3 way switching

[gangmaster]

Does anyone sell Polished chrome 2 gang intermediate switches?
Is there anyway i can wire 3 way with 3 twoway switches?

 

[plugwash]

mk make grid plus plates in most of thier finishes including "chroma plus"

you may have to get your wholesaler to order them specifically though

 

[felix]

And in answer to the second question; no there isn't - unless you use a relay as well.

 

[gangmaster]

Felix
If i put a intermediate switch under the floorboards then use three two way switches would that work. Its just that i have got chrome switches and the style i have don't do intermediate ones

 

[Adam_151]

If i put a intermediate switch under the floorboards then use three two way switches would that work.

NO, and I'll leave it to ban to question your logic in asking this...

 

[gangmaster]

Who the hell is ban and why cant you ask about the logic i wonder if its because i have allready explained. just trying to find a way round it

 

[breezer]

ban is short for ban-all-sheds, we are trying to understand why it is that you will not accept that two way switches "do as it says on the tin"

3 switch positions (in your situation) means 2, 2 way and one intermeadiate switch

unless you have relays or a different switching system you can not do it with what you have

 

[mapj1]

You can wire a DPCO relay as an 'intermediate' (its role is to cross or uncross the 2 way circuit strappers, similar to a reversing switch ) and operate its primary coil with a normal switch (which need not be CO, but could be if you wanted.) The relay could go in a box under the floor, but you will need to steat an unswitched L and N for the primary circuit.
If you need a diagram hassle me tonight, and I can probably draw something.

regards M.

 

[felix]

Mapj1 has pretty much said it all. I'll add one detail. The supply for the relay coil should come from the same lighting circuit as the one you're putting the switches on.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'll come to the logic of using 2-way switches when you need the functionality of a 3-way in a minute, but first it's this that has me wondering what you're on:

If i put a intermediate switch under the floorboards

What use is a switch under the floorboards? I understand your distress at not being able to find a matching intermediate, but surely the inconvenience of having to lift floorboards to operate a hidden switch would be immense?

Anyway - it is possible to wire a 2-gang 2-way switch in such a way that when operated together it does what an intermediate does. Cross connect L1-L2 and L2-L1 from one gang to the other, operate both rockers together and you've got what you want.

It'll confuse the hell out of people who don't know how to work it though...

 

[gangmaster]

Thanks for the info chaps