Wiring Landing Lights With Intermediate Switch Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[slimssis]

Hi Guys

I'm a newbie who is at my wits end. Having been done over by numerous electricians im wondering if anyone can help.

I have three main landings and originally the electricain put 2 single switches on the upper two floors so that the landing lights can be turned on and off from either landing.

I am currently decorating and have changed the switches to double gang with one side intermediate and the other 2 way.

I rewired the top landing with the intermediate done in cross with blue and red wires and the other side done with the common top floor works fine, all three light switches work just fine.

Middle landing wired it the same way however it isnt working if the middle landing light is on i cant turn it off from the bottom landing.

does anyone have any ideas??????? im going to upload some pictures hope it helps as im about to pull my hair out......

thanks in advance ;-)

[ericmark]

Something missing, normally two way wiring you take the switch wires to one switch, to L1 and L2 then you take a triple and earth cable to next switch, which is wired like to like, the important wire is the com, if the other two are swapped it does not matter, as long as the com is correct, with an intermediate switch you simple consider the side where only one terminal used as the com.

However you don't have any switch wires shown, there is no reason that the triple and earth should not go to the ceiling rose and in the ceiling rose you have an extra connector for the com, but since no picture of the ceiling rose we don't know what colour cable has been used for com.

So look in ceiling rose, the com does not connect to lamp. So L1 and L2 go to line supply and line to lamp if they are swapped it does not matter, com goes only to com on the other switch, and with an intermediate switch to the terminal on its own.

Why buy an intermediate switch when you only need a two way? To add third switch it goes between L1 and L2's on the two way switches, and in essence swaps it so L1 to L1 and L2 to L2 becomes L1 to L2 and L2 to L1 you can add as many as you want.

[slimssis]

HI

thanks for the reply i have 3 switches that control the top landing (These work fine when i wired them up with the intermediate switch)

3 switches to control middle landing i wired it up the same way, i did the top landing but the bottom landing light switch seems to be affecting the switch. if i turn off the bottom landing switch then the middle landing works fine when you switch on and off from the top and middle.

does that make sense?

[slimssis]

i have added picture of ceiling rose for middle landing.

Hope that helps

[ericmark]

[img]http://www.ericmark.talktalk.net/pictures/two-way-plus-inter.bmp[/img] I have posted a diagram, as to if this will work not sure.