Fitting a 2-Way light switch to replace a 1-Way

[LiamC]

Hello,

We have 2 light switches in our living room. One controls the living room and upstairs hallway lights, and the other switch controls the living room light also. So basically, what we should have is a 2-way double switch for the living room and hall, and a single 2-way switch for the living room light.

But at the moment, the single switch that controls the living room light is only a 1-way, which means ensuring both switches are on before the light will work.

I have just purchased a new 2-way switch, but am not sure about the wiring, as the new switch is different, and probably much newer.

The Old Switch: (which seems to be fitted upside down)

The New Switch:

Hope that somebody can help.
Thankyou.

 

[Adam_151]

Can we have picture of the other end please? (the switch that does the hall light as well

 

[LiamC]

It just has 2 switches, would you like me to unscrew it and take a picture of the wires inside?

 

[Adam_151]

It just has 2 switches, would you like me to unscrew it and take a picture of the wires inside?

Yes

 

[LiamC]

Hope this helps:

 

[Adam_151]

Wire the new switch the same was as the one at the other end (the one I asked for photos of) thats red to com, blue to L1 and yellow to L2

 

[LiamC]

Thankyou for your quick response

Someone else told me to do it like this picture from another site shows:

(Not questioning it atall, just for interests sake):
Were they wrong, or is that for another type of setup?

 

[Adam_151]

Some people use yellow and blue as the strappers (ones that go between L1 and L2), some people use red and blue, whoever installed the 3C+E used yellow and blue as the strappers, if you wanted to you could change it round at the other end tho

 

[LiamC]

Thankyou very much for your help! Works fine

I just have one more question.. hope that you (or someone) can help..

I'm wanting to put a new light pull in my bathroom. The old one is as old as the house, has a filthy cord and you have to pull it several times before it'll come on.

Anyway, I have purchased a new one, but only noticed when I got home, that the new one is a 2-way one, with a L1, L2 and Com-L terminals. I unscrewed the old one and found 2 wires connected. Can a 2 way light pull be used in a 1 way situation? Should I connect one wire to Com-L and one to one of the other two?

Thankyou

 

[Adam_151]

Can a 2 way light pull be used in a 1 way situation?

Yes, as you suggest, just connect one wire to com, and the other wire to either of the other connections

 

[LiamC]

Thankyou so much for your time and help, both switches work perfectly

 

[securespark]

I'd like to think so, with quality advice from Adamski!

 

[RF Lighting]

Thankyou for your quick response

Someone else told me to do it like this picture from another site shows:

(Not questioning it atall, just for interests sake):
Were they wrong, or is that for another type of setup?

Is that old colours wiring with new colours sleeving that I have spied?

Is this right? IMHO it should be red sleeving.

What does anyone else think / actually use?

 

[LiamC]

I have old colours in my house (as you can see above) with thick grey sleeving around all the wires, no sleeving around each wire. Is this typical with 1980's wiring?

 

[Pensdown]

Thankyou for your quick response

Someone else told me to do it like this picture from another site shows:

(Not questioning it atall, just for interests sake):
Were they wrong, or is that for another type of setup?

Is that old colours wiring with new colours sleeving that I have spied?

Is this right? IMHO it should be red sleeving.

What does anyone else think / actually use?

After getting myself confused with another post on here I called the NIC Tech line. Their advise. Use red sleeve on old coloured cable and brown sleeve on new. This also applies when working on mixed colour installations.

So based on that, like you said, it should be red but I can see why it's brown