3 way lighting, good practice

[DJ12345]

Hello everyone!

I need a bit of advice please. I am having some renovations done on my house, i need your advice guys how to correctly wire 3 way switching for upstairs and downstairs light?

on the ground hall i have 2-2way switches 1 is 1 gang ,(next to entry door,) another one is 2 gang switch to turn stair light on and off upstairs and turn off light downstairs.

Upstairs i have 2 switches( 1 intermediate switch(1 gang) to turn off lights upstairs and another 1 gang 2 way switch next to bedroom does exactly same thing.

My question is: if i run another 3 core cable from downstairs to be able to turn off downstairs light from upstairs, do i need to replace switch at the end of the downstairs hall to 2 gang intermediate and one intermediate 1 gang upstairs to 2 gang intermediate?
Is there any wiring diagram i can look up?

Thank you in advance

 

[catdog1121]

I am not really sure what your setup is as its difficult to understand from that description but effectively you need a two way light switch where the permanent live and switched live come from the light (Note that you can use an intermediate switch as a 2 way light switch). Then you can have as many intermediate switches in the middle with a 2 way light switch at the end..

Electrics:intermediate_chockblocknonharm3int - https://www.diynot.com/wiki/Electrics:intermediate_chockblocknonharm3int

 

[DJ12345]

Is there any way i can have intermediate switch at the end?

 

[Zerax]

Is there any way i can have intermediate switch at the end?

Electrically... no... Physically... yes

But you might want to consider Quinetic type controls... you can have lots of switches for the same light and there are no cables to run to switches.

 

[Mikegh]

Electrically... no... Physically... yes

But you might want to consider Quinetic type controls... you can have lots of switches for the same light and there are no cables to run to switches.

There's a lot to be said for Pirs in corridors

They can eliminate the need for additional 2-way switching

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Is there any way i can have intermediate switch at the end?

Assuming that the 2 way switching is wired with 3 core, rather than the old way with singles and T+E:

You have a 2 way switching arrangement. Both 'ends' must be 2 way switches.

You want a 3 way switching arrangement, by adding an extra switch. For the new arrangement, both 'ends' must still be 2 way switches, and the middle must be intermediate. Can't do it any other way without wireless switching (AFAIK).

However, the new switch can be the middle switch (the intermediate), and the existing 2 X 2 way switches can be the ends.

From one of the existing switches, disconnect 2 of the cores of the 3C+E: L1 and L2. Leave C in place. With connectors, connect those 2 cores to a new length of T+E. Now, connect another length of T+E into L1 and L2.

Take both of these T+E's to the new switch position, and terminate into a new intermediate switch.

Out of interest, why do you want to do it this way?