1 way light circuit query

[diy_dave1978]

Hi,
A family member has a switch in a bedroom. The house was recently rewired and passed the tests etc.etc. I'm not claiming it is incorrect, but merely trying to improve my understanding. (Out of curiosity more than anything else).

Neutrals are typically "in the switch" for this house.

The follwing image appears to be the circuit including a 1 gang, 2 way switch. Three twin and earth cables go into the switch. It controls a single light. I expected to see the neutal wires joined together. However, they are not in their own connector block/wago. The earths are.


The following diagram is the only way I can guess it is configured. Some of this is from memory. Could it be correct? (CPCs omitted)

I could well be way off track

 

[Jurassicspark]

Weird way to wire a switch. Many options are available. However, I doubt yours has been wired like that.

 

[ericmark]

Some switches have a parking terminal for the neutral, I would guess that's what you have, as the diagram would not work.

 

[Jurassicspark]

I would guess that's what you have, as the diagram would not work.

It will work with the switch being in a position that the neutral goes from common to L1.

I am sure the OP has misinterpreted it. Never in my life I've seen a switch wired like that.

 

[bernardgreen]

Never in my life I've seen a switch wired like that.

You haven't lived

This was how a house was wired. It worked because the switches were ancient ceramic ones where the moving contact moved about 10 mm from one fixed contact before coming into contact with the opposite fixed termimal.

The moving contact in a modern switch has much less movement ( circa 3 mm ) and when switching can extend an arc to bridge Live to Neutral

It was found when a ceramic switch was replaced with a modern switch which burnt out in less than a week.

 

[Jurassicspark]

This was how a house was wired. It worked because the switches were ancient ceramic ones where the moving contact moved about 10 mm from one fixed contact before coming into contact with the opposite fixed termimal.

Interesting..

It was found when a ceramic switch was replaced with a modern switch which burnt out in less than a week.

Which era was it replaced in?

 

[ebee]

Interesting idea, a little unusual.
If the switch contacts break before make it would "work" OK but have the disadvantage of being permanently L at the lamp because it is switching the N not the L.
If it was wired the opposite way round it would work.
Off course if it switches make before break it would blow the switch up with a bang (if fused) or a thwack (if MCB).

 

[ebee]

You haven't lived

View attachment 348030

This was how a house was wired. It worked because the switches were ancient ceramic ones where the moving contact moved about 10 mm from one fixed contact before coming into contact with the opposite fixed termimal.

The moving contact in a modern switch has much less movement ( circa 3 mm ) and when switching can extend an arc to bridge Live to Neutral

It was found when a ceramic switch was replaced with a modern switch which burnt out in less than a week.

Also known as "The Two Way Hamburger" as I was informed a few years back.

I would not like it but it does work - at the lamp you would have two Ls or two Ns = off or one of each which = on.

 

[SUNRAY]

Never in my life I've seen a switch wired like that.

2 way lights again (Oh and why I don't like domestics)

"Got a little 2 way switch job for you Sunray" "More rubbish?" "Customer says they changed a switch and now it doesn't work." This is just how I found it: "I took the broken switch off and forgot how it was connected so I went on-line and couldn't find the same numbers of cables." The hall...

www.diynot.com

 

[Ragnar_AT]

Also known as "The Two Way Hamburger" as I was informed a few years back.

I would not like it but it does work - at the lamp you would have two Ls or two Ns = off or one of each which = on.

It‘s known by a number of different names, California three-way is one of them (ambiguous, because apparently that‘s used to describe two different 2-way switching arrangements), in Germany „Hamburg 2-way“. Some German sparks loved it because they could feed a 2-way switch and earthed socket with only three cores back when TN-C was still acceptable.