Three switches controlling the same lights. How do I safely remove one of the switches completely?

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

I'm looking to remove one of the switches from a three way light circuit. Any advice would be appreciated. I can test lines, work safely, etc, I understand basic electrics, but three way switches, or even two way switches are not something I'm entirely confident with. Am going to be doing reading/watching alongside this, but a general description would be appreciated. I feel like I understand them, but I don't trust myself enough to trust that I understand them, if that makes sense!

Thank you

CountryFan · 26 Oct 2025

Do you mean changing the switch for a different type or just make one inoperable?

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

Make one inoperable and something I can just plaster straight over. I have to put a door lining where the switch is, so it's not possible to blank it off. I'm hoping I can just remove the wire between it and whatever switch it's connected to and just terminate either end.

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

This is the wiring for the one I want to remove:

This is the second light switch on the same floor:

And this is the third light switch on the second floor:

They all turn off the lights on the first and second floor hallways at the same time with no independent control of either floor

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

Sorry, I should say, the second two switches are two gang that control different lights elsewhere in the house, but the one I want to remove is only 1-gang

ericmark · 26 Oct 2025

Centre one, easy to remove and fit a blanking plate, to show where the wires are, just use a two (three if needed for earth wire) block connector linking pair in to pair out. Either end, still two (three if needed for earth wire) block, but one will have a single wire, just to keep it safe.

But to remove the cable, that is more of a problem. It can't be plastered over, as it would not then be in a safe zone, so it is dependent on how the cable runs.

So it is the intermediate you want to remove, so red to red, black to black, and bare earth to bare earth. That's the easy bit. But where you're going to reroute the cables to, is something else.

One option is to completely get rid of the hard-wiring, and use wireless.

Opps, just seen pictures. The colours don't match. So there must be a junction box somewhere, need to find that first.

ericmark · 26 Oct 2025

You have red, yellow, blue at one switch, red, black at an intermediate switch, and brown, black, grey at the last one. So not a simple job.

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

Damn, I knew it wouldn't be simple. So frustrating.

In which case, how feasible is it to just chase the cable out the wall and re-route the chased ables into a new chase so that I can just put the doorframe in place? Obviously the zone would change slightly, but I presume I can just channel out where needed and then re-embed in another part of the wall, a few inches over, right?

SUNRAY · 26 Oct 2025

ericmark said:
Centre one, easy to remove and fit a blanking plate, to show where the wires are, just use a two (three if needed for earth wire) block connector linking pair in to pair out. Either end, still two (three if needed for earth wire) block, but one will have a single wire, just to keep it safe.

But to remove the cable, that is more of a problem. It can't be plastered over, as it would not then be in a safe zone, so it is dependent on how the cable runs.

So it is the intermediate you want to remove, so red to red, black to black, and bare earth to bare earth. That's the easy bit. But where you're going to reroute the cables to, is something else.

One option is to completely get rid of the hard-wiring, and use wireless.

Opps, just seen pictures. The colours don't match. So there must be a junction box somewhere, need to find that first.

Most I agree with.
If the backbox is staying in position leave the earth wire attatched to it.

Can we have another pic of the single gang socket so we can see where the cable enter the backbox?

What do you want to do about controlling the 2 lights? That could alter our advice.

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

Hi Sunray, I only have that shot I'm afraid, as I've closed it all back up now. The twi cables enter the backbox from directly above.

To be honest, I'm happy with any setup that allows me to just not have to worry about drilling into the wall when I attach the door lining. I want to completely remove the switch and have nothing there. Worst case scenario, I'm happy to chase out the cable and move it over a few inches, but my worry is that the cable doesn't go straight up and out of the opening, it's that it goes straight up and across the top of the opening and then somewhere else

SUNRAY · 26 Oct 2025

Thanks.
Is this beside an existing door or are you making a new opening?
There is usually a reason a switch is in a location, are you sure you wish to remove it. Bypassing it will mean the 2 lights are still working together as 2 way.
Splitting them to individual switches it likely not a trivial thing. Seeing the selection of wire colours very likely points to there being a junction box or 2

Can you open lamps/ceiling roses to show wiring?

After showing us those, we may suggest lifting floorboards above the single gang switch if you really want the cables out of the way.

Ges1 · 26 Oct 2025

I'm happy to leave everything except the third switch, to be honest. I just need it to be either out of the way or gone completely, because I need to get a door on my kitchen. All the heat from the fires escapes into it and it's basically a giant heat sink and makes the rest of the house cold.

I think the best thing I can do is just chase the cables out of the wall as far as I can and then re-chase them back into a new channel a few inches over.

Yes no problems on the roses, I'll open them up tomorrow and post some pictures. Very much appreciate you taking the time to help!

securespark · 26 Oct 2025

Are the three switches both acting in the same light or lights?

If I'm understanding correctly, and the door casing is going where the intermediate switch is, then pull the cables up into the floor void and join them in a maintenance free junction box. Thus leaving the two 2 way switches in place operating the existing light(s).

Edited because I'm a daft ha'porth...

SUNRAY · 26 Oct 2025

Ges1 said:
I'm happy to leave everything except the third switch, to be honest. I just need it to be either out of the way or gone completely, because I need to get a door on my kitchen. All the heat from the fires escapes into it and it's basically a giant heat sink and makes the rest of the house cold.

I think the best thing I can do is just chase the cables out of the wall as far as I can and then re-chase them back into a new channel a few inches over.

Yes no problems on the roses, I'll open them up tomorrow and post some pictures. Very much appreciate you taking the time to help!

I'm already looking at how to get them working indivually as it seems that's what you'd prefer.

SUNRAY · 26 Oct 2025

One thought could be to replace the existing 2G switches backbox with one of these

vertically
to accomodate both existing switches and chase out the wall above it for all existing cables to both switches to retain existing facilities.

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Three switches controlling the same lights. How do I safely remove one of the switches completely?

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