Way vs Gang and other questions

[theboyholty]

First of all, lets get down to basics.
What do WAY and GANG mean please?

Secondly, my problem is this. I have 2 ceiling lights and a switch with 2 buttons on it. One for each bulb. The old switch had connectors on the back marked L1, L2 and Common. The new switch from B&Q has connectors marked L1, L2 and L3.
Assuming that Common and L3 were the same thing, I hooked it up and only one of the switches worked. The other did nothing.
Anyway, I took it off and put the old one back and it works fine.

Can anyone suggest what I did wrong. Did I buy the wrong type of light switch for example. I just went for one with two switches on the front.

Many thanks for your help.

Nick

 

[Steve]

a 1-way switch is a basic single switch. It has a single contact that breaks and makes a live connection. it has, as such, 2 terminals.

a 2-way switch is a switch with 2 contacts - it has 3 terminals. At any one time, COM is connected to either L1 OR L2. This allows them to be used for switch setups such as in your hallway, on the stairs, or rooms with 2 points of egress. There are various ways to wire two 2-way switches together. A 2-way switch can be used as a 1-way switch by simply not connecting L2 (L3 on some switches)

GANGS basically mean how many rockers are on the front of the switch - a 4 gang switch will have 4 rockers to control 4 lights. Most 2-gang and upward switches are configured with 2-way switch units, in order that the manufacturer doesn't have to produce hundreds of varieties of switch, and the retailer doesn't have to then stock the hundreds of varieties!

Here is how your new and old switches compare:

[code:1]old switch new switch

COM L1
L1 L2
L2 L3[/code:1]
(The key to working the above out is to look at the layout of the terminals - they are usually the same, a long triangle shape with one terminal at the top, 2 at the bottom*. These terminals are always the same function)

*New MK switches have a compact switch module which is the only one that I know of, not using the standard triangle format.