Complete Novice trying to install new 2 Gang Light Switch - please help!!!

C

Chrisl

Hi guys,

I am completly stuck, I am replacing my Kitchen Light Switches with new Chrome switches, I thought it would be just a quick straight forward swap, how wrong could i be!!

There are 2 separate lights in the kitchen on a 2 gang switch, indepently controlled by the same switch (2 buttons). After removing the current swicth, its an old tenaby switch and there are 3 conectors on the top and 3 on the bottom and 7 wires + earth.

The new switch as 2 holes/connectors on the bottom (both saying common) and 4 holes on the top (L1/L2/L1/L2) - Obviously very differnt to original switch

I presume the 2 lights have 2 cables each, one red and one black, I am then left with 3 remaining wires, one blue, one yellow and one black, i also presume blue is neutral, not sure which is the live feed?

Doesnt anyone have any idea how the heck I wire this lot up as I dont have a clue and dont fancy blowing myself up!!

Any help with be much appreciated!!

Thanks
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
impossible to advise on a forum. you will have to bite the bullet and get a spark in. therer are several forum members in your area, i'm sure would sort it for you. should not cost more than a call-out and 1 hour.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi there many thanks for the reply, I didnt really want to pay anyone to do it (skint), its just a standard 2 gang light swtich I am trying to install, surelly it cant be that hard, there must be some diagrams somewhere?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The point is, we (i.e. sparks) need to SEE these things, and perhaps conduct tests, to be sure what is what. Since we can't, how do you really expect us to be able to help you on here?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Hi, take the advice from Telectrix- it will end in tears ! If you had taken a picture before you removed the origional switch someone here would have helped you.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
what!!!! Jesus, the swiches were a fiver off ebay (which i got over a month ago), an hours rate plus call out for a sparky is what £50-£100..... to fit a switch!! Come one guys, I am beginning to think there is a conspirious here, whats the point in having a forum when the only guidance is to call a sparky to fit a switch!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
The point is...this a forum for Electricians to discuss things electrical and chat, not a DIY help centre.
Sorry Chris, but you've screwed up when you took the switch off without marking things up!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
if there is two lights ,controlled from 2gang 1way switch

com--permanent feed/constant feed/feed/power in
L1 --switch wire to each light
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
most sparks would charge for coming out, around £40, but that would cover for 30mins to 1 hour's labour. if it were me. i'd not charge more than £40 - £50 total.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Another issue with chrome switches is that they MUST be earthed...potentially dangerous if not. Just because there's an alleged earth wire there does not mean it is an effective earth. Your Electrician will test to make sure that the installed chrome switch isnt going to fry anyone. I'm not a DIY basher....but based on the info you've given you cant be sure the switch will be safe even if you manage to get it working.
Call an electrician.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
haha. thought suffolk was next county, but just googled and that's staffordshire. suffolk's somewher in europe, ain't it. near france.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
jesus christ *******

mate if u feel confident do it fire away if not call a spark tell them youv took switch cover off and cant figure out new switch connections £40 shaating

doing yourself make sure u take flying lead earth to earth point on switch feeds to com if only one feed you can loop between the 2 com points , switch wire to the 2 seperate L1 points
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
and if he electrocutes hisself, who's his family going to blame, him or the guys that told him how to do it by guessing. suppose he could buy an MFT for £500, then he's got a chance of doing it right. i'm out.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
why does a high % of sparks on these forums act like they are managing director of everything electrical
"my life is electrics i love electrics i divorced my wife lost my house for my electrical forum I AM ELECTRICS
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
i'm well chilled, mate. just don't see the point of flogging a dead horse. if it were a simple job within a diy'ers capability, by all means advise, but in this situation, not knowing how it's been wired, whether there's a cpc or not with metal faceplates, as i said before, get a spark or some candles.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I didnt tell him how to connect HIS switch in HIS kitchen i said

if theres 2 seperate lights on a 2 gang 1way then you need a feed in to both coms and switch wire to l1
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Chrisl said:
what!!!! Jesus, the swiches were a fiver off ebay (which i got over a month ago), an hours rate plus call out for a sparky is what £50-£100..... to fit a switch!! Come one guys, I am beginning to think there is a conspirious here, whats the point in having a forum when the only guidance is to call a sparky to fit a switch!
Click to expand...

Its a forum for professionals and as you didn't mark up the cables before you took the old one off you are a little bit up the creek without a paddle.

Now you could start guessing, and if you've a old rewireable fuse board make sure you have plenty of spare 5A fuse wire.

Out of interest what do you do for a living and do you give your skill away??
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
To the OP, most electricians have some expensive test equipment that they use to ensure they haven't got it wrong, (yes even we can get it wrong, but this is what the test equipment and the knowledge of how to use it is for). The only test you will have is when you switch it on and you and it go "BANG", sometimes there is no going back from that.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
he meant that i'd travel all the way to suffolk and back to do a 1 hour job for £40. he was joking.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I really didnt think I would cause all this, I am sorry I just wanted some help for fitting a light switch. i think some people have not read fully what I said, I havent removed anything, all wires are still hooked up to the original switch, I just unscrewed the switch and had a look at the wiring configuration, nothing else! All I am trying to do is put in a 2 way switch for 2 independent lights, the new swticth is slightly different than the last!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Sorry lost on me I thought he was saying that was expensive

- - - Updated - - -

Chrisl said:
I really didnt think I would cause all this, I am sorry I just wanted some help for fitting a light switch. i think some people have not read fully what I said, I havent removed anything, all wires are still hooked up to the original switch, I just unscrewed the switch and had a look at the wiring configuration, nothing else! All I am trying to do is put in a 2 way switch for 2 independent lights, the new swticth is slightly different than the last!
Click to expand...

if you post a picture you are more likely to get some help
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Chrisl said:
I really didnt think I would cause all this, I am sorry I just wanted some help for fitting a light switch. i think some people have not read fully what I said, I havent removed anything, all wires are still hooked up to the original switch, I just unscrewed the switch and had a look at the wiring configuration, nothing else! All I am trying to do is put in a 2 way switch for 2 independent lights, the new swticth is slightly different than the last!
Click to expand...

that makes it a bit clearer, but without a photo, we'd still be guessing. what i can say is that all the wires actually terminated in the switch will be either lives or switched lives. none will be neutrals. each switch will have terminals C, L1,L2. irrespective of how they are laid out physically, you need to fit each in the same as it is in the ols switch, one terminal at a time. however, some installations, installed in 60's and 70's were installed without cpc's ( earths ) on the lighting. if this is the case, you can't fit metal faceplates. if you do have cpc's, then the faceplate must be earthed rather than the cpc's being terminated in the back boxes. i do strongly suggest getting an electrician in to verify that it's safe to fit these new switches and that the wiring is fit for continued use.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Also I do not think any qualified spark would let a first day apprentice carry out this task, so I think it will be difficult to get a explanation here when you have no one to supervise you like they would.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote

Similar threads

N
Help With 2 Gang Switch Please
Replies
3
Views
199
Nobber
N
N
UK Circuit with 3 switches and 4 lights no longer working
Replies
4
Views
184
littlespark
littlespark

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Green 2 Go Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses Heating 2 Go
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc

Advert

YOUR Unread Posts

Daily, weekly or monthly email

Receive a daily, weekly, or monthly email containing a digest of new and recently updated threads.

Thread Information

Title
Complete Novice trying to install new 2 Gang Light Switch - please help!!!
Prefix
N/A
Forum
UK Electrical Forum
Start date
Last reply date
Replies
62
Unsolved
--

Thread Tags

Tags Tags
2 gang complete help install light light switch new novice please point switch switches things trying

Advert

Thread statistics

Created
Chrisl,
Last reply from
Octopus,
Replies
62
Views
44,555

Advert

TrueNAS JBOD Storage Server

Tilers | UK Tiling Forum | Tilers Forums | Find a Tiler
Plumbers Forums | Plumbing Advice | Gas Forum
Back
Top