HELP with light wiring

ch657 · Dec 23, 2011

hi i am currently oing a job and have got stuck with the lighting.

there is 3 lights in the hallway and a light at the top of the stairs. there is a switch at 1 end of the hallway, a switch at the front door, a switch at the bottom of the stairs and a switch at the top of the stairs.

the feeds are at the lights i just need help with the wiring. any help would be very grateful especialy wiring diagrams or pictures.

i want the up stair switch to switch both up and down stairs lights
i want the down stair switch to switch both up and down lights the switch at
the front door switches the porch but also want it to switch down stairs lights.
i want the end of hallway switch to just switch the downstairs lights.

may sound confusing but need help thanks a lot

Mr.Si · Dec 24, 2011

You may wish to draw it down on paper as I can't think right now. Do yourself a layout diagram and then try a wiring diagram afterwards. It may help with the logic.

Si

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Richard Burns · Dec 24, 2011

Hmm bit of a mess of wiring required there I think.

I can think of two ways of doing it:

Use downstairs switching for the hall lights and also a separate on stairs switching for hall lights
This way would be easier to wire but could cause problems with a light not switching off when wanted because it was switched by the other switching circuit.

[ElectriciansForums.net] HELP with light wiring

The other way will use lots of cable (depending on the room layout) and would need to have an intermediate switch wired as a two way switch but it would work as you describe.

As I do not know the layout the diagrams may help or hinder.
Good luck!

Specialist · Dec 24, 2011

By eck Richard, middle of the night & you were still on form.:yesnod: :icon14:

telectrix · Dec 24, 2011

being a lazy old sod, i'd bung in a couple of remote control switches.

ch657 · Dec 24, 2011

thanks this has helped a great deal. the annoying thing is that the old electrician has put the cables in already and there not right so i guess ima start chasing again lol

1 more question i have never used a 2 gang intermidate and didnt realise they where existant. how do they work? thanks.

thanks for your help

Richard Burns · Dec 24, 2011

I have shown the wiring using the three wire method and it is possible that the original design was two wire method, I would not normally use this going up and down stairs as it is too easy to swap circuits but may be worth considering if there are enough cables in place, to save rechannelling.

Two gang intermediate switches are just the same as normal intermediate but there are two of them.
four terminals for one switch and four terminals for the other.
They are slightly harder to get hold of, so before you plan the style make sure that the manufacturer stocks them.
To wire as 2way just use one teminal as common and the two on the other side of the switch as L1, L2.

Octopus · Dec 24, 2011

If the cables are already in, do you know what they intended to do? i.e. are they new or old?

Deleted member 26818 · Dec 24, 2011

To be honest, I can't see that such a system will be possible with standard wiring.
It will not be possible to have lights individually controlled by one switch, if they are also controlled by another switch, that controls other lights.

Octopus · Dec 24, 2011

Also when you look at the wiring, what can you see at the back boxes? My guess is that some will have 2 way switching.

Rauer · Dec 24, 2011

Why don't u just have an extra gang on the switch plate?

Richard Burns · Dec 24, 2011

This is the 2 wire wiring, in a totally different format just to confuse (quicker to draw), I agree that you cannot have only one switch performing two different actions must use two gang switches.

Must stop for Christmas now, good luck and Merry Christmas.

Specialist · Dec 24, 2011

Have a good Christmas Richard & don't do anything we would'nt lol.

ackbarthestar · Dec 24, 2011

ch657 said:
hi i am currently oing a job and have got stuck with the lighting.

there is 3 lights in the hallway and a light at the top of the stairs. there is a switch at 1 end of the hallway, a switch at the front door, a switch at the bottom of the stairs and a switch at the top of the stairs.

the feeds are at the lights i just need help with the wiring. any help would be very grateful especialy wiring diagrams or pictures.

i want the up stair switch to switch both up and down stairs lights
i want the down stair switch to switch both up and down lights the switch at
the front door switches the porch but also want it to switch down stairs lights.
i want the end of hallway switch to just switch the downstairs lights.

may sound confusing but need help thanks a lot

Looks like it was wired to multiway switch all the lights simultaneously at the four different switch positions. If you want to change the manual switch /lighting conditions you will probably have to do a little rewiring. - That'll be good for the Christmas bonus.

I assume that there is some 3-core cabling in with this lot ?