2 gang switch help.

davedee · 9 Aug 2005

I was in the middle of replacing a 2-gang switch when I got interrupted. Of course, when I went back to it to carry on I got mixed up and now I can't remember what goes where, so am looking for a little help!

I'm trying to connect the switch back up to my two living room lights. There are two cores coming into the switch (I assume one from each light), each of which is earthed already and from each core there is one black (neutral?) and one red (live?) wire. The switch is the usual with 2 buttons and a COM, L1 and L2 associated with each button (it's actually a dimmer switch). Please could somebody remind me which sockets the two black and two red wires go into!? Thanks

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spence_spark · 9 Aug 2005

red from each cable to com black from same cable to L1

davedee · 9 Aug 2005

spence_spark said:
red from each cable to com black from same cable to L1

As I thought...thanks

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ban-all-sheds · 10 Aug 2005

FYI:

davedee said:
there is one black (neutral?) and one red (live?) wire.

The black is not neutral, it is switched live. Permanent live comes to the switch on the red, and switched live leaves and goes to the light on the black. Neutral goes nowhere near the switch in this case.

The black core should be marked with red sleeving at each end to indicate that it is live, but this is often not done.

DazBarber · 27 Sep 2005

Just out of interest... what would happen if you wired the black to com and the red to L1?

It's ok - I have just wired up a switch in the way described here (red to com and black to L1) but wondered if I was ever confused in the future, what the telltale signs could be?

Thanks,

Daz

plugwash · 27 Sep 2005

DazBarber said:
Just out of interest... what would happen if you wired the black to com and the red to L1?

it would work fine and be perfectly safe.

andy · 27 Sep 2005

DazBarber said:
Just out of interest... what would happen if you wired the black to com and the red to L1?

It's ok - I have just wired up a switch in the way described here (red to com and black to L1) but wondered if I was ever confused in the future, what the telltale signs could be?

Thanks,

Daz

wont make any difference. its on 2 way switchin that you need to get the cables the right way

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2 gang switch help.

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