Which cable in light switch actually goes in common??

[King84]

Hi Guys

I have been taught in college and in books that live goes in common and switch live goes into terminal L1 or L2 but practially speaking if we give Line conductor Brown in Common and Switch Live which is blue lets say with brown sleeve in L1 then the problem which I face is when Switch is in off position then it is live but when switch is pressed to switch on then it goes off.

The polarity changes I know you can turn switch upside down but thats not what I am asking why do we give Line conductor in Common when we always have to turn switch upside down? why cant we just give Line conductor in L1 and switch live in common. Why do they teach otherwise in the books? Thanks everyone

 

[DPG]

On a single way switch, the two contacts are closed when the switch is operated. From a functional point of view there is no difference.

 

[Burtones]

Some brands use C and others L1 as the labelling for the permanent connection. If your permanent live, normally brown, is in this position and the switch is the right way up then the off position is always off so I'm not sure what you mean- off is when the top of the switch is pushed in- push the bottom to switch on

 

[Timbo]

Put your switched live in L2. Then switch will be right way up.
Some switches have marked on back, "for 1-way use L2" or similar.

 

[Lou7]

Hi Guys

I have been taught in college and in books that live goes in common and switch live goes into terminal L1 or L2 but practially speaking if we give Line conductor Brown in Common and Switch Live which is blue lets say with brown sleeve in L1 then the problem which I face is when Switch is in off position then it is live but when switch is pressed to switch on then it goes off.

The polarity changes I know you can turn switch upside down but thats not what I am asking why do we give Line conductor in Common when we always have to turn switch upside down? why cant we just give Line conductor in L1 and switch live in common. Why do they teach otherwise in the books? Thanks everyone

If you do what you’re saying it will be exactly the same (upside down)

 

[Resu]

I think Timbo has hit the nail on the head with this one, have experienced this with some manufacturers/older switches.

 

[Lucien Nunes]

OP: it's not which wire is in which terminal that matters. What decides whether the switch is up for off or up for on, when a 2-way switch is used for 1-way, is whether L1 or L2 is used. Some makes of switch connect L1-common when down, and some L2-common. Hence the marking referred to by Timbo (as on MK switches) where the circuit is completed to L2 in the down position. If on this switch you used L1 instead, you would have to mount it upside down.

Note that some other countries use the convention of up for on / down for off, for their light switches, as we do for circuit breakers and industrial switches.

 

[littlespark]

As mentioned earlier, some switches are marker C, L1, L2...... others are L1,L2,L3....
Some have the common at the top with the L1 and 2 at the bottom, some have common and L1 at one end and L2 on its own.
Then some throw an N in there for good measure.

 

[King84]

Thank you everyone. really appreciate you took time to answer ! Cheers