Identifying light switch wire's.

[5oysterman2]

Hi guy's, i want to replace a my old plastic light switch with a chrome one. Undid the existing one & found the terminals were not marked. I've taken a photo of it. Not as straight forward as I thought.

Can someone identify which is which. The new switch has a common, 1 way & 2 way terminals. Am I correct that I will need to earth switch to back box aswell?

Cheers Doug.
I

 

[ericmark]

Yellow to common as old switch, does not really matter if other two wrong way around, it just changes if direction of switch on/off. Yes need an earth, although using brass screws metal back box should be connected to switch face plate anyway.

 

[rsgaz]

The new switch has a common, 1 way & 2 way terminals.

They're still in a similar triangle shape/layout though right? So just copy it over.

You have the earth wire available to use I take it? I.e. it's not been snipped off entirely and is now too short to get at? (another pic of inside the box would be best)

 

[5oysterman2]

They're still in a similar triangle shape/layout though right? So just copy it over.

You have the earth wire available to use I take it? I.e. it's not been snipped off entirely and is now too short to get at? (another pic of inside the box would be best)

Hi rsgaz, new switch is triangular shape.photo done.

Does it matter if what size earth wire I use? Found some in the shed, but looks bigger than earth cable in the box. Regards Doug

 

[rsgaz]

Does it matter if what size earth wire I use?

You shouldn't need any extra wire. But for future reference, it doesn't matter if larger wire is used, smaller is the no-no.

If it will reach easily enough(it ought to, even though I think it's slightly shorter than the other conductors), move the earth wire from the back box to the switch plate earth terminal.

 

[cwhaley]

You shouldn't need any extra wire. But for future reference, it doesn't matter if larger wire is used, smaller is the no-no.

If it will reach easily enough(it ought to, even though I think it's slightly shorter than the other conductors), move the earth wire from the back box to the switch plate earth terminal.

Sorry to hijack, but is it perfectly fine to do that? Only reason I ask is because when I upgraded some of the switches in my house to chrome I took a new separate earth feed from the back box tot he faceplate so there were 'two' earth wires.

Can we simply move the incoming, existing earth wire to the faceplate instead of the back box?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Can we simply move the incoming, existing earth wire to the faceplate instead of the back box?

Not only can, IMO you should.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Can we simply move the incoming, existing earth wire to the faceplate instead of the back box?

Yes, it is a better way. it is, after all, the front plate that one could put your pinkies on. The backbox is only exposed when the front plate has been removed, and we always turn the power off before doing that, don't we?

 

[5oysterman2]

Cheers for the replies, done most of them so far.
Got another conundrum for you good people. Uploaded another pic for some advice on how to replace with new switch. Old switch has 2 x L1 & 2 x L 2, also common wires joined together with connector block. Do I lump them together? New switch has common, 1 way & 2 way terminals.

 

[Taylortwocities]

That is an INTERMEDIATE switch.

You cannot use the switch you have bought. Go and buy the correct one!

 

[bernardgreen]

New switch has common, 1 way & 2 way terminals.

in which case it has to be changed for an Intermediate Switch,

 

[Taylortwocities]

Slow, Bernard. You snooze, you lose!

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Cheers for the replies, done most of them so far.
Got another conundrum for you good people. Uploaded another pic for some advice on how to replace with new switch. Old switch has 2 x L1 & 2 x L 2, also common wires joined together with connector block. Do I lump them together? New switch has common, 1 way & 2 way terminals.

https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Intermediate

 

[5oysterman2]

Cheers for the replies, doesn't take much to confuse me with how lighting is wired. Always get sound advice on here, thanks again.
Regards Doug

 

[ban-all-sheds]

If you start from first principles it isn't nearly as complex as it first appears if you try to start by looking at a ceiling rose or the back of an intermediate switch.