2 X 2 Way Single Gang Light Switches Controlling 2 Lights

[justanovice]

Hi,

I have just moved into a new house; the kitchen has two light fittings. The fittings are either both on or both off and controlled (from either end of the room) by what I believe are single gang two way switches (two in total). I'd like to change it so that the switches control a single light fitting each.

In one switch the connections are as follows:
Common - Black Conductor with Brown sheath
L1 - Grey Conductor with Brown sheath
L2 - Brown Conductor

In the other switch:
Common - Black Conductor with Brown sheath
L1 - Grey Conductor with Brown sheath, Black Conductor with Brown sheath, Brown Conductor
L2 - 2 X Brown Conductor



All assistance much appreciated.

justanovice

[tim'll fix it]

you would need to put a wire from one of the light fittings to the switch as at the moment they will be joined at the light fitting

the commons of the switches are probably conected together

as are the L1 and L2

at the other switch I would suggest that L1 has the permanent live and L2 has the switched live

(but I'm not a spark)

[honeymonster]

I am no sparks either but I would guess that there is a three core cable running from one light switch to the other rather than to the light fitting.

In your explanation there seems to be one wire too many-

L1 - Grey Conductor with Brown sheath, Black Conductor with Brown sheath, Brown Conductor

Unless this is a different way of wiring up two way lights?

The two light fittings will be connected together by a twin core and earth cable and so this will require disconnectiing at one of the light fittings and then you will have to wire one of the switches to the other light fitting. The only problem is that the wire between the two lightswitches is probably nowhere near the two light fittings and so this is not as simple as it seems. Perhaps the three core and earth is wired back to one of the light fittings

I think this could be a job for a sparks to be honest !

[tim'll fix it]

L1 is permanent live so has three cables

1 goes to the other switch
2 is the live feed
3 is the the live feed going to the next light switch

[markysparky]

This is quite hard to explain but here goes!

One of the switches has a 3 core+earth cable and a 2 core and earth cable.

The other will have just a 3 core cable which is the same 3 core that is at the other switch.

First thing is that the 3 core cable will have to be disconnected at both switches. wires removed and taped up for safety and left alone.(in case it is needed for the future).

The twin cable that is left in one of the switches should be connected into common and L1. Doesn't matter what wire goes into what as it will still work. So far we have both lights coming on from one switch but not both.

Next thing to do is the switch with only a 3 core cable at it, install a 2 core cable to it from the light. This light should only have one cable at it as it is the one that is fed and comes on the same time as the other light. Connect again into common and L1 at the switch. And at the light itself connect wires into loop and L terminals on the light fitting.

And what was the old wire that was going into L should now go into LOOP.

With me so far?

So what you need to now is make the original twin cable permanent live to feed the individual light switch.

Go then to the main light. This should have at least 4 twin cables (or maybe 3) at it. There will be 2 wires going into L terminal (which goes to the light). The one which has a black wire which goes into N terminal. The red of this cable should go into the loop terminal.

This would then give the other light a permanent live which will give the newly wired switch a perm live which means the bloomin thing should now work.

Anything your not sure of let us know

PHEW!

[Stoday]

Unless this is a different way of wiring up two way lights?

There are two ways of wiring 2-way switching.

1) with a 3-core strapping cable between the switches' L1 L2 and C, then a live to L1 and switch wire to L2

2) With a 2-core strapping cable between the switches' L1 and L2, then a live to C on one switch and switch wire from C on the other switch.

The second method is not good practice because it can introduce intefering electric fields.

[markysparky]

Unless this is a different way of wiring up two way lights?

There are two ways of wiring 2-way switching.

1) with a 3-core strapping cable between the switches' L1 L2 and C, then a live to L1 and switch wire to L2

2) With a 2-core strapping cable between the switches' L1 and L2, then a live to C on one switch and switch wire from C on the other switch.

The second method is not good practice because it can introduce intefering electric fields.[/quote]

New one on me that Stods! Can you elabortate further

[justanovice]

All,

many thanks for input.

Markysparky - I think I managed to follow it through

[tim'll fix it]

are you talking about induction stods as the current flows all the way to the end switch and then back again where as in the first scenario the current only flows in one direction