Landing and Bathroom Switch Question

[Mr M]

I am looking to have a 2 gang light switch fitted on my Landing close to my Bathroom which is towards the rear of my house. One of the switches will turn the Bathroom light on and off and the other will turn the Landing light on and off.

There will also be another light switch outside the Front Bedroom that will turn the same Landing light on and off that the switch by my Bathroom is connected to.

I also want the switch that is close to my Bathroom to be 2 way with the switch in the Hallway so that the Landing light can be turned on and off from the Hallway as well as from the two switches on the Landing.

Is the above possible? and if it is, what switch would i need to make it work the way I want?

If not then is the only alternative to have a single gang light switch outside the Bathroom to turn the Landing light on and off (2 way with downstairs) and have a pull cord in the Bathroom (which I don't really want).

Thanks in anticipation of any replies.

MR M

 

[flameport]

It can be done. One of the switches will need to be an intermediate.

Light switches can be located inside most bathrooms.
Pull cords and having switches outside the room are not necessary and never were.

 

[BS3036]

Pull cords and having switches outside the room are not necessary and never were.

Surely it depends on the bathroom?

 

[EFLImpudence]

I also want the switch that is close to my Bathroom to be 2 way with the switch in the Hallway so that the Landing light can be turned on and off from the Hallway as well as from the two switches on the Landing.

Is the above possible? and if it is, what switch would i need to make it work the way I want?

If not then is the only alternative to have a single gang light switch outside the Bathroom to turn the Landing light on and off (2 way with downstairs) and have a pull cord in the Bathroom (which I don't really want).

That's not an alternative. Your options do not seem to relate to each other. Whether there is a switch outside the bathroom for the bathroom light or a pull cord inside has nothing to do with the landing light switches.

Also, you say 'will'. What switches do you have at the moment?

 

[flameport]

Surely it depends on the bathroom?

It does, but there are very few bathrooms where a switch cannot be located more than 600mm from the bath.

 

[BS3036]

It does, but there are very few bathrooms where a switch cannot be located more than 600mm from the bath.

I must have one of those very few. And your edict did not allow for exceptions.

 

[Taylortwocities]

And your edict did not allow for exceptions.

Yes it did

Light switches can be located inside most bathrooms.

 

[Mr M]

That's not an alternative. Your options do not seem to relate to each other. Whether there is a switch outside the bathroom for the bathroom light or a pull cord inside has nothing to do with the landing light switches.

Ok firstly let me advise on the current layout of the 1st floor from front to back. The house is a fairly standard 3 bed terrace property which has a Front Bedroom, then a long Landing leading to a Middle Bedroom, then the Bathroom then the Back Bedroom.

Also, you say 'will'. What switches do you have at the moment?

Currently, there is a single gang switch on the Landing between the Bathroom door and the Middle Bedroom door. This light switch turns only the Bathroom light on and off. There is also a single gang switch outside the Front Bedroom that turns the Landing light on and off and this switch is 2 way with the light switch in the Hall downstairs.

The reason I want to change this is that at night, if I come out of the Front Bedroom to get to the Bathroom, I can turn the Landing light on using the single gang switch that is close to the Front Bedroom door, however, if my Son comes out of the Middle Bedroom to get to the Bathroom, there is no light switch close by which enables him to turn the Landing light on so he has to get to the Bathroom in darkness. This is not ideal as the route crosses the stairs which lead to the ground floor.

I would therefore like to replace the single gang Bathroom light switch that I currently have, with a two gang light switch that will enable turning the Bathroom light on and off and will also enable turning the Landing light on and off from outside the Middle Bedroom. As I said in my OP, the new Landing light switch will also need to be 2 way with the switch that is downstairs in the Hall and both light switches on the Landing (the new one between the Bathroom and the Middle Bedroom door) and the existing one (outside the Front Bedroom door) will need to turn the Landing light on and off.

It can be done. One of the switches will need to be an intermediate.

Ok. Is it then just a standard 2 gang light switch that would be used to achieve the installation that I want or is it a 'special' type of 2 gang light switch that I would need ie is it just the new cabling that makes it intermediate or both the cabling and the new two gang light switch?

Light switches can be located inside most bathrooms.
Pull cords and having switches outside the room are not necessary and never were.

Due to the size and layout of the Bathroom and the positioning of the door into it, I don't think it's feasible to locate a new light switch inside the Bathroom. Also, I don't want to disturb the tiled walls in there. Also, I don't really want a pull cord in the Bathroom.

 

[BS3036]

But he also said:

Pull cords and having switches outside the room are not necessary and never were.

which is simply not true - unless you don't have a light in the room.

 

[securespark]

I make an assumption that the landing switch in the hall is fairly close vertically to the landing switch location outside your bedroom door. So it makes sense to run 3 core and earth cable between these two switch positions then another from the switch outside the bedroom to the landing switch outside the bathroom.

 

[Mr M]

I make an assumption that the landing switch in the hall is fairly close vertically to the landing switch location outside your bedroom door. So it makes sense to run 3 core and earth cable between these two switch positions then another from the switch outside the bedroom to the landing switch outside the bathroom.

Yes, the switch in the Hall is a) almost directly below the existing switch on the Landing by the Front Bedroom door and b) closer to the new two gang switch location between the Bathroom and Middle Bedroom doors.

 

[SUNRAY]

Assuming the existing is something like the left part of this:

And you are able to run a 3C&E cable between the 2 landing switches (Shown in new colours) it is as easy as adding the new 2gang switch and changing the existing to an intermediate.

Photos of the wiring (with power turned off before you wield a screwdriver please) of the 2 existing switches will enable us to give full advice.

EDIT: Earth wiring has not been shown for clarity.

 

[boringoldcodger]

is it a 'special' type of 2 gang light switch that I would need ie is it just the new cabling that makes it intermediate or both the cabling and the new two gang light switch?

Yes, an Intermediate switch is a special type. Looking at Sunray's diagram, to the right of "LANDING" the switch has 4 terminals which either connect black to blue and upper red to lower red OR black to lower red and upper red to blue.
An Intermediate switch can be used as a 2-way or even a 1-way.

 

[SUNRAY]

For now I'd deliberately not gone into any detail as we don't have a clue what or how is currently installed, my sketch is really just to show how simple it is likely to be.
For all we know it could be 2 strapper method with borrowed neutral for example.