Table of Contents
How does the two way switch work?
Two way light switching works by having two wires in between the two different switches. What these two wires do is that they act as an alternate bridge point between the switches that allow them to connect the circuit to the light source from either switch.
What the difference between a 1 way and 2 way switch?
1 way is an on/off switch and means there’s only one place you can turn your light on or off. This is the most common kind of switch found in most homes. Most 2 way switches can also be used as a 1 way on/off switch. 2 way means there’s another switch controlling the same light.
What is the difference between a 2 way and 3 way light switch?
Both 2 Way and 3 Way switches are SPDT switches. But 3 Way switches have an extra pin called ‘Grounding pin’, which is not present on 2-way switches. 2 Way Switches have 3 screws, whereas 3 Way Switches have 4 screws. But irrespective of that, in both cases, you can employ 2 switches to control the load.
What is L1 and L2 on a light switch?
The L1 is the switched live going out to the light. A two way switch (for switching a light from two different locations like in a hallway) has a common (C) a L1 and an L2 terminal. L1 is off when L2 is on and vice versa depending on the switch position. You can use a two way switch for one way switching.
Can I use a 2 way switch for a 1 way light?
Two way switches can be used when there is only one switch for a light, as a substitute for a one way switch. Click here to read more about what is a two way light switch. They can also be used when there are two switches for one light.
How do I know if I have a 2 way switch?
Although there are many types of switches, we are more accustomed to one-way and two-way electrical switches. The main difference between them is the number of contacts that they have. A one-way switch only has two contacts while a two-way switch has three.
What is one way switch used for?
One Way Switches: When a light switch is a one-way switch, it means it’s just an on/off switch. It controls a single light or lighting circuit. One gang one way switch is the simplest type of light switch available in the market.
Can a 3-way switch be used as a 2 way switch?
Yes, you can use 3-way (UK: 2-way) as 2-way (UK: 1-way) switches. It will work fine. Simply make sure the screws are different colors; you want the common terminal and one of the messengers; not both messengers.
How do you tell if you have a 3-way switch?
A more positive way to identify a 3-way switch is to look at the body of the switch and count the number of screw terminals: a 3-way switch has three terminal screws plus a ground screw. Two of the terminals are a light color—bronze- or copper-colored—and are called travelers.
When should you use a 3-way switch?
Three-way switches are commonly used to control a light fixture from two different locations. For example, a long hallway or stairway might use a pair of three-way switches at each end so that lights can be turned on when approaching one end of the hall or stairway, then shut off from the other end.
What does L1 L2 and COM mean?
The single direction plane switch has two L1 terminals, the terminal to which the neutral cable is connected – the blue cable (traditional black, before changing). COM or Common is the terminal to which the live core cable is connected – this is the brown cable (red era).
What wire goes into L1 and L2?
The yellow wire goes into the common terminal, red goes into the L1 terminal and blue goes into the L2 terminal. The grey wire goes in the common terminal, the brown wire goes in the L1 terminal and the black wire goes in the L2 terminal.
What is L1 L2 L3 in electrical?
Terminology. The three winding end connected together at the centre are is called the neutral (denoted as ‘N’). The other ends are called the line end (denoted as ‘L1’, ‘L2’ and ‘L3’). The voltage between two lines (for example ‘L1’ and ‘L2’) is called the line to line (or phase to phase) voltage.
How do you wire two switches and lights using the same power source?
If you’ve mounted two switches in the same electrical box, prepare two black wires. Connect one end of the 6-inch wire to the top terminal of the first switch. Twist the other end together with the black wire from the incoming circuit cable and the black wire from the cable going to the second switch to form a pigtail.
What is L1 and L2 in electricity?
The incoming circuit wires that provide the power are referred to as the line wires. L1 (line 1) is a red wire and L2 (line 2) is a black wire. Together, they show the motor voltage. Having both an L1 and L2 indicate that the motor voltage may be 240 volts.
What does L1 L2 L3 mean on a light switch?
Two way switch Note that L1 and L2 are never connected together. Again, some makes of switch may have alternative markings such as L1 L2 and L3. This type of switch is used where two switches control one light, such as at the top and bottom of a stairway.
What does L1 mean on a light switch?
The faceplate of a single, one-way switch has two terminals: “L1” is the terminal to which the neutral core wire is attached – the blue wire (traditionally black, before the change). “COM” or “Common” is the terminal to which the live core wire is attached – this is the brown wire (formerly red).
What Colour wire goes to L2?
Brown for L1, Black for L2 and Grey for common. Result is Red (brown) is permant L.
