light switch confusion

[gcharlt]

May have been a bit of confusion when i said my switch only had 1 com terminal what i should have said was there is i com,1 L1 & 1 L2 on each rocker

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

As i have only 1 com on the new switch does that mean that the wires on both the old L1 connections go to 1 terminal on the new?

So what did this mean then?

If you have com, L1 and L2 for each switch, then there should be no problem providing you have mark up and noted where the original cables went.

 

[gcharlt]

1 wire goes to L1 on 1 switch and 2 wires go to L1 on other

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

1 wire goes to L1 on 1 switch and 2 wires go to L1 on other

Are they both two way functions (do both lights have more than one switching point)?

 

[gcharlt]

I really appreciate you trying to help!!!
Will try and give you more info and send some photos tomorrow when i go back to house:-

I have 2 x 2 gang/2 way switches & 1 x 1 gang 2 way switch downstairs:-
1 gang already replaced no problem.
2 gang switch at entrance to dining room supplies juice to outside wall light and dining room light.
Switch on other side of dining room acts as 2 way for dining room light, 2nd switch feeds juice to living room light, switch on far side of living room is a single 2 way for living room light.
Hope this makes sense !!

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

I have 2 x 2 gang/2 way switches & 1 x 1 gang 2 way switch downstairs:-
1 gang already replaced no problem.
2 gang switch at entrance to dining room supplies juice to outside wall light and dining room light.
Switch on other side of dining room acts as 2 way for dining room light, 2nd switch feeds juice to living room light, switch on far side of living room is a single 2 way for living room light.

So the 2 gang switch you are replacing, is for:
*(1 of the gang) "outside wall light" has no second switch operating it?
*(2nd of the gang) "dining room light" but this also has a second switch that operates it at the other side of dining room?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

May have been a bit of confusion when i said my switch only had 1 com terminal what i should have said was there is i com,1 L1 & 1 L2 on each rocker

Well of course it does, just like the ones you are replacing.

As i have only 1 com on the new switch does that mean that the wires on both the old L1 connections go to 1 terminal on the new?

What all this shows is that you don't actually have any idea what's going on inside those switches, how they work, what they do, how they function in a circuit etc.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Role in refurb electrics are i am changing all roses,light switches and sockets fronts.

Oh dear! You could be here sometime then, if you cannot discriminate between a single and double gang switch!

Seriously, gcharlt, I would advise against doing those things - if you've got this confused over a couple of simple switches I dread to think how you'll cope with a ceiling rose.

Please, for your own sake, either get someone who knows what they are doing to replace the accessories, or leave it until you've learnt how it all works. You'll find the information here useful:

• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electrical+circuits+101
  
  
• http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=multimeter+101
  
  
• http://kevinboone.net/electricity.html
  
  
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080213151445/http://www.kevinboone.com/domesticinstallations.html
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:lighting
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics:books
  
  
• //www.diynot.com/wiki/electrics
  
  

 

[gcharlt]

Yeah thats correct and as i mentioned there is the 2nd switch that goes to the living room

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

So the cables for the outside light will require to go to com (permanent live) and L! switch live.

The dining room switch if two way, will have cables at com, L1 & L2.
As you already stated you have two cables at L1, I assume you have a furthe pair that go to L2, then one left that goes to Com.

The way they are configured will depend on how they were original positioned, which makes the second two way switch terminals relevant.
Have you noted this down?

 

[gcharlt]

Yeah got it.
Many thanks will give that a go tomorrow.
Appreciate your help.