Replace old double hallway switch- what do I need to buy ?
- Thread starter Maybedaisy
- Start date
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Any 2 gang 2 way switch.
99% of 2 gang switches are also 2 way so it won't be difficult to find one.
99% of 2 gang switches are also 2 way so it won't be difficult to find one.
Great tks. The one in situ has 3 points for the wire and the new ones I've seen have 4.
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Don't forget to earth your new metal switch.
Easiest way would be to connect another wire to the wires in the box connector running to the switch.
Easiest way would be to connect another wire to the wires in the box connector running to the switch.
Your existing switch has 6 terminals, 3 for each switch, 5 used 1 is not.
The only switches with 4 are intermediates or 2 pole, neither of which are suitable. Or those horrid efforts from China which often have touch controls and other nonsense, usually sold on ebay or a similar tat outlet. Don't buy electrical items on ebay. In fact, don't buy any item on ebay.
This is the type of switch as a direct replacement: http://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-2-gang-2-way-10ax-light-switch-polished-chrome/25936
Many others available.
It's worth noting some 2-way switches do have a fourth terminal now - a loop terminal for the neutral.
If they become common, you can just imagine the total shambles that people will make with them.
It's bad enough already with people removing light switches and inexplicably not noting how they were previously wired.
Indeed, and it will dramatically change the situation. As things are (or have been), one can be reassured by the fact that it does not matter how wrong someone gets the connections to light switches, nothing 'nasty' is going to happen (just incorrect, or no, functionality). If one of the conductors is a neutral, that all changes (and we could anticipate a few bangs)!
Kind Regards, John
It's not, but, as I said, hitherto light switches have been pretty unique in as much as no matter what someone did wrong with connecting conductors to the switch, no harm would be done.
Kind Regards, John
I suspect that you may be referring to the Australian "Clipsal" designed SPDT switch - used in Australia New Zealand for well over 50 years and now appearing in the UK (and elsewhere), since Clipsal is now part of Schneider Electric.
If so, the terminals are marked
1 - Contact 1
C - Common
2 - Contact 2 (Normally covered by thin molded plastic, which must be broken with a screwdriver before use, since it is used only for 2--way switching.)
L - Loop (for the Neutral - or anything else which would otherwise require a connector.)
https://www.laser.com/product_info....ucts_id/460/osCsid/l85erh3v9bpj25rq5jligo7qn4
These are described in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_switch and its construction is shown in https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Typical_Australian_Rocker_Switch.jpg.
You should note that the Loop Terminal does look somewhat different to the other terminals.
The "Intermediate" switch made by Clipsal looks somewhat similar at first glance but the terminals are marked 1, 2, 3 and 4. https://www.laser.com/product_info....A_Intermediate_Switch_module/products_id/1500
Hager do them:
Maybe that's true of the Australasian products but it's not the case with the Hager one which EFLI has just posted - unless one reads the labels, it would be easy to think that it was an intermediate switch.
Kind Regards, John
Indeed.
Feel free to explain why people who don't bother to read the labels do not deserve everything they get.
Feel free to explain why people who don't bother to read the labels do not deserve everything they get.
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