Basic help needed with light switch wiring

vilbs · 6 Feb 2003

I have a 2 switch hallway lightswitch. The left one originally turned on the stair light and the right one turned on the hallway light. (Added to this, though I am not sure if its important, at the top of the stairs was another switch for the stairlight).

Anyway I want to swap the switches so the left does the hall and the right does the stairs. I swapped the wires and all seemed ok except now when you turn the hall light off it turns on and vica-versa. Not a major issue but would love to prove to the wife that I can actually do something properly!!

Could someone tell me what I have done wrong...

Many many thanks in advance

curtly · 6 Feb 2003

I assume that you mean that when the hall light is off , the switch is protruding at the top,and vice-versa ?

All you need to do is unwire the switch again (sorry !!) and turn the switch the other way up ! then rewire.

Unfortunately the stair switch is wired for two-way operation which means that it will alternate positions when on/off due to the fact that you could use the upstairs one to turn it on & off as well.

Graeme · 6 Feb 2003

This could have been solved without even touching the wires. Why did'nt you just leave the wires as they were and turn the switch 180 degree's and replace.

vilbs · 6 Feb 2003

I now realise the error of my ways

One final thing though that confuses me is which bit does which switch!!?? Is the one with both L1 and L2 filled the stair light? and is the Common bit the bit that links the whole network of lights up?

Thanks again though for your help both of you....

curtly · 6 Feb 2003

If you just turn the already wired switch 180 degrees won't you be bcak to where you started, with the hall switch on the wrong side of the panel ??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!!?

The side with both L1 & L2 is the Stair light, its running a two ways system ie the second switch upstairs and the blue cable, if you draw the cable layout for the two way bit (ignore the hall light side) yu can see that whatever position either switch is in you can make a circuit

vilbs · 6 Feb 2003

ok this is the process i will follow

1. wire back to original state
2. swivel 180 (the switch not me)
3. Say to my wife "Happy Valentines Day!"

curtly · 6 Feb 2003

The way its wired now is fine, the only trouble is that the switch box is the wrong way up (if you look on the back you'll see 'TOP' written on one side).

1) Unwire the switch
2) Turn your switch 180 degrees
3) Re-wire the same way ie 'new configuration'
4) Give the wife the bill and 7 days to pay
5) Go to the pub with a smug feeling

Graeme · 6 Feb 2003

curtly said:
If you just turn the already wired switch 180 degrees won't you be bcak to where you started, with the hall switch on the wrong side of the panel ??!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!!?

It's obvious that if you turn the switch 'upside down' the left switch (which used to turn on the hall) will now become the right switch....which still turns on the hall and vise versa for the stair light. No wire switching involved and prob solved in under 2 minutes, but i see you soon realised that since you repeated what I initially said!!!

curtly · 6 Feb 2003

Think there's been a bit of confusion here,
Initially, the switch was Ok (top despressed when off) but on the wrong side of the panel, like you say the easiest thing to do would have been to turn the whole lot thru 180 to put it on the right side, but this would have given the problem of the switch proud at the top when off, which Vilb didin't really want. I think that when he unwired the switch he must have turned it upside down by accident, he now knows that any one-way switch which is to be flush at the top when off has to be fitted with the 'top' label on the top which i think Vilb now realises.

I think he's happy now, and if not probably sat in the dark ?!?!?!?

vilbs · 7 Feb 2003

you guys are fantastic thanks very much!

ps sorry about any spelling mistakes - I am writing this by torch light

Graeme · 7 Feb 2003

He certainly is

and I can see your point as well

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Basic help needed with light switch wiring

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