2 way light switch

[stuart hill]

can anyone please advise, i am replacing a 2 way light switch, the one that is being replaced is wired as follows,top blue yellow red, bottom red blue yellow. now my problem is, the new switch has 4 entry holes at the top and only 2 at the bottom. with thanks stuart.

 

[bernardgreen]

Picture please.

Probably the orignal plate has two switches with one upside down compared to the other. the new plate has two switches the same way up

 

[sparkwright]

Not interested in how many terminals at the top, and how many at the bottom.

What we need to know is how each of the three terminals on each INDIVIDUAL switch are marked - both on the old plate and the new plate.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Blue Yellow...../..... Red

....Red ......./......Blue Yellow

 

[stuart hill]

hello, on the old switch,top is 231 bottom123, new switch top 2 are common, bottom is live 1 live 2 live 1live 2.thanks stuart.

 

[EFLImpudence]

.....Red..........|........Red

Blue Yellow....|....Blue Yellow

 

[stuart hill]

many thanks,greatly appreciated. stuart.

 

[sparkwright]

Stuart - is the new switch plate plastic or metal?



***Moderators note : some of the following posts have been edited or removed***

 

[ericmark]

One would expect all switches to be marked Com, S1, S2 he was simply unlucky to find one marked 1, 2, 3. I would assume 1 = Com, 2 = S1, and 3 = S2.

I bought a two way switch a few weeks ago and also found it oddly marked the instructions with the switch showed how to connect it to two lights which is of course one use of a two way switch so you could have for example a sign Enter and Wait outside a room and one could light up either but not both signs. However this is not the normal function of a two way switch and I can understand how people would be confused.

If everyone did their research first then then there would be no need for the forum. Good manners cost nothing.

 

[PBC_1966]

he was simply unlucky to find one marked 1, 2, 3.

Indeed, while it's easy to work out the terminals with a meter, I don't know why some manufacturers have decided to adopt such markings, since they're not at all clear.

 

[sparkwright]

I don't expect the op to spend hours working things out.

I'm also not one of these people who will just say 'work it out for yourself'.

I'm also happy to give straight-forward answers with or without a simple explanation to show how I arrived at that conclusion, or to help the op to understand how things work.

I don't even expect the op to know or even to learn how 2 way switches work.

All I expect of him is to recognise that to wire things up correctly he should be aware that all terminals are labelled in some manner, and also to recognise that a different switch may have different markings. I also expect something a bit more cleverer than there's four holes at the bottom and two holes at the top.

I don't expect people to know anything at all about electrics, but I would have liked to have seen some recognition from him that the switch plate consists of two switches each containing three differently marked terminals.

But there you go. We are all different.

What REALLY upsets me is he hasn't answered my question regarding whether the new faceplate is metal. This is important for someone as inexperienced as Stuart. It's all too common for DIYers to replace plastic switches for fashionable modern metal ones, and if he has no earth wires, or fails to earth the new switch plate, then it's all a bit worrying shall we say.

 

[sparkwright]

People get taught when they are young how to fit a plug.

They don't get told much else about it.

But they fit them, more often than not they do get the correct colours in the correct holes. (!)

So, rightly or wrongly, it seems a similar exercise.

That's not to say I think it's right - but like-for-like replacements without any actual knowledge may appear a simple thing to do for some, though can have consequences...

 

[stuart hill]

hi, i did post a reply to say it was plastic, appreciate all the positive feedback, thanks stuart.

 

[sparkwright]

hi, i did post a reply to say it was plastic, appreciate all the positive feedback, thanks stuart.

Plastic, good.

(Where did you post that to then? Can't see it.)

 

[stuart hill]

sincere apologies, thought i had stated it was plastic,i definitely typed it but obviously cant have pressed the submit icon, i thought it strange not to get a reply, im not an electrician, just came on here for help, was brought up with brown is hot blue is not green and yellow earth the lot. so was surprised at the colour of the wires in the switch, did not attempt to guess how to wire it but asked for advice from which i thought this site was for. stuart.