Replacing older 2 way switch for newer, different connections...

[JBeck]

Hello,

I'm in the process of renovating a property and need to replace (update) all of the lighting switches and sockets. Having purchased said switches and just now gone to start changing them over I have run in to a problem.

Starting with my 2 gang 2 way, the old one has a black and a blue (neutral I presume) wire going in to the back of it, whereas the new one has not such connections to accomodate these wires, so straight away, I'm stuck

I have attached photo's of the old and new switches.

Any help appreciated, thank you.

 

[OwainDIYer]

The black is a switched live, not a neutral.

The switch connections will be the same, except that one of your old switches is 'upside down' with its COM terminal at the bottom.

Old switch = New Switch

ACOM = L
A1 = L1
A2 = L2

on the other switch

BCOM = L
B1 = L1
B2 = L2

 

[Screech20]

First of Blue and black are NOT a neutral, all wires in the switch are live.

On the old, the embossed 'com' terminals go to the 'L' on the new switches.
L1 and L2 in the same places.

Where there are 2 wires in the same terminal, don't mix them up, move one terminal over at a time of need be.

 

[JBeck]

For some reason I assumed the yellow was the switched live, I have no idea why...

Thanks both for the clear advice, appreciated.

 

[PBC_1966]

For some reason I assumed the yellow was the switched live,

With 2-way switching you have, in effect, more than one switched live. There are two commonly used methods of wiring a 2-way arrangement, but in either case you end up with two lines between the switches which may or may not be live, depending upon switch positions.

 

[JBeck]

Makes sense to me, thank you.