UK Pre 2004 UK light switch swap

[midderstristan]

I was hoping to replace old light switches in my house, but am confused by the current switched / wiring.
The switch has 2 Common slots, unlike any new switches.
There are 2 ceiling lights in the room, but only 1 switch for the lights in the room.
On new 1 Gang 1 Way switches there is only 1 Common slot.
How would I wire up into the new switch please?

 

[westward10]

Never seen a switch like that. Those two terminals only have Common written by them and nothing else.

 

[telectrix]

looks loka a 2way switch from this angle. even if i get up offa the floor, still looks like a 2way.

 

[westward10]

looks loka a 2way switch from this angle. even if i get up offa the floor, still looks like a 2way.

It has Common under both top terminals. Not sure the purpose of the little red peg.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Are those cable clips holding the box to the wall....?
[automerge]1596991457[/automerge]

It has Common under both top terminals. Not sure the purpose of the little red peg.

looks like a loop in loop out common terminal ?

 

[Vortigern]

little red peg.

push in to release or catch.
[automerge]1596993360[/automerge]
Think I would have to check each one out to find what variant of two way switching that was. Hard to say definitively from here.

 

[westward10]

I don't think it is a two way switch, the Common marking is clearly across both terminals indicating they serve the same purpose and are connected together internally. The picture isn't clear enough but there seems to be a switch symbol above the two Commons with a line to the red peg.

 

[pirate]

Looks like a weird way of attaching to the wall.....

 

[westward10]

Looks like a weird way of attaching to the wall.....

I bought a Bovis house back in the 90s and all the back boxes were fixed using cable clips.

 

[pirate]

Crikey! I live in a bovis built in the 70s and the backboxes are well screwed to the walls. All walls are brick, and hard brick at that. Mind you, the plumbing is all in stainless steel as there was a copper shortage, and some of the wiring seems to be "not copper"...
Mainly single sockets too...

 

[westward10]

Crikey! I live in a bovis built in the 70s and the backboxes are well screwed to the walls. All walls are brick, and hard brick at that. Mind you, the plumbing is all in stainless steel as there was a copper shortage, and some of the wiring seems to be "not copper"...
Mainly single sockets too...

It was traditional brick built throughout. I complained and give them their due it was rectified.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Have worked in loads of houses where a single cut nail was used to hold a box to the wall...

 

[Pete999]

Have worked in loads of houses where a single cut nail was used to hold a box to the wall...

Proper job then?

 

[Timbo]

Never seen a switch like that. Those two terminals only have Common written by them and nothing else.

That's a Crabtree switch. Name is moulded in plate, bottom left.

 

[DPG]

Have worked in loads of houses where a single cut nail was used to hold a box to the wall...

Our estate, built in the 1970s, is the same. They used the tapered brads - they don't half grip into breeze blocks!

 

[freddo]

That's a Crabtree switch. Name is moulded in plate, bottom left.

Couldn't see that until the photo was viewed on a separate page! Never seen a crabtree switch like that before.

 

[westward10]

Even has an elongated screw hole to level it.

 

[7029 dave]

Quite like the double common terminal, saves the 2 conductors in one. First time have seen one.

 

[freddo]

Quite like the double common terminal, saves the 2 conductors in one. First time have seen one.

RPP sockets had double screw terminals, they were colour coded too.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

They are push-wire terminals which only accept one wire each, so the common is doubled to allow a loop-through. Put both red wires into the one common terminal in the new switch.

The most logical expalanation of what we see is that the switch cable from the light(s) is the 3C+E, carrying PL, SL and N. The T+E is either the feed, or it is taking PL and N on to another point.