2 Way Switching HELP

[AnonymousImport]

Ok i need help , i've broken the cover and need to replace it , it's a 2 way switch ( i think) it has two switches that operate the downstairs light and upstairs independently. Well the cover currently on there must be very very old , like when the house was built around 1970 , and the two holes at the top are labled common , but the others have no markings and there is 4 holes at the bottom . the new cover/2 way switch i've bought however has 3 at the top and 3 at the bottom and i can't work out for the life of me which goes where, especially as all the wires are RED!!!

it appears in the old cover there are two thicker possible the live wires at the bottom with a thinner wire possible meant to be in 'common' hole , also in the bottom and at the top just 1 red also thin wire going into the common hole and then another piece of red thin wire wound / attached to it and popped into the other common hole at the top!

is this making sense?

well you see my prob , 2/4 isn't relating to the 3/3 on the new switch , i dont know if it's coz the wiring is so old, or what but i can't figure it out!

Thanks for any help

 

[DEANO]

WOW, YOU LOST ME A BIT BUT ILL TRY MY BEST TO EXPLAIN. A TWO WAY SWITCH IS BASICALLY A SWITCH WHICH SWITCHES A COMMON SUPPLY DOWN EITHER ONE LEG OR ANOTHER. A BIT LIKE A FORK IN THE ROAD. WHAT YOU BOUGHT IS A UNIT THAT HAS TWO TWO-WAY SWITCHES ON IT. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE OLD UNIT AND NEW UNIT IS THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING THE TWO COMMONS AT THE TOP AND THE TWO OUTPUTS {FORKS} AT THE BOTTOM THE NEW UNIT WILL HAVE ONE COMMON AT TOP AND BOTTOM AND ONE SET OF OUTPUTS AT EACH END. THE COMMON OF THE UPSTAIRS CIRCUIT WILL GO IN ONE COMMON HOLE AND THE TWO OUTPUT WIRES INTO THE TWO CONNECTIONS BELOW IT. THE DOWNSTAIRS CIRCUIT WIRES WILL GO IN THE OTHER COMMON HOLE AND ONE OF THE OTHER HOLES. IF THIS SWITCH APPEARS UPSIDE DOWN WHEN YOU POWER IT BACK UP THEN JUST SWOP THE WIRE THATS IN THE OUTPUT HOLE TO THE OTHER OUTPUT HOLE, BUT LEAVE THE COMMON WHERE IT IS. I HOPE THIS ISNT TO CONFUSSING FOR YOU............

[Edited by DEANO on 16-11-2002 at 0:56 AM GMT]

[Edited by DEANO on 16-11-2002 at 0:57 AM GMT]

 

[AnonymousImport]

It is simply that the one set of poles is upside down to the other, so on your old 2/4 switch where your commons were at the top, now you have a 3/3 switch, which is the common for switch one and L1/L2 for switch two at the top, and at the bottom L1/L2 for switch one and common for switch two.
I have just rewired my own house and had 2 hours of fun working out the 2 way but you get there in the end!!

 

[AnonymousImport]

could some one tell me were a person could get some prints on two way switching????