DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Hi. I have a fluorescent light I'd like to make switchable from the other side of the room. I thought it'd be as simple as unscrewing the switch and installing it elsewhere with the wires trailing behind it. Having no electrical experience whatsoever, what I saw in the switch and the ceiling rose confused me. I need help identifying the wires going from the switch to the light from the ones in the circuit which it shares with other lights.

Switch (2 terminals)
2 reds in C
1 red in L1

Ceiling rose (3 terminals)
2 green/yellow in top
2 blacks in left
1 red in right

There are RF linked switches they often need a 9 volt battery in the switch but far simpler than trying to re-wire.

If you do want to hard wire with two way system it needs three core and earth from old switch to new switch it does not need any connection to ceiling rose that stays as it was.

There are two methods to wire up two way switches in the main. Standard method is to replace the original switch with a two way but instead of original wires going to com and L1 now they go to L1 and L1 the interconnecting wires are connected like for like so if you use for example a brown, black and grey cable and brown goes to Com on one switch then it also goes to come on the other switch.

Some switches don't have com but instead have a data link, those switches with electronics be it a dimmer or a time switch but need to be same make both switches.

For rooms where you don't sit down, i.e. kitchen, hall, stairs and landing you can get PIR switches that auto switches on lights if dark and some hot object moves i.e. you.

How would you go about extending one of the wires in the com to the new switch?

Also, when the 3 core and earth wires are matched up between the new 2 way switches (3 terminals each), where does the earth from the 3 core and earth go?

Finally, appearance aside, does it matter if the wires are bending at right angles or zig-zagging freely?

Thanks for your extremely helpful response.

Google permitted zones there are very defined places where you can put cables.

My impression is if you don't know what to do with the earths then give up. Get an electrician to do the job you are clearly well below the standard required. Sorry.

It turned out nice once I sorted it out with a bit of thinking. I should have googled before asking some questions.

The cables run across the walls and are concealed by trunking in this house, hence the right angle question.

I like many I am sure walk into a room, glance around it and come up with a few questions, I may then peep at the DNO head and decide if likely TT or TN and simply plugging my loop impedance tester will likely answer any unanswered questions.

However on a forum I have to work with what you tell me. To work out what I can find out in 5 minutes in the house with questions and answers would likely take 5 hours.

So although I can and will answer questions limited to a small area. For general questions you need to do a lot of reading.

So let us start again. To hard wire you need to do a lot of work. Easy Home, Lightwave RF, Easy Switch, etc. all do wireless versions some simply plug into the light fitting.

In some cases it actually works better than the hard wired version. Much of cause depends on the use of the room. For example in the kitchen or hall we are always moving so a inferred switch works well. However with a living room the idea of lights switching off when you doze off is not really what you want.

Today standard methods are changing, years ago lights were wired light to light and then each lamp would have a wire to the switch so we could have nearly have laid out a step by step how to alter. However today mainly with the advent of the silly spot lamp there was a move away from using the ceiling rose as a junction box and instead behind the switch is used.

Found the original product I had looked at https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/L ... 0wod1YsLSA is the web site and it says:-

Fitting an easySWITCH EST-1 transmitter to any make or style of switch plate from single to four gang provides a fully wireless conventional looking wall switch.
The switch can be surface or flush mounted almost anywhere without running a single cable.

Then wire an ESR-1 receiver adjacent to a mains power source along
with the appliance to be switched - it’s that easy.

Have a look see what you think?