I'd like to remove a light switch and conceal the wiring within a stud partition wall. Necessary connections will be with Wagos, and the bundle enclosed in a Wago box. The circuit will then be controlled by another switch already installed and working elsewhere.
However, I'm not sure what to join together. A pic of the switch here:
Currently how many switches control the light?
Your photo seems to show an intermediate switch but not wired for 3 off switches controlling one light. Have switches controlling this light been removed in the past?
Baffling, yes. Long ago an Irishman on a building site told me not to worry if you don't really know what you're doing with electrics, just fall back on a simple, logical, scientific method of trail and error.
TW
Tempting!
Although perhaps I should finally nail it and learn how lighting circuits work . . .
third earth just going to the terminal on the switchplate or backbox, you will be removing that when you replace it with a wagobox?
Put the bottom/left red, the top/right red and the top/right black into a 3-way way.
Put the top/left black into a 2-way wago just to keep it "parked" out harm's way.
zip-tie the wagobox and done ...
From memory, there's two leads terminated, not shown in the pic - a live and an earth.
One other switch, outside the room. Both switches somehow control 5 LED downlights via (he thinks) a transformer (the two white cables), and 2 240V downlights (the grey cable).
The owner tells me the wiring's a mess - added to and hacked about at various points. I don't want to get involved beyond removing the switch and tidying up the wiring.
A wider picture would help be sure, then ...
There is no top right black.
WARNING: I know nothing about electrics!!!!
Assuming 2 Gang switch, only one side of which does anything, My guess would be:
2 Wago Bottom Left Red, Top Left Black 2 Wago Top Left Brown, Top Left Red 2 Wago Off picture Black, Off picture Blue (I assume they already join off picture.)My advice would be top wait for someone who knows.
Hmmm, ok reading between the lines a bit here...
It looks like they have used an intermediate switch as two way switch.
(You can do that - you can think of an intermediate switch as a pair of single pole double throw (i.e. single pole changeover) switches with both of their two outputs wired in parallel to the outputs, and their individual common terminals individually wired to the input terminals).
Probably like in the 4th diagram here: "Two way switching - 3 wire control":
(a bigger picture photo might help)
There was in the photo I saw ...
My guess was that it wasn't two-way switching. Assuming this switch, and another switch located elsewhere
My guess was that both switches, this one and the one elsewhere, needed to be on for the light to light up, like a logical AND rather than the standard two way XOR.
That is the same if it is double gang or double pole (which seems more plausible).
Easy for RJH to test.
Are we going to have an argument about if the dress is blue or gold?
The giveaway is the companion blue wire. (brown,blue vs red,black)
OK, the photo is so dingy the top/right BROWN looks black
Yes, altogether a better photo required.
Sorry that should be:
It's ok, I got my left and right confused :-)
It's funny to me the brown was obvious, maybe better eyes or better monitor? The colours I have difficulty distinguishing are deep blue and black, particularly in poor light. e.g. socks.
Does not sounds like a particularly useful switching arrangement though, one switch marked on / off, and the other off / are you sure? :-)
It looks like a MK grid switch in a single faceplate frame - and it is marked "inter" - so it is an intermediate switch. (although not sure about the wiring to the bottom terminal - the placement of the wire looks odd - however I have not used that particular grid switch, so there may be a feature I am not aware of)
Indeed
On it!
No - either controlled all of the lights. So you could have a switch in an 'on' position, and the lights could be off (IYSWIM)
Which is "standard" 2 way switching:
Sounds like the only unusual bit was the end you pictured was using an intermediate switch. These are normally added between pairs of 2 way switches to add additional switching points should you want more than 2 switches controlling a single light (or group of) lights.
OK, sorry, I understand now, intermediate switch, used like a two way.
I just see can't see how it works, something going on off picture maybe?
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