snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote in news:75b997fb-8267-4d89-8e73- snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
I would say those two switches are in series. Am I mistaken to use the word "series" in this context?
Harry
In that particular case neither term is totally correct since you in effect have two sets[1] of series switches wired in parallel
[1] since they are single pole double throw aka "changeover" / "two way" switches.John Rumm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@brightview.co.uk:
Thanks :)
I was thinking in the cruder terms of
(cables)..(switchbox)..(cables)..(switchbox)...(cables)
Could we say the switchboxes are series?
Harry
Harold Davis wrote in news:XnsA7D99444C16F6harolddavis@213.239.209.88:
I mean "in series". Damned typo!
It would seem that one of the conductors between S1 and S2 is connected to a 'live' feed from somewhere else which would give you the condition you describe.
Yup, that topology is a deprecated way of doing it for a number of reasons:
The "standard" method is preferred in most cases:
In the grand scheme of things it does not really matter what you call them, so long as they work!
ISTM you need to go back to basics and work out what wires you have going where, and then build things up logically when you know what you are starting with.
Do you have a multimeter so that you can test which wires are live and also which ones are connected to each other?
The first step is finding the power feed to the lamps (normally twin an earth). Then identifying the switch drop wires bwtween the roses and the switches (again normally T&E even on two way switched systems), and finally the link cables between the switches (normally 3&E).
(you can test whether two possibly connected cable ends are in reality connected if you twist the wires together at one end, and then measure the resistance between them at the other)
Needless to say (and apologies for stating the obvious), but do all the investigations and test connecting with the power to *all* circuits turned off until you have made sure you know what is being powered from where. If you accidentally short something, its much better to be operating the MCB in the CU than fiddling about with multimeter probes in the back of a switch or rose.
This is the definitive way:-
L1 L1 0===========0 0===========0============= Line | \ / | C 0================================O C \ / \ / 0===========0 0===========0============= Switch return L2 Optional L2 Intermediate
It's very much the "schoolboy physics practical" way of doing it, makes it obvious what's going on, but when you stretch the circuit out to the location of switches and ceiling roses in an actual house, it's not so good in practice ...
I think you would get this if the common wire at one switch is oonnected to L1 or L2 at the other switch. If one piece of three core connects both switches it is easy to check that the same colour (not important which) is connected to common at both ends.
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