no doubt what to do with L/N/E into a 2-gang switch and 2 lots of L/N/E out to lights etc.

That you had doubts showed that you do not yet have the fundamental knowledge and understanding which is necessary.

Its all sorted now tested and safe end of

What tests did you do, with what test instruments, and what were the results?