t&e 2 way switching?

[craig1]

Hello,

recently came accross a two-way switch wired using t&e.

The switch at the bottom of the stairs was wired as follows,

L1 had a live feed connected into its terminals.

L2 switch return/strapper?

Common terminal had a bridge/link connected to L1 (live)

wondered if anyone could explain how the connection should be

made connecting the upstairs switch and back to the light.

 

[andy]

switch 1: live(single core) from light comes in and goes to comm. T&Egoes between switches, connection L1 to L1 and L2 to L2. single core goes from comm on this switch to sw.live in light

 

[craig1]

Thanks for the reply,

do you mean the single core goes from comm to sw. live in a junc

box or ceiling rose and onto the light?

Also still dont know how the switch was connected using a

bridge /link to the upstairs switch.

what do you think, cheers.

 

[plugwash]

your initial description sounds a little confused but it sounds to me like the layout below.

remember on most two gang switches the terminals for each switch are usually in a triangle not in a line, this seems to throw many begginers.

 

[craig1]

Thanks for the sketch i understand the layout now.


Gang1
referring back to my original post the link was going from L2 to com.

t&e was terminated into L2 & L1. L2 was live.




Gang2
A link goes from com in gang 1 to com in gang 2. L2 switch return.

I understand the reason for the link in gang 2, is the link in gang 1 to com

only needed for this reason,that being to supply a live feed to the second

light switch?
any help would be apprieciated

 

[securespark]

Craig

Now I'm confused!

What don't you understand?

The downstairs switch common is fed by live looped from adjacent (Hall?) switch.

A bit of T & E then runs between the two switches, linking L1 to L1 and L2 to L2.

At the landing switch, the switchwire from the landing light is connected to the common terminal.

 

[craig1]

yes, cant get my head around this one,

The downstairs switch is connected as follows, L1 & L2 t&e.

L1 is live(switch live?) then a short link goes from L1 to com.

I need to know how the connections would be made at the upstairs

switch, ie how the t&e is connected, and where the live comes in and

which terminal the switch return terminates back to the light.(upstairs

landing)
I apologise for going on and appreciate your help.

 

[nobackwheel]

saw this post, and it seems to be the same as my predicament, so apologies if i'm not allowed to resurect old posts.

if plugwash is around, can you cofirm in your diagram where the 'other' black wire (I presume the live black wire) should go in the single 2 way switch in your diagram. The 2way 2 gang I undersand but not the other switch.

or does anyone else want to chip in?

 

[Spark123]

The red strapper cable (from one switch to the other) connects L1 to L1, the black connects L2 to L2. The black should have a red sleeve in the switch to signify it is a live (phase) wire.
It is in effect the same as the top schematic diagram here:
//wiki.diynot.com/electrics:lighting:two_way_lighting

 

[nobackwheel]

now i'm really confused

the diagram has the reds in L1 and the blacks in L2

in the back of the 1 gang 2 way switch in the diagram there is;

red into com
black into L1
red into L2

what about the other black - and which black is the switched one?

 

[securespark]

Ignore the colours, they could be any colour: the important thing is the principal of which connections go where.

The idea of this system is that a live is connected to the common at one end of the switch circuit (usually piggy-backed from hall live).

The landing switchwire is connected to the common at the other switch position. Then (and it doesn't matter which colour goes where) two conductors run between the L1's and L2's of each switch.

 

[fireman22]

if i am reading this post correctly, then there is going to be a borrowed neutral off the upstairs lighting circuit. very dangerous.

 

[sm1thson]

Then (and it doesn't matter which colour goes where) two conductors run between the L1's and L2's of each switch.

I'm not a spark, but i allways thought it should be L1 to L1 L2 to L2 as allthough crossing over (L1-L2) would work i wouldnt do it as i prefeer it to be a case off light on if the switches are in opposite positions. (or were you just meaning it doesnt matter which colour is L1 and which is L2?)

 

[securespark]

I didn't say cross them over

I just said it doesn't matter which colour goes in which terminal, ie blacks in L1's and reds in L2's or vice versa.

Sorry if that was confusing.

 

[nobackwheel]

please help!!

have once again tried to get it to work this morning......

I have the live switch cable (black wire (with red sleeve)) going into the com

I have the red wire from the same cable going to L2 (as it's the right hand rocker switch as you face it I need)

then I have a piece of wire connecting L2 to the other com

then the so called strapper cable is connected L1 to L1 and L2 to L2 on the other switch at the other end of the room as described.

now, the double switch works well - the right switch operates the 'right light', and the left, the 'left'. The problem is the other single switch at the other end - I want this to turn the 'left' light off - but it doesn't, it just stays on.

Now if all swithces are off, I can turn the 'left' light on/off okay from this single switch.

what's going wrong?