Two Lights Controlled by a Single Switch

[adzyp]

Just moved into a house where the bedroom has 3 lights, a main light, a spotlight by the door and then another light inside a dressing room.

The spotlight is 2 way with another switch by the door controlling it.

The main light and dressing room both come on when using one of the switches but would like them to be separate.

Went to swap the switch for a 3 gand thinking it was going to a straight forward swap but noticed only 2 flat and earth cables entering the box and cables as per picture.

Is there any simpler way to separate these 2 lights into a 3 gang switch or does it involve separating the wiring above the ceiling and re running?

 

[Taylortwocities]

It looks like the right hand switch in your picture is one half of a two-way circuit. is there a second switch controlling that also switches that light on and off?

If so then there arent any conductors that could be freed up. The blues are the neutrals and it myy be possible to change re-configure the wiring to use those conductors, but you'd really need to know what you are doing.

Probably easiest to separate the second light and run new cable to the switch. You've just moved in, so hacking into the wall and making good shouldn't be an issue........

 

[adzyp]

Yes sorry, the spotlight by the door is also controlled by another switch by the door so that will be the circuit for that light.

Its the other I want separating. Is it likely that they are connected via junction box up in the loft or something?

 

[Taylortwocities]

. Is it likely that they are connected via junction box up in the loft or something?

Anything is possible, but probably one light has the switch and power feed, and the other is just connected to the first one.
A photo of the wiring at both lights may help.

 

[Murdochcat]

App controlled bulbs and using your smart phone will be the cheapest solution

 

[ericmark]

You beat me to it, I also use smart bulbs or relays to switch lights rather than rewire.

 

[mrrusty]

App controlled bulbs and using your smart phone will be the cheapest solution

If you go philips hue (and probably others) they have a wireless stick-up switch for controlling their bulbs. So, smart bulb and a switch to turn it on and off. Can of course also control it with the app, alexa, google home etc as well.....

Hue Dimmer Switch – Smart Remote Control – Latest Model | Philips Hue UK

Dim or brighten the room, or get the best light based on the time of day with the Hue dimmer switch. Use it as a remote control anywhere in your home.

www.philips-hue.com

 

[adzyp]

Yeah great idea, thanks ill have a look

 

[adzyp]

You beat me to it, I also use smart bulbs or relays to switch lights rather than rewire.

So how does it work? That light will need to be permanently powered to keep the bulb active. How do I do that without keeping the other light on all the time?

 

[Taylortwocities]

So how does it work? That light will need to be permanently powered to keep the bulb active. How do I do that without keeping the other light on all the time?

Two smart bulbs. Both plugged in and the lights switched to permanently on. The two lights are paired separately to the app, and/or the dimmer switch. So you can switch on, or off or dim either bulb, separately.

 

[ericmark]

I use a relay to power my landing light, the centre bulb is a colour changing smart bulb as well so I and dim and brighten the centre bulb, and have it to make the lights look nice. but to see what I am doing all are switched on. The wiring to the switch is extra low voltage, and the light switch only turns on the centre lamp, in the main we use voice commands hey google turn on landing light etc.

Other lamps are more of a simple approach, we use in wife's craft room 3 x GU10 and one BA22d smart bulb and simply never turn the light switch off, again voice commends.

Living room 7 lights, the main ceiling lamp, up lighter, spot lights, and cabinet lamps, powered from various places including the main switch is a smart switch, and it is so handy when leaving the room that hey google turn off living room lights turns them all off. Saves walking around turning numinous switches on/off.

Since no neutral at switches, I used Energenie light switches to start with, however these do not work well when there are other controls, like PIR's and smart bulbs, so have moved to TP-Link (Tapo) which uses a battery so can turn on/off outside lights with PIR's in them.

We find it really good when we have nodded off in the living room and we wake in darkness that we can simple tell google Nest Mini's to turn on the lights, saves tripping over the cats. Well at the moment living rooms lights set to auto switch on at dusk.

Oh and you can have two names for same light, so landing light turns on all, but switch outer or switch inner turns on outer or inner lamps, same with living room, and living room main.

 

[SUNRAY]

App controlled bulbs and using your smart phone will be the cheapest solution

Really when there are so many wires available there already?

 

[SUNRAY]

I assume you have something like this wiring, I'll happily go into more detail if required

Assuming the cables run into the loft and they are accessible the existing cables can be cut and jointed and additional cable added as below, purple stars represent junction box connexions

Very probably no need to start adding hi tech solutions unless you wish to do so.

 

[adzyp]

I assume you have something like this wiring, I'll happily go into more detail if required
View attachment 335008

Assuming the cables run into the loft and they are accessible the existing cables can be cut and jointed and additional cable added as below, purple stars represent junction box connexions
View attachment 335013
Very probably no need to start adding hi tech solutions unless you wish to do so.

Thanks for this, i will get up the loft and see if i can uncover them under the insulation.
How many junction boxes does that equate to there?
Assume even if I did locate it and do this, i would need to feed extra wire/s to the socket and it cant be done with the existing wires entering the socket?

 

[SUNRAY]

Thanks for this, i will get up the loft and see if i can uncover them under the insulation.
How many junction boxes does that equate to there?
Assume even if I did locate it and do this, i would need to feed extra wire/s to the socket and it cant be done with the existing wires entering the socket?

I very much doubt there is an existing junction box. in total there will be 5 terminations (including the earths which I haven't shown for clarity) It will depend on is there is any slack in the cables as to whether 1 or 2 junction boxes are required.

The method I've shown will not require extra cable being run to the switch, depending on the location of all the existing components you may have to provide new cable to a light fitting.

Please be aware the sketch I have made is based on assumption and it's quite possible it may not be correct. You will have to verify this before starting any work.

It looks like you have 3 cables at that switch: two twin and earth and one 3 core and earth.