An obligatory part of each repair is the connection of the chandelier to the lighting wiring. Even without paying attention to the fact that all manipulations are connected with electrical circuits, anyone can cope with the task. The most important thing is to adhere to the stipulated rules, and then the work can be implemented independently at the proper level. Next, consider how to properly connect a chandelier with your own hands without errors.
Essential Requirements
Before you start connecting a chandelier to 2 switches, you need to familiarize yourself with all the basic conditions when working with electrical devices. At the same time, if working with electricity is not a fundamental type of work, it is not at all necessary to study all the documentation. It is enough to familiarize yourself with the following elementary rules:
- all tools that are planned to be used duringelectrical wiring must have high quality handle insulation;
- it is best that all work be done exclusively on de-energized wires;
- installation of a switch for lighting is only required to break the phase wire.
When connecting a chandelier to 2 switches, all of the above rules must be taken into account. They should not be neglected, as this can lead to irreparable consequences.
Connection diagram
Before you connect the chandelier to 2 switches, you need to purchase a cable with three wires. It is necessary because with this connection one wire comes from the junction box, and the other two are required to connect the lamp.
If you do not know how to properly connect a chandelier to 2 switches, then you should not worry about this, since all work is carried out according to the same rules as connecting an ordinary lamp.
Severity of polarity reversal
Many people think that installing a switch can be done on any wire. Such an opinion is fundamentally wrong. This is explained by the fact that if the switch breaks the neutral conductor, then the current does not pass through the lamps of the chandelier, but there is a phase potential on all wires, and this, in turn, threatens to defeat the current during work.
Another unpleasant moment in this situation is that with this kind of connection, the lamps can dimly illuminate the room or flicker when not in use.
Tools
Beforeconnect the chandelier to 2 switches, you need to take care of the availability of proper important tools. These include screwdrivers, electrical tape, side cutters, an indicator screwdriver, pliers, a measuring tool, and a sharp knife.
Everyone is familiar with most of the instruments. Things are a little different with measuring instruments, which can be both digital and pointer. Professionals prefer to use digital measuring devices, as they provide accuracy and are protected from overloads.
Wire marking
When connecting a chandelier to a 2-gang switch, you will need to have an idea about the marking of the wires, which greatly facilitates the work, since it eliminates the need to ring the wires.
On some cords you can see yellow markings with a green stripe. She says that this conductor is specially designed for grounding. This conductor is strictly forbidden to be used to connect devices. If the cord is marked with a blue or blue color, then this indicates that it is zero. Phase conductors can be marked with any other color than those listed above.
When connecting a chandelier to 2 switches, most often there are difficulties in households with old wiring, since in those days the wires were not marked in any way and were all the same color. In this case, before starting work, you will certainly need to ring the wires.
Dial posting
Before connectingchandelier to a 2-gang switch, you need to check the correctness of the inclusion. The indicator screwdriver must indicate the presence of a phase on one of the conductors in an open position. If the phase cannot be found, then this means that a mistake was made when connecting the switch or there was a problem in the junction box.
At least two wires must come out at the installation site of the chandelier. One of them must be zero, and the other - phase from the switch. If you plan to connect a multi-track chandelier, then the number of wires can be increased.
It is allowed to determine the purpose of the wires using an indicator screwdriver. If the switch is on, then voltage should be in only one of the wires. You can determine which cord fits the assigned key by turning them on one by one.
Wiring connection
Wires from the chandelier to lighting wiring are allowed to be connected using twisting, soldering or specialized terminal blocks. Soldering is considered the most high-quality and durable method, but it is used very rarely. This is because it is very difficult to perform it at a height and in a limited space.
Twisting can only be done if the wires are of the same diameter. It is strictly forbidden to twist solid and stranded wires between each other, as well as copper and aluminum wires. If all the conditions for twisting are met, then the twisting point will need to be wrapped with insulating tape or insulatingcaps.
The most optimal and common is the connection of wires using terminals. Currently, there is a huge selection of terminals in stores.
Application
When connecting a chandelier to a double switch, it becomes possible to alternately use a group of lamps or connect the device to full power. If a person does not know how to connect a chandelier to 2 switches, you should not worry about this. There is nothing difficult in this. Since the two-gang switch consists of a pair of single-gang switches, which are completed in a single case, their connection diagram is almost similar.
Before you connect the chandelier to 2 switches, you first need to get acquainted with its design features and with all the elements connected to the electrical network.
Actions in case of non-compliance with the required type of switch or chandelier
There are situations when more wires come out of a double switch than is necessary, and a person does not know how to connect a chandelier to 2 switches in this case. Don't panic right away. In this case, the best solution to the problem is to replace the switch and leave some of the wires free.
Also, sometimes the question arises of how to divide the chandelier into 2 switches, if it is simple. In this case, it is necessary to combine the wires that come from different keys. Their combination can be carried out both in the switch itself and on the ceiling directly in front of the connection block. In such a case, the chandelier will be turned on by any of the keys, and to turn it off, all the keys will need to be in the off position.
What if the number of keys is less than the conductors on the chandelier?
If there is no desire to restore all the wiring, then in such a case you can combine all the individual groups of lamps into one. In extreme variations, it is allowed to use several switches, but only on condition that the wiring allows it.
Recently, the most common question: how to connect a 2-switch chandelier with a remote control? In a setting like this, everything will depend on the number of bulbs that are connected to the switch.
The specifics of connecting wires in a chandelier
Purchasing the latest lighting fixtures and seeing an abundance of cords in them, many are wondering how to make a chandelier with 2 switches and connect these contacts.
In practice, many chandeliers, especially those made in China, often lack the required connections. In this case, before you pick up the chandelier for 2 switches, you definitely need to know how many separate groups of light bulbs are planned. All of them, which will be included in one group, must be connected in parallel, and wires of the same shade must be twisted together. Such manipulations are required to be carried out with each group of light bulbs.
After that, you need to combine all the wires from each group that have a bluemarking, and remove one wire from them, which will subsequently need to be connected to the neutral conductor. Any remaining wires are brought out and connected to the switch wires.
Connection
When purchasing a five-arm lighting fixture, the question arises of how to assemble a chandelier for 2 switches with your own hands. Connecting will be no more difficult than it would have to be done with any other chandelier.
In order to connect a five-arm chandelier, it is imperative to break up groups, each of which will have two or three lamps. After that, all manipulations will be identical. All wires that are inside the chandelier must be connected and well insulated. If you use special terminals, then in this case, installation work will be greatly simplified.
Using grounding
Modern buildings are necessarily supplied with special electrical wiring with grounding conductors. This is done in accordance with existing rules and regulations.
As mentioned earlier, such wiring is marked in yellow-green. For a chandelier with two groups of lamps, four wires will come out of the ceiling. If the chandelier is equipped with iron elements, then in such a case, you should use a special terminal for connecting the ground. When connecting this type of construction, it is also important to ground the chandelier. If, when purchasing such a lighting device, there was no terminal in the kit, then the wiregrounding is generally not allowed to be connected. The most important thing is to insulate it with high quality and hide it under the chandelier body. It is desirable to do it qualitatively. Reliable isolation will avoid the risk of short circuits. You should also hide the wires under the body of the lighting element as best as possible. A high-quality installation of a chandelier will not only give light to the room, but also make its interior special (in particular, when it comes to designer models).
Common mistakes
When connecting a chandelier to a double switch, sometimes people without experience in this area make certain mistakes. The most common of them are the following:
- Any chandelier connection scheme has a phase that comes into the junction box. Then it goes down to the input contact, disconnects and returns to the wiring with other wires, going directly to the ceiling. The peculiarity is that zero should come into the box and then go to the chandelier, while not going down to the switch. This is the most common mistake of novice electricians and amateurs who, out of inexperience, confuse the markings and lower both phase and zero to the switch. This leads to the fact that when the key is turned on, the machine knocks out. In order to prevent such a mistake, it must always be remembered that zero should never go into the switch, but go immediately to the ceiling.
- The following error is related to zero. There are situations when two wires are confused with each other and zero is entered through the switch, and notphase, as expected. In such a situation, it is possible that the lighting device will still function, but the voltage in it will change continuously. This inattention can lead to very unpleasant consequences (such as an electric shock while changing a light bulb).
- The following error occurs as a result of connecting the phase conductor on the switch not to the main common contact, but to one of the outgoing ones. Such an error will lead to the fact that only one half of the lighting fixture will work. Such erroneous actions can also be detected by the disappearance of the operability of the switch backlight. If the diode backlight suddenly stops working, then this is the first sign that an error was made during the connection.
- Sometimes apartment owners, when connecting a chandelier, face real mysticism. They initially assemble the entire circuit without error, but after a certain time they discover that it is not a phase that passes through the switch, but zero. In such a situation, a lot of questions arise. The answer is very simple. Sometimes, during the repair work of the general wiring, the electricians involved in their work change the meter or initially perform the actions incorrectly. Unfortunately, no one is immune from such situations, especially when it comes to multi-storey housing.
The whole process of preparing and connecting the chandelier to the power of the double switch is quite simple. The most important thing in such a situation is to adhere to certain recommendations and carefully handlewires. Unfortunately, no one is immune from mistakes, especially for inexperienced craftsmen. In order to avoid them, you should correctly and extremely carefully carry out all the stages of installation and clearly follow the scheme. Before starting work, you definitely need to carefully review the instructions that come with the chandelier, which list all the technical parameters, as well as draw a detailed diagram and the procedure for connecting all wires. In this case, you can protect yourself from unpleasant consequences not only during the execution of work, but also during the direct operation of the lighting device. If there is no self-confidence and experience in working with electricity, then it is best to seek qualified help from electricians who will professionally and efficiently perform all the required work. In this case, you can save yourself and others from problems during operation.
