Replacing 3 gang 2 way light switch

VG31

I'm trying to replace a 3 gang 2 way light switch in my hall. I've only replaced 1 gang switches before and this one is really confusing me. The instructions with the switch aren't much help.

The switch controls three lights, the porch light, hall light and the landing light. There is also an upstairs switch for the landing light. The old switch is probably there since the 80s and is labelled very differently to any new light switch.

In the below pictures you can see the wires that I have. I wouldn't pay too much attention to the colour of the tape, I just put that there so I could tell the wires apart. The brown wires are the live wires for the porch and hall light however. The top wires with the green/yellow tape are the other wires (not sure what these are called - neutral?) for the porch and hall. The two wires on the right are for the landing light switch.

There is also a looping wire. I'm not sure what this is for. I've managed to get the porch and hall lights working without trouble but I can only get the landing light switch working downstairs, the upstairs one doesn't work or else the light just flashes when you press it.

Any advice on what I should do here would be greatly appreciated.


Wires in wall box


Looping wire


New light switch


Old light switch

meercat

Put 1 landing wire in L1
Put the other in L2
Both L1 and L2 are adjacent

All the com connections should be looped together (perhaps with the cable marked with the earth tape)

The other 2 wires go into the other L1 terminals

meercat

If that doesn’t work then follow above but insert the cables with brown tape into the com terminals

VG31

meercat wrote: »

All the com connections should be looped together (perhaps with the cable marked with the earth tape)

Thanks for the reply. The loop wire from the old switch is not long enough to loop all the com connections together. Do I need to buy some wire and cut it to the correct size?

meercat

VG31 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. The loop wire from the old switch is not long enough to loop all the com connections together. Do I need to buy some wire and cut it to the correct size?

Yes.some 1.5

Risteard81

Switch not earthed.

meercat

Risteard81 wrote: »

Switch not earthed.

Good spot.
You need to earth the box or replace with a pvc one.

Tuco88

meercat wrote: »

Good spot.
You need to earth the box or replace with a pvc one.

Can he not use a PVC switch like he has, and use nylon screws or screw caps like what Hager supply with.

meercat

Tuco88 wrote: »

Can he not use a PVC switch like he has, and use nylon screws or screw caps like what Hager supply with.

No. The metal box needs to be earthed.