Light switch question

[User365466367]

Hi all,

I need to switch a few light switches for new ones as the switches have gone very loose and jiggly!

Switched 2 on bog standard circuits no problem, but I the third I need to check what I need to buy...

It's the hallway light on the middle floor of a 3 storey house. The light can be switched on in 3 places - downstairs, on the floor it's on and upstairs.

I am wanting to swap a one gang light switch, there's a 2 gang light switch next to it that controls the upstairs and the downstairs light. I bought a 1 gang 2 way switch... But I'm not sure if it is correct, as there's more wires than slots (or whatever the sparky word is for it!) Screwed the plate back on and I'll do it tomorrow in the daylight.

I've attached pictures (hopefully!) of the current switch and the replacement one I purchased.

Please could someone either confirm I've bought the right kind of switch, or direct me to the one I should buy (cheap white one from screwfix or toolstation preferably!)

TL;DR - do I have the correct light switch?

Thanks in advance :)

Can't answer your question as such, but I am having with multi way gangs like that in my rewire and our electrician is specifying particular switches or remote junction boxes. However my grasp of the detail is hazy so other than suggesting it might not be as simple as the switches you have got I am not being very helpful.

your old light switch has four terminals, so I expect it is an Intermediate switch. This is because you have three switches for one lamp.

It is vitally important that you mark each individual wire and photograph how they are conected so that you can connect the new ones in exactly the same way. Do not rely on colour alone.

I can't see the copper earthwires in your photo. I presume some halfwit has cut them off. This means you mustn't use metal switches or lamps on that circuit. An electrician could probably repair them, but probably needs to do all the switches and light fittings which is very tiresome.

This switch will suit you.

www.screwfix.com/p/mk-logic-plus-10ax-1-gang-intermediate-switch-white/78553

Thank you @RealisticSketch, yes I agree, I have changed a few simple circuit switches easily enough but opened this up and thought I better double check! It's not something that needs sorting immediately so if I'm not 100% confident I'll get someone in at some point.

Thank you @PigletJohn I have ordered one of those to collect today. I will swap over one wire at a time so I can be certain it is going into the right location. It does not surprise me about the earth wire, the whole house (early 2000s) seems to have built by similarly skilled halfwits... In particular the plumbing seems to be especially troublesome, we are sorting it as we go along, but that is another story...

Update: all fitted and working fine! Thank you for your advice.

However... The next switch along now looks a bit yellow, and doesn't match (new switch has rounded edge, the other one is square edges), and I will notice it every time and it will bug me.

Please could you recommend something that I could replace the other with? Thanks again.

It appears to be a 2-gang 2-way (presumably for hall and landing or something) so this MK will match the one you just bought.

www.screwfix.com/p/mk-logic-plus-10ax-2-gang-2-way-light-switch-white/16201

Each of the two-way switches has three terminals arranged in a triangle; the power goes in (or out) through the point of the triangle, and the others connect to the right or the left of the base.

It can also be used as a one way switch, you just connect the point and either the left, or the right. So sparks often just carry 2-way switches and don't bother carrying 1-ways. If it ever seems "upside down" just swap the left and the right over.

With lighting connections, it is vital to photograph the old wires before disconnecting them so you can reconect the same way. Brush the insulation clean and mark with dabs of tippex or a permanent marker, if there is more than one of any colour.

Thank you @PigletJohn that is perfect thank you.

And yes, I marked the wires with coloured permanent markers so I was 100% certain they were going in the right positions.

Fitted the other light switch this afternoon, was slightly different layout to the original switch but could clearly see which group of wires went together from each lamp circuit so could work out where to put each wire.

Thanks very much for your guidance, @PigletJohn!

I definitely don't think I could be an electrician, however, my fingers are not nimble enough... It's all a bit too fiddly!

sometimes the triangles are point-up, and sometimes point-down, but they still work the same way