Electricity Advice (again)

[Lee85 44]

Right, basically the other day I fitted some spotlights which are all well and good. So.....

 

I've come to change my light switches, i've done two no problem at all totaly fine, these were single switches with just a live and neutral in, no problem there - there fine.

 

So I came to do my double switches and i'm greeted with this, two wires with twin reds and then a grey one with a red in it:

 

 

Going into this, and theres a 'link' wire linking two of the ports:

 

 

Another view:

 

 

 

So thats five 'ports' and i'm trying to get them into my new fitting which is this, 4 port:

 

 

Is that possible or is it a different type of light fitting I need? I thought because they were two wires 'linked' they could be put together into the same hole anyway?

 

Also the other double i'm trying to replace is this:

 

 

This just has 6 'ports' so will not work in my 4 port fitting?

 

Also the one at the top of the steps is a single switch but has 3 wires in it? Is this because it is also getting controlled by a light switch downstairs? (actually it's the one with 6 'ports') And the one with 6 ports is also contolling the one with the link wire.

 

That my sound confusing as fook but if the sparky fella who helped me last is about then jobs a good 'un!

 

I'm thinking I need to send my doubles back and get different 'gang' ones and also one of my single ones and get a '2way' gang jobby?

Edited August 10, 2010 by Lee85

[bullcross1 10]

ok mate im a sparky, from what a can see the switches u have bought are only one way switches, and you need 2 way switches, so for them 2 bad boys in the picture you will need 2 2 gang 2 way switches then just swap them like for like.

im not the brightest spark out there but ill try and help

[willum 89]

yep your right mate you need 2 way doubkle gang switches as your right in saying upstairs control down aswell so your switching lives at top and bottom of stairs just take them back to wholesailer and ask him for what is speced above if you can isolate safely the lighting cicuit there on take 1 off and take it to them or take in the pics and they should be able to sort you out atb willum.

[Lee85 44]

cheers guys thanks apprciated. I bought them over the internet as they were fancy ones our lass fancied so i'll email them today and get a replacement! thanks again

[Lerk 0]

As above, FYI if you're looking on t'interweb you'll need to know the following abbreviations

 

1G1W - 1 gang (1 actual switch on the front plate) 1 way (the switch just opens and closes)

 

2G2W - 2 gang (2 switches on a plate) 2 way (each switch has a common input that swaps between two outputs L1/L2)

 

you can also get 1G2W, 2G1W, 3G1W, 3G2W & then there are intermediate switches... but we'll not mention them for now!