Double switch

[Steve]

So you're suggesting that he doesn't know how to use his multimeter to check continuity, and he doesn't know what a switch does?

Ban, a lot of DIYers indeed think there is some magic to a lightswitch, because they have live and neutral (black and red) going into this switch and that somehow turns the lights on and off. They dont comprehend that the black is indeed a live too in this case, because it has been drilled into them from an early age that where theres two colours, it means live and neutral (and three means earth). A lot of sparks dont help this, because they dont sleeve the black, red.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ban, a lot of DIYers indeed think there is some magic to a lightswitch, because they have live and neutral (black and red) going into this switch and that somehow turns the lights on and off.

I'd class that as such a lack of competence, and such a lack of any understanding of even the most basic facts about electricity as to mean that they shouldn't do anything with their installation except use it.

 

[Johnmelad502]

Ban, a lot of DIYers indeed think there is some magic to a lightswitch, because they have live and neutral (black and red) going into this switch and that somehow turns the lights on and off.

I'd class that as such a lack of competence, and such a lack of any understanding of even the most basic facts about electricity as to mean that they shouldn't do anything with their installation except use it.

For goodness sake man, this is a DIY forum and we all had to start somewhere. If you don't like dealing with people who at least have the intelligence to ask a question, find another forum.

Mr M at least drew his diagram and identified what went where. He became confused when the new switch had a different layout with different terminology.

Mr M has identified his switched live (wires with red selves) I suspect he just wants to know which coloured wire goes where in the new switch.

Can't you bring yourself to do that?

Left Com - Red from old com left
Right Com - Blue red sleeved from old bottom right com
Left 1 way - red from from top L1 etc.

As\ I am not an electrician and do not give electrical advice would you like to give Mr M a definitive answer put as simply as I have started to do.

Mr M, ignore what I have written in the three stages above and wait for a spark to give you a definitive answer.

 

[sjl468]

Hear hear. Johnmelad502
There are too many people on this forum that don't like to help electricians/DIYers "less" than themselves.
There are other forums that can help.
Sorry to all of you that use this forum correctly. I only intend to offend a certain "click"!

 

[riveralt]

After studying your photograph of the cables and the two gang switch, it looks as if one gang operated a single light(s). One of the red cables in com terminal and the black cable in the L1 or L2. The other set of cables (red, yellow and blue) look like 'strappers' and these normally operate a light from two points - such as hall and landing light or a room that has both an entry point and exit point.

If you can identify/remember the red and black from the single light, then connect them as above.

For the strappers and the second gang you need to ensure that their connections match those on the other switch i.e. com to com L1 to L1 and L2 to L2.
You can also find advice here!

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

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

But before beginning make sure follow the safe isolation procedure and ensure that the circuit(s) you are working on are dead. Remember that if you have two lighting circuits in a house the two way switches could be live on both circuits.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

For goodness sake man, this is a DIY forum and we all had to start somewhere.

Of course you do.

But IMO you don't start fiddling with wiring if you haven't got far enough from the start to understand how a switch works.

 

[jockspark]

For goodness sake man, this is a DIY forum and we all had to start somewhere. If you don't like dealing with people who at least have the intelligence to ask a question, find another forum.

he has tried other forums they dont want him

 

[Johnmelad502]

For goodness sake man, this is a DIY forum and we all had to start somewhere. If you don't like dealing with people who at least have the intelligence to ask a question, find another forum.

he has tried other forums they dont want him