That's the problem. I can add one to a single light switch. As its got live and neutral in and live and neutral out. But the actual switches have a common and L1 and L2
- Thread starter ukracer
- Start date
I know in principle how to wire it just not how to get it to work in my existing circuits given where things are. My Wife is however obsesses with table lamp type things so I have taken to automating those with sonoffs for the alexa control while carrying a cup of tea type moments.
All the wires up there are black cable so no way will I be messing with them.
If anything I will get a kit with 1 switch and two receivers. I know that will work as I cut the live and neutral going to the 1 set of lights and it worked fine.
I can sort it but if I don't know why it won't work , I won't have learnt anything. Lol
daleyd
Member
- Messages
- 10,484
- Location
- Wrexham, North Wales
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,445
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
the single cabe will be the comon either its the live feed or it will be the switched live to the light .the twin and earth red and black is the straps wire to the other switch. live one and live 2 in switches
I have two lights with 4 x g10's.
daleyd
Member
- Messages
- 10,484
- Location
- Wrexham, North Wales
O
Ok, might have been worth a mention at the beginning as that might affect how you do it. Possibly only 1 of those has the ring going through and the other has a switched live only. Our stairs light is a similar arrangement I think….
brightspark
Member
- Messages
- 41,445
- Location
- yarm stockton on tees
its not wired on the 3 plate system its wired in singles to the light
and will have a twin and earth loop to the second light
daleyd
Member
- Messages
- 10,484
- Location
- Wrexham, North Wales
Yes that’s kind of what I was getting at - it won’t be the same as a standard ceiling rose arrangement.its not wired on the 3 plate system its wired in singles to the light
Nomad
Member
- Messages
- 2,233
- Location
- North Devon (for how long?)
A friend has lighting in most of her rooms controlled by Alexa.
No changes to the light switches (they now work as isolators if / when needed), the standard bulbs have been swapped for "Alexa-compatible" ones.
I would love to say I understand all of that. I value your reply but it won't help if I say ok great
and still don't have a clue.I am guessing ( ah juyst seen your efit) lol. So single cable is common. I expected that. But I don't know what straps are. And I know the others are live. But I fail to understand the theory as to why the common can be the live feed or switched live to the light. Lol
So if I had started at the other light I might have been better off?its not wired on the 3 plate system its wired in singles to the light
But I don't have alexa (or google) in the kitchen where I need this extra switch.A friend has lighting in most of her rooms controlled by Alexa.
No changes to the light switches (they now work as isolators if / when needed), the standard bulbs have been swapped for "Alexa-compatible" ones.
Well if I went into the ceiling I could of used the switch I was trying to fit.
I ended up with a sonoff mini but it comes without a switch. I can't even find one on amazon strangely.
carbon
Member
- Messages
- 3,041
- Location
- S. Glos. U.K
With a sonoff mini you can use the existing light switch wiring to manually switch the light on/off by connecting it to the S1,S2 terminals. The sonoff does need to be installed at the ceiling rose for this to work to use the neutral.
MetalMonkey
Member
- Messages
- 3,463
- Location
- UK
Have a look at JWs video on switching lights, explains the basics of how two way switching works.
It will take a bit of effort to get your head around it initially, but once you do it is easy to understand how it works.
There are two approaches of wiring lighting.
The "2 plate" where the supply is taken into the switch, and the "live" conductor switched and then both the "switched live" and the neutral go out to the lamp - in this way there is a neutral available in the switch, typically joined in a choc strip or wago.
However, the more common/traditional way for domestic properties is the "3 plate" method, where the supply is taken to the ceiling pendant, where the neutral is connected directly to the light, and then a cable is run down to the switch and back up to the light to switch the "live". In which case there is no neutral available in the switch.
It gets slightly more complicated when you are talking about two way switching, but the principle is the same.
Many of the smart switches require a neutral at the switch for them to work, so can't be used with the second method, hence why you get the ones with batteries or the "kinetic" ones which use the action of pressing the switch to generate the signal.
Yours looks to be the "3 plate" method where the T&E cable goes between the switches, and the singles go up to the ceiling pendant.
It will take a bit of effort to get your head around it initially, but once you do it is easy to understand how it works.
There are two approaches of wiring lighting.
The "2 plate" where the supply is taken into the switch, and the "live" conductor switched and then both the "switched live" and the neutral go out to the lamp - in this way there is a neutral available in the switch, typically joined in a choc strip or wago.
However, the more common/traditional way for domestic properties is the "3 plate" method, where the supply is taken to the ceiling pendant, where the neutral is connected directly to the light, and then a cable is run down to the switch and back up to the light to switch the "live". In which case there is no neutral available in the switch.
It gets slightly more complicated when you are talking about two way switching, but the principle is the same.
Many of the smart switches require a neutral at the switch for them to work, so can't be used with the second method, hence why you get the ones with batteries or the "kinetic" ones which use the action of pressing the switch to generate the signal.
Yours looks to be the "3 plate" method where the T&E cable goes between the switches, and the singles go up to the ceiling pendant.
