3 way switching relay

[acutting]

Hello there,

I'm in a situation whereby the customer wants a light switch either side of the bed, and one by the door to control the centre room pendant. Unfortunately the type of switches they have across the rest of the house doesn't produce an intermediate switch.

Does anyone know any off the shelf relays where by I can use one or two way switches to solve this?

Andy

 

[Megawatt]

Hello there,

I'm in a situation whereby the customer wants a light switch either side of the bed, and one by the door to control the centre room pendant. Unfortunately the type of switches they have across the rest of the house doesn't produce an intermediate switch.

Does anyone know any off the shelf relays where by I can use one or two way switches to solve this?

Andy

Andy I’m sure you can put a 3 way switch on both sides of the bed and add a 4 way switch at the door. You are in the U.K. and I’m from the U.S. having said that I’m sure someone will be along shortly to help you since y’all have different ways of doing things. Your profile is very vague and I can’t advise you of ways of doing things. Good luck

 

[James]

There is no off the shelf relay solution to do this using standard 1 or 2 way switches.

Simple solution would be to use a make of switch that has an intermediate in there range.

If you absolutely have to stick with a range of switches that doesn’t have an intermediate switch then the only realistic solution is to add a plc to the circuit that deals with the logic.
Not always an ideal way of doing it but it will do the job you need.

 

[StephenRowley]

As James says PLC or get them to use a different switch.

How about three of the kentic types switches and single receiver. But more expensive but no plaster work to fix

 

[James]

How about three of the kentic types switches and single receiver. But more expensive but no plaster work to fix

Point is the customer wants the switches to match the existing ones

 

[StephenRowley]

Point is the customer wants the switches to match the existing ones

Aye but sometimes if you offer them a
sweetener ie I can use this switch and saves you having a load of redecorating/plastering done you can change minds

 

[littlespark]

Are the existing switches of the type that the switch can be unscrewed from the back of the plate?
Maybe they do a plain white intermediate that can be moved onto the matching plate?

Other than that, if no intermediate exists, then it’s not possible by conventional means

 

[Taylortwocities]

Put Quinetic receiver in the ceiling to control the light. Customer can then turn light on and off from bed using their smartphone. Everyone takes their smartphone to bed!

 

[ElectroChem]

I could make it work with a DPDT relay. Perhaps positioned in the roof near the light fitting in question.
The only such relays I'm familiar with would definitely need to be inside an enclosure, they're not IP rated or touch protected to be loose in the wall/roof and wouldn't qualify as maintenance free.

 

[acutting]

Thanks so much for your help, I've managed to convince them to change the style of the light switch so I can wire things in the convential way.

It does highlight a possible gap in the market tho, if there was a device that you could wire all your switches to in two core with the device doing all the logic. It would mean you could get around the situation of having a 2g switch one being an intermediate and one being a 1 way etc.

 

[pc1966]

I could make it work with a DPDT relay. Perhaps positioned in the roof near the light fitting in question.

Probably need to be to get a neutral, most UK light switches I have seen don't have N, but the trend now is to put it in for fancier switches.

 

[Taylortwocities]

It can be done with standard so-called smart WiFi switches and a bit of brain power. It’s all too modern for me, but this looked fascinating

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W2pcYp2pPWA

 

[James]

I could make it work with a DPDT relay. Perhaps positioned in the roof near the light fitting in question.
The only such relays I'm familiar with would definitely need to be inside an enclosure, they're not IP rated or touch protected to be loose in the wall/roof and wouldn't qualify as maintenance free.

Although as suggested by @pc1966 it would need a neutral for the relay coil, I think wiring a dpdt relay to mimic the action of an intermediate switch is a creative and an excellent solution to a difficult problem.

These Aussies are not as daft as some of them pretend to be!!

@ElectroChem
Top marks.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

Yes, DPDT relay as the intermediate, controlled by SP 1-way switch, with two 2-ways. The only disadvantage is that the relay coil is sometimes on when the light is off (depending on the 2-way settings) and might be consuming power most of the time.

If there is a momentary (retractive) switch available in the appropriate range, then a European style alternate-action relay, push on, push off is another possibility. The three N/O switches are connected in parallel and the coil only draws power when one of them is pressed. Popular in France, a.k.a. télérupteur.
Télérupteur description

@Megawatt - interesting difference in terminology: UK 2-way = US 3-way, UK 3-way = US 4-way but the 4-way switch itself we call an intermediate. So in US terms the OP's problem is that there is no 4-way switch available in the styling they want.

 

[snowhead]

The simple solution is to put one switch over the centre of the bed (headboard) instead of one each side.