2 way switch wiring help needed - please!

All electrical lighting questions in here please. Including outside lighting and light switch / dimmer questions.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
v4vpw
Newly registered Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:42 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 0

2 way switch wiring help needed - please!

Post by v4vpw »

Can anyone please, please help me?

I’m in the process of fitting some new light fittings that are on a two-way system. I simply took the old fittings out without paying due care and attention to what went to loop and what went to the rest. …and I am now stuck. I don’t know how to rewire it.

It’s a hallway set up. Two-way switches at either end (north and south) with two bulbs in between.
The setup is like this:

North two-way switch:
- Common is Red wire
- L1 is blue with a red sheath on it
- L2 is Yellow with a red sheath on it.

The north light has three cables running to it:
- Red, Black, earth
- Red, blue, yellow with a red sheath, earth
- Red, black, earth

The south light has two cables running to it, made up of:
- Red, Red, earth
- Red, yellow with red sheath, blue and earth

South two-way switch:
- Common – red
- L1 a blue cable and a red cable (two cables in the one hole)
- L2 a yellow and a red cable (two cables in the one hole)

Can anyone tell me how I wire up at the bulbs? Any advice would be gratefully received. Thanks in advance!
Neelix
Senior Member
Posts: 1311
Joined: Mon May 03, 2021 1:36 pm
Has thanked: 117 times
Been thanked: 214 times

2 way switch wiring help needed - please!

Post by Neelix »

Oh dear ….
These users thanked the author Neelix for the post:
v4vpw (Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:55 pm)
Rating: 7.14%
User avatar
ericmark
Senior Member
Posts: 4265
Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 2:43 am
Location: Mid Wales
Has thanked: 117 times
Been thanked: 783 times

2 way switch wiring help needed - please!

Post by ericmark »

The Red, blue, yellow with a red sheath, earth seems odd. Between the two lamps.
v4vpw wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:47 am The north light has three cables running to it:
- Red, Black, earth
- Red, blue, yellow with a red sheath, earth
- Red, black, earth

The south light has two cables running to it, made up of:
- Red, Red, earth
- Red, yellow with red sheath, blue and earth
So I think the - Red, Red, earth is the switch wires from the light to the switches. So these will go in S1 and S2 leaving com empty.
I think the red, yellow, blue, earth at the lights is switched line and permanent line and neutral and earth between the two lights.
So for that wire should be like for like, both ceiling roses wired the same.

The red, yellow, blue, earth at switches join both switches together, so one wire each terminal wired like for like at both switches, and the com is the important wire it must be same at both switches.

So The north light has three cables running to it:
- Red, Black, earth feed in or feed out to another lamp
- Red, blue, yellow with a red sheath, earth wire to south lamp
- Red, black, earth feed in or feed out to another lamp

The south light has two cables running to it, made up of:
- Red, Red, earth this is to the south switch
- Red, yellow with red sheath, blue and earth simply joins up both lamps.
These users thanked the author ericmark for the post:
v4vpw (Tue Mar 19, 2024 2:55 pm)
Rating: 7.14%
v4vpw
Newly registered Member
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2024 11:42 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 0

2 way switch wiring help needed - please!

Post by v4vpw »

ericmark - you are a genius! Your advice above was spot on and enabled me to chase back, work out what was what and resolve the issue. Now sorted, so will return to putting the new fittings on again (but carefully). Many thanks - much appreciated.
Post Reply

Return to “Lighting”