Can you buy 1 gang 3 way switches?

[Oates]

Hi
I have been trying to find some of the above. I have got two seperate light switches on my upstairs landing (because it is a long corridoor so you can turn the landing lights on or off from each end) and one at the bottom of the stairs to control the upstairs landing lights before you go upstairs. I bought some replacement switches (the replacements are all one gang 2 way), but looking at the back of the switches that are already on they look like 3 way?
Any ideas?
Thanks

 

[JohnD]

why do they look like 3-way?

is that on, off and, er...

each 2-way switch has three terminals.

an intermediate switch has four.

see also //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7553&start=0

 

[Oates]

I thought it was 3 way because lights on or off from the 3 switches? There are 4 connection points on the back of each switch?

 

[JohnD]

can you post a photo of the backs of your old switches (preferably with the wires in)
//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=129539

if you disconnect any lighting, it is vital to make a sketch of the way it was connected before, numbering each core, as there will be more than one of the same colour.

you need at least one intermediate switch.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

They are intermediates - basically you can put any number of them between a pair of 2-ways (subject to practical constraints of circuit length) and have any-number-of-way switching.

So for 3-way switching you need 2 x 2-way and 1 x intermediate switch.

 

[Oates]

That is confusing as the two switches upstairs definately have four terminals in each so are they both intermediates upstairs? I cannot remember the one at the bottom of the stairs, I will have to have a look

 

[rssteve]

there may have been another 2 way switch that has been removed, they have probably connected one of the strappers to the common and left the other strapper in a spare connector, thats my guess anyway.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It's not compulsory to use all 4 terminals and have the switch function as an intermediate. Obviously you can just connect to 3 terminals and use it as a 2-way, or 2 terminals and use it as a 1-way.....

 

[Oates]

So I can use the 2 way switches I have bought???

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You can use those to replace the switches which are logically (not necessarily physically) at each end of the switching circuit. You'll still need an intermediate to go between them (logically, not necessarily physically).