New light switch wiring advice pls

cyber69

cyber69

cyber69

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I need to replace two light switches and just a little unsure how to wire up the new switch shown on the left in both pics. If anyone can help pls thanks.

b1ApThu.jpg


pTF3vBU.jpg


The top of the switches are at the bottom of the pic.

The bottom switch is a double and the top one a single.
 
@cyber69 have you looked online? This could be a good starting point to learn about what's what.

How To Wire A Light Switch [Step-By-Step Guide] - ToolStore UK

Changing a Light Switch is the kind of DIY task that can help transform a room quickly and cheaply. Find out more with our guide on swapping your switches.
www.toolstoreuk.co.uk www.toolstoreuk.co.uk

Sure people will moan, "it's simple", "back in my day everyone could wire a plug" etc.. but I bet they weren't born with that knowledge...

Just make sure you have the power off and triple check everything, know what's live and what isn't etc...
 
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sigma said:
Or if you don't know what you're doing, ask for help?
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Get a multimeter and learn how to use that would be my advice then. Better than someone giving you the answer outright.
You should understand what you are doing not just how to follow some step by step.
 
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cyber69 said:
I need to replace two light switches and just a little unsure how to wire up the new switch shown on the left in both pics. If anyone can help pls thanks.

b1ApThu.jpg


pTF3vBU.jpg


The top of the switches are at the bottom of the pic.

The bottom switch is a double and the top one a single.
Click to expand...
Common is live so take your current common into C1 and then bridge to C2 with an offcut of wire. For the single switch use L1 or L2, they're both just switched lives. For the double use l11 or l12 for one light and l21 or l21 for the other light

If you look closely your existing switch is labelled. I think your double is technically wired upside down but it doesn't really matter.
 
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A multimeter would be helpful and you can just get a generic online no need to pay out for a fluke. It looks like what you need to know is printed on the new switch, but I can't see the details on the old one well enough to be certain.
 
They are always arranged in triangles. But sometimes the triangles are inverted, sometimes they aren't. What you always do is keep the wires going to the same points on the triangles.

In the first photo, the new switch is upside down.

In the second photo, one of the triangles is inverted. The left set of contacts are the same as the old switch, the right set is upside down. Copy the old left set to the new left set, then imagine the old right switch upside down and copy that to the right side of the new switch.

Does that make sense?
 
SpellowHouse said:
They are always arranged in triangles. But sometimes the triangles are inverted, sometimes they aren't. What you always do is keep the wires going to the same points on the triangles.

In the first photo, the new switch is upside down.

In the second photo, one of the triangles is inverted. The left set of contacts are the same as the old switch, the right set is upside down. Copy the old left set to the new left set, then imagine the old right switch upside down and copy that to the right side of the new switch.

Does that make sense?
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Thanks, so I will be putting the link wire between L11 and L22 on the new switch (bottom pic)
 
cyber69 said:
Thanks, so I will be putting the link wire between L11 and L22 on the new switch (bottom pic)
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I think that whoever fitted that brass switch messed up a bit and got it upside down. However, I wouldn't worry about that. Perhaps the biggest issue is that they omitted the earth from the front panel of the switch. You don't care about that, either, because your new switch is plastic and doesn't have one.
 
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Indeed the brass light switch looks upside down.

Typically the permanent live which is the core with the link would go into the common terminal and link across to the other. The two remaining cores are switch lives and would go into the terminals marked L11.
 
As an aside, has your wiring been inspected recently. I'm not sure how old your house is but the double insulated singles I can see in the photos haven't been installed for well over 40 years. Someone has added earthing so the installation has had some attention. If it's in good condition then it's not nessesarily unfit, but it might be an idea to get it checked. Especially if there is evidence of alterations or the consumer unit is still the original one.
 
K.C. Leblanc said:
As an aside, has your wiring been inspected recently. I'm not sure how old your house is but the double insulated singles I can see in the photos haven't been installed for well over 40 years. Someone has added earthing so the installation has had some attention. If it's in good condition then it's not nessesarily unfit, but it might be an idea to get it checked. Especially if there is evidence of alterations or the consumer unit is still the original one.
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I concur that if you haven't had a EICR (electrical installation condition report) carried out in the past 10 years it may be prudent to do so.

Aside from that double insulated singles (6241Y) are still available and comply with current regulations. Whilst they are not common in domestic settings they are still installed in commercial settings. From your photo they may have been used for strappers for the two way lighting which was not unheard of for the upstairs / downstairs 2 way switching.
 
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