Connecting a two way switch

[AndyJM]

Hi,

Could someone please help? I am replacing a two-way switch front casing.

I took the original front casing off, but didn't make a note of where the wires came from.

The back plate has the earth wire connected to it, and there is a red and a black wire I have to connect up. There have 3 connection points L1, L2 and COM.

When I removed the original switch, a separate small piece of red wire ran between two of the connection points but I didn't make a note of which.

Thanks a lot for any help you can give me.

Andy

 

[andy]

Hi,

Could someone please help? I am replacing a two-way switch front casing.

I took the original front casing off, but didn't make a note of where the wires came from.

The back plate has the earth wire connected to it, and there is a red and a black wire I have to connect up. There have 3 connection points L1, L2 and COM.

When I removed the original switch, a separate small piece of red wire ran between two of the connection points but I didn't make a note of which.

Thanks a lot for any help you can give me.

Andy

see for reference. its all in there. (for the 2 way)

you mention there was a wire link? is there 2 independant lighs switched from here? the link could take a live form the 2 way to the other side, or from the other light to the 2 way switch. we need to how many cables there are and what colours you have. for the 2 way, is it the first or second switch?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi,

Could someone please help? I am replacing a two-way switch front casing.

I took the original front casing off, but didn't make a note of where the wires came from.

Breezer will slap your legs for that.....

The back plate has the earth wire connected to it, and there is a red and a black wire I have to connect up. There have 3 connection points L1, L2 and COM.

That's not enough wires for a 2-way switch. What wires are there at the other one?

When I removed the original switch, a separate small piece of red wire ran between two of the connection points but I didn't make a note of which.

The only reason I can think of for this would be a 2-way switch used in a one-way application, wired by a dork with no idea how it worked, so he connected his switch cable to L1/L2 and then needed a strapper from one of those to COM to make it work.

I'd say put your two wires into COM and L1, but I don't understand this 2-way switching claim.

 

[felix]

I don't believe it either - unless the other switch is a time switch or something else with electronics in it. With these gadgets, all the two way switching is handled by the clever stuff inside. They need only a two wire connection to the second switch. This doesn't alter the fact that a link wire serves no useful purpose whatsoever on the back of a simple one gang changeover switch.

 

[andy]

unless its a 2gang 1 way switch?

 

[AndyJM]

Hi,

Apologises I did get the description a bit wrong. I will try to be as complete as possible:

Setup:
One light with two switches in the hallway.
Switch 1 is a 2-way single switch for the hallway light.
Switch 2 is a double 2-way switch. One of the switches turns the bathroom light on/off and the other switch turns the hallway light on/off.

Switch 1 has four wires (earth, 2 red wires and a black wires).
Earth connected into the metal casing.
One red wire connected into L1
One red wire connected into COM
One black wire conected into L2

(I did a straghtforward swap with the switch that was in there previously).

Switch 2 (part of the double switch setup) has seemingly six wires coming into the box (2 earth, 2 red and two black). The reason for there being two each I assume is that one set is for the bathroom light and the other for the hallway light.
2 earth conected into the metal casing.

For the bathroom, which works.
1 red wire connected to L1
1 black wire conected to COM

For the hallway light I seem to only have two wires left (1 red and 1 black).

Does the red wire going into L1, and the black into L2?
There was a small red wire which connected two of the points, but I can't remember which. Perhaps the two COM points within the double switch?

Hope this is clearer.

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[ban-all-sheds]

My guess is that the bathroom light is only 1-way?

The arrangement which seems the most likely, given your description, is the one shown in the top RH diagram here: //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:two-way-lighting i.e. a normal switch cable with permanent live and switched live runs from the bathroom light to the 2-gang switch, the permanent live is strapped over to the other half of the switch which is then linked to the other one.

Earths not shown for clarity, but they should all be connected together, and to the back-boxes, if metal, and to the switch plates if they are metal.

Also not shown are where the black/blue cores should have red/brown sleeving to indicate that they are not neutrals.

And talking of neutrals, is the hall light on the same circuit as the other lights on that floor?

[EDIT]Missing imagehost diagram replaced with Wiki reference[/EDIT]

 

[DABurleigh]

I have a similar problem.

I temporarily removed a double light switch in the bedroom, one switch for wall lights, the other for pendant light in centre of room, but, yes, didn't note the connections, and am now having difficulty figuring out what the electrician was up to who fitted it!

The double light switch is a double two-way unit with 6 connections Acom, A1way, A2way, Bcom, B1way, B2way. It had 5 wires connected to it, two brown, two blue and one earth, and it is the last one that has me stumped. I connected the earth wire to the metal casing, one set of live and neutral to Acom and A1way, the other to Bcom and B1way.

The walllights switch fine. But the pendant light now has no mains at its live wire, though still does on its loopback.

So what was the earth wire doing connected to the back of the switch, and how should have I connected it?

Thanks,

Dave

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Please see Rule 20.

 

[DABurleigh]

I'm not sure which of the sub-rules I have transgressed!

I said it was a similar problem; it is by no means the same, and having read the entire thread 3 times now it certainly doesn't answer my question.

Cheers,

Dave

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'm not sure which of the sub-rules I have transgressed!

Please see Rule 20.

As in Rule 20.

20 ) Do not hi-jack posts

(Hi jacking, is adding your question to a post you did not start, it causes confusion)

 

[DABurleigh]

OK, sorry for confusion.

Dave

 

[ban-all-sheds]

OK