Temporary Removal of an Intermediate Lighting Switch

[WhatNext]

Hi

I was wondering if someone could help me ?

I am having the stairwell in the house painted and so I plan to remove as may of the light switches as possible to make it easier for the painter.

I note that I have 2 x 2 way switches and 1 x Intermediate switch.

What I was wondering is whether I could use a 15A section of connecting strip in place of the intermediate switch as a temporary measure. Would this work in that it would still allow the lights to be switched from either of the 2 way switches ?

Many thanks.

 

[JohnW2]

What I was wondering is whether I could use a 15A section of connecting strip in place of the intermediate switch as a temporary measure. Would this work in that it would still allow the lights to be switched from either of the 2 way switches ?

In a word, yes, provided that you connected the wires to the connector strip correctly.

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

If you connect like colour to like colour, it would be as if there were only a 2 way switch at each end without an intermediate switch in the middle.

 

[WhatNext]

Gents

Many thanks - much appreciated

 

[Risteard]

If you connect like colour to like colour, it would be as if there were only a 2 way switch at each end without an intermediate switch in the middle.

If you used properly cable with all brown cores that wouldn't work terribly well unless you wanted the luminaire always to be on.

 

[securespark]

Maybe what I wrote was a little confusing.

I was thinking of three core, in which case one incoming conductor would already be connected to the same colour outgoing.

I was suggesting the other colours be connected up, like with like.

But, you can do the same with twin brown. The conductors can be distinguished between each other by one of two methods:

One will have insulation that is brown all the way through. The other will be white on the inside.

One will have a ridge running down the length of the conductor. The other will be smooth.

 

[JohnW2]

But, you can do the same with twin brown. The conductors can be distinguished between each other by one of two methods: ....

Indeed - but, provided that one can see what cables the conductors are coming from, one doesn't need to worry about 'distinguishing' the conductors. All that matters is that the two browns from one cable be connected to the two browns from the other cable (either way around).

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

Maybe we should have advised to take note were each wire was, for when they reconnect it.
last one i did, i had to test as i could not make out the markings

 

[JohnW2]

Maybe we should have advised to take note were each wire was, for when they reconnect it. last one i did, i had to test as i could not make out the markings

It's always highly desirable to fully document the situation before disconnecting anything!

However, as I said, in this case there is really no need, provided only that one can see which conductors originate from which cable. If one can see that, one simply has to connect together one conductor from one cable to one of the conductors from the other cable, and then connect together the two remaining conductors (again, each coming from a different cable).

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

I meant when they put the switch back.

 

[JohnW2]

I meant when they put the switch back.

Oh, fair enough - and I agree.

Mind you, there usually are only a couple of credible possibilities, and no harm will come if the first arrangement one tries proves to be the wrong one!

Kind Regards, John

 

[securespark]

[sharp intake of breath]We can't advocate wiring by guesswork...Ban would be cross![/sharp intake of breath]

 

[JohnW2]

[sharp intake of breath]We can't advocate wiring by guesswork...Ban would be cross![/sharp intake of breath]

Indeed so - I would not have written that if he were around!! However, I don't think that what I was talking about really counts as 'blind trial and error' ...

... on the contrary, far from being 'blind', it relies on a degree of knowledge and intelligence, to narrow down the possibilities to just 2 (neither of which {as one's knowledge tells one} will do any harm). It's not really much different from the advice often given here to "swap L1 and L2" if a 2-way light switch if a switch works upside down.

Kind Regards, John