2 way light sockets - help if poss....

[koomey]

Hi guys.

First of all, I'm no expert!!

I have decided to replace my white light wall sockets with some rather nice brushed steel ones. Simple enough job you would think to swap them over, but this has got me stumped!! I took notes of the positions on the rear of the old sockets (which wires went where) before I removed them.

There are two twin sockets which operate a) stair lights, b) ceiling light and c) wall light, there is also a single socket at the top of the stairs which is linked in. The first socket controls a and b and the second socket b and c.

The old sockets have L1, L2 and COM marked on the back and is split two way (I know the standard colour circuits for lights L1 etc), the rear of the new sockets is marked L1, L2 and L3, but the two way diagonal split is the opposite way to the old switch (i.e / and not \ if you know what I mean).

I have tried every combination that would make sense and can still not get these new switches to work properly... I currently have them so that you can switch each light on but you can only turn it off at the same switch. (e.g you cannot switch the stair lights on downstairs and switch them off upstairs). I also noticed that on one of the switches ther ewere blue and yellow ogether and black and blue together on the original sockets which worked fine...(?)

This is really frustrating, I could call in an electrician to sort it, but it p's me off as I know I'm almost there.

If anyone can make sense of all this can they help? I've looked at wiring diagrams off the net but they are limited...

Thanks,

Koomey

 

[andy]

Hi guys.

First of all, I'm no expert!!

I have decided to replace my white light wall sockets with some rather nice brushed steel ones. Simple enough job you would think to swap them over, but this has got me stumped!! I took notes of the positions on the rear of the old sockets (which wires went where) before I removed them.

There are two twin sockets which operate a) stair lights, b) ceiling light and c) wall light, there is also a single socket at the top of the stairs which is linked in. The first socket controls a and b and the second socket b and c.

The old sockets have L1, L2 and COM marked on the back and is split two way (I know the standard colour circuits for lights L1 etc), the rear of the new sockets is marked L1, L2 and L3, but the two way diagonal split is the opposite way to the old switch (i.e / and not \ if you know what I mean).

I have tried every combination that would make sense and can still not get these new switches to work properly... I currently have them so that you can switch each light on but you can only turn it off at the same switch. (e.g you cannot switch the stair lights on downstairs and switch them off upstairs). I also noticed that on one of the switches ther ewere blue and yellow ogether and black and blue together on the original sockets which worked fine...(?)

This is really frustrating, I could call in an electrician to sort it, but it p's me off as I know I'm almost there.

If anyone can make sense of all this can they help? I've looked at wiring diagrams off the net but they are limited...

Thanks,

Koomey

sockets dont control lights. switches do.

try using comm as L1, L1 as L2 and L2 as L3.

if this doesnt work, get yourself a multimeter to find out how the switch switches, then wire according to that

 

[felix]

There are six possible ways to put three wires into the three terminals of a two way switch and only two of them will work. With a switch at each end you have only a one in nine chance of getting it right by trial and error.

You really have to find out which terminal on your new switches corresponds to COM on the old one. This is easy if you have an ohm-meter. Find the two terminals which never show a low resistance, no matter which way you flip the switch. The third one is COM. Get this right and your two way switching will work. If a switch works 'upside down' swap the two wires which are NOT in COM. If there are only two wires in a switch, move the one NOT in COM to the empty hole. Always leave the wire in COM where it is.

If you don't have a multimeter here is a cumbersome but effective method of finding COM.

1) Find a single light switch somewhere in your house with only two wires in its terminals.

2) Make sure it isn't live. It might be on a different lighting circuit. It might even be on a spur off a ring main.

3) Remember what goes where.

4) Substitute one of your new switches using any two of its three holes. There are three ways to choose two holes out of three. One of them will not work. When it isn't working, the unused hole is COM.

5) Put the original switch back and test it before you go any further!

PS: On a two gang switch you have six terminals. Make absolutely sure you know which terminals belong to which switch!

 

[andy]

If you don't have a multimeter here is a cumbersome but effective method of finding COM.

would be much easier if (s)he just got a multimeter.

 

[felix]

Quite true. Koomey, you can pick up a multimeter for under a fiver these days. I wouldn't care to use a cheap thing like that on mains voltages, even if it did have a CE mark on it, but it would be fine for simple continuity tests. You could use it for batteries too.

 

[Panjandrum]

On my switches the placing of the terminals on the back is a clue to which is common. There is one at the bottom and two at the top (or the other way round) - with the one at the bottom being common.
I wouldn't want to be depending on that - but it would be what I tested for, or tried out, first.

 

[koomey]

Thanks for the responses guys.

My next day off is not until Wednesday, so will see how I get on then.

Will certainly be getitng a multi-meter.

Cheers,

Koomey