Adding extra light switch in hallway

[richel7]

Hallway has 3 gang switch as below:

LHS side of switch = single core red cable - outside light
Middle = twin and earth - 2way to landing light (landing has single 2way light switch to hall light)
RHS = twin and earth - 1way to hallway light

I would like to add another switch at the other end of the hallway to control just the hallway light (not the landing light) so i can switch it on and of from either end of the hallway.

Would this require a 2way switch (changing the RHS of the switch from COM to L1 and L1 to L2 and then putting L1 to L1 and L2 to L2 in the new switch) and then linking both COM and the new switch COM..?…tried this but its not working as planned!..

 

[ericmark]

I see nothing wrong with what you describe.

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• ericmark
• 28 Sep 2009
• 1

Seems OK. Swapping L1 and L2 will only change if switch is up or down and so with 2 way not really important as long as com is correct.

You realise that with 2 way com does not connect to supply.

Do be careful that upstairs lamp is on same supply using a single feed very easy to get borrowed neutrals.

 

[richel7]

many thanks for the reply...i basically swapped the previous RHS COM cable to L1 and the L1 cable to L2 and put a junction box in and connected the new cable to these in the J box and ran it to the new 2way switch and where i wired the cables into the coresponding L1 and L2. I then ran a new COM cable between the two switches.

It looks from you diagram that i also need to:

connect the middle COM to Middle L1
connect RHS COM to RHS L2 and to LHS COM

as below?

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• richel7
• 28 Sep 2009
• 1

at present the landing light loses 2way switching depending on the on/of status of the downstairs switches

 

[ban-all-sheds]

The landing light acts like that because you've got L1 permanently live, so when the downstairs switch is on L2 you won't be able to turn the light off.

And why didn't you use 3-core & earth to link to the new switch?

//www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting

 

[richel7]

..quite right.. i should have done really..the cable leaving the light switches are twin and earth so because I had some available I used it as well..but on relection this wasnt best choice really...

otherwise you think that configuration should work?...i will give it a try tonight..thanks for all the help