How to wire 3 gang smart switch advice...

[Jonathan Sherratt]

Hi I've recently put 3 smart switches in my home as obviously have a neutral set up. I'm looking to put an extra 3 gang switch downstairs but the 3 switch is on a slightly more complicated loop system. Below is a picture of the wiring with labeling where the common, L1 and L2 wires go. Really wanted advice as to where to wire Live then L1, L2 and L3. Any help is gratefully appreciated...

 

[donrkebab]

COM are the live wires that are feeding in and out.
the middle switch is a 2 way
the two outside switches are 1 way.

 

[EFLImpudence]

The switched live, to the light which the middle switch and another switch operate, will be at the other switch.

You could rewire it but you will lose the two-way operation.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Hi I've recently put 3 smart switches in my home as obviously have a neutral set up.

"Obviously"?

I'm looking to put an extra 3 gang switch downstairs but the 3 switch is on a slightly more complicated loop system.

There are no neutral conductors there.

Below is a picture of the wiring with labeling where the common, L1 and L2 wires go. Really wanted advice as to where to wire Live then L1, L2 and L3. Any help is gratefully appreciated...

• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:Lighting
• http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/House_Wiring_for_Beginners#Lighting
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=uk+lighting+wiring+(basics+OR+101)
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:books
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:index

Please, please, please do not try to do this by blindly following instructions to put-this-wire-in-that-hole without any idea as to why. You should know what, and truly understand what, you are doing.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Lets see the instructions for wiring the new switch.
Are there other wires in the back box? I see a yellow wire there, does it have a blue friend?

 

[Jonathan Sherratt]

Lets see the instructions for wiring the new switch.
Are there other wires in the back box? I see a yellow wire there, does it have a blue friend?

Sorry should have added this picture... you cant see the neutral wires in the first picture as they are all in one connector in the back with a blue wire connected in the other side... The other ground wire attached to the metal light switch.

 

[Jonathan Sherratt]

Here is a picture of the new switch...

This is the switch for a 2 gang however it has the setup for a 3 way...

 

[EFLImpudence]

Here is a picture of the new switch...
This is the switch for a 2 gang however it has the setup for a 3 way...

It has the set up for three gang.
Three way in our language means one light able to be operated from three switches at different locations.
Two way being from two switches at different locations.

In your original picture the middle switch is wired for two way operation, so what have you done, or intending to do, at the other switch?

You cannot use your new switches for two way operation.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

How do you know that those black wires are neutrals?

This is the switch for a 2 gang however it has the setup for a 3 way...

No, that's a 3-gang 1-way.

 

[donrkebab]

How do you know that those black wires are neutrals?

Please enlighten me - see what I did there - what else would they be?

 

[Taylortwocities]

You really aren't helping us much. Lets have answers to these questions

1. As far as i can see, in the original wiring you have 5 red wires, yes?
2. In the smart switch wiring you only have used three red wires, yes?
3. Does that mean you have two red and one yellow wire that are now unemployed. What have you done with those?
4. Similarly, what have you done with the missing black and blue conductors. There should be 5 wires in the N terminal.
5. Did you mark the red wires so that you know which one is which? If not, you have a very large problem.
6. If you did, then (looking at the original wiring) you will see that you have two red wires that are connected (and loopped through) to the three COM terminals. In that case, there should be two red wires in the L terminal on the 'smartswitch'. Do you understand this?
7. However, and this has been mentioned above. The switch you have does not have a facility for two-way switching. Please post, or provide a link, to the wiring instruction that shows how two-way switching is achieved on these switches.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I was thinking that was another switch to show us what type it was, but then, why not picture the new empty one?

 

[Jonathan Sherratt]

The new switch is over at my friends at the moment, the picture is of a two gang smart switch with L2 connector missing from another switch I've fitted... they make them all like that.

I was using it as an example to show that the 3 gang will have L, N, L1, L2, L3

I know that the black wires are neutral because the whole house is, unusually for UK, wired up that way.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok.

I think the next step is a picture of the 'other' switch that operates the same light as the middle switch in the original picture - show all the wires.

 

[Taylortwocities]

Ah. Ok.
The switch pictured can only achieve one way switching. You’ll need a different type of switch to provide two way switching - probably at both end of the circuit. Do you have these, and instructions on wiring them?