Light Switch Wiring for Dual Pole Single Switch Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[Disturbd]

Hi, I'm new here I've just bought some new single switch dual pole light switches for my stairs one at the top one at the bottom of the stairs just gone to install but it's not as easy as I thought the old switch what I was going to take off as 3 terminals on the back but the new ones have 4 how would I wire these please.
Steve

[ericmark]

There are double pole switches which will not do what you want and there are intermediate switches which look the same that will do what you want. The intermediate switch will work as a two way switch but normally you would use a two way switch, unless you have two gang switches where one needs to be intermediate. You simply don't use one terminal and it's pair is considered as COM.

Two pole switches are not often used for lights, you would use for an outside light where you want to switch neutral, or for a bathroom light where you have a fan, but not used that often.

[Disturbd]

There are double pole switches which will not do what you want and there are intermediate switches which look the same that will do what you want. The intermediate switch will work as a two way switch but normally you would use a two way switch, unless you have two gang switches where one needs to be intermediate. You simply don't use one terminal and it's pair is considered as COM.

Two pole switches are not often used for lights, you would use for an outside light where you want to switch neutral, or for a bathroom light where you have a fan, but not used that often.

So would it be better to buy two single switches the ones with. L1 L2 & Com ?

[ericmark]

Standard two way wiring used two x 2 way switches as you say com L1 and L2 they are normally wired like for like i.e. com connects to com on other switch of pair, and the switching is between L1 and L2.