When repairing or replacing electrics in the house, you need to know how to connect the switch, and clarify the options for the circuits. The latter are designed for one mode of operation, when a single lamp in the luminaire is used. With complex switching, they first draw a drawing and mark the mounting locations of the devices, then they start working to avoid mistakes.
Preparation for work
You need to figure out how to connect the switch before starting the installation of electrical equipment. When replacing an old similar contactor, the task is simpler, only before that you should turn off the introductory machine. The process of dismantling the old and installing the new should be carried out in strict accordance with the existing connections.
How to connect a switch if you need to install additional equipment (socket or additional light control point)? Here you can not do without basic knowledge of electrical engineering. You need to understand where the "phase" is, and where is "zero".
All electricians are required to mark the wires. If they don'tdone, you have to do it yourself. You will need a multimeter, confidence in your knowledge and ability to install wires.
What do you need for installation?
How to connect a switch without a screwdriver? We purchase a cross, terminal, flat 4 mm. If we are going to make connections using the twist method, then we need to take electric wire cutters.
High-quality installation is carried out by self-clamping terminal blocks, lugs are put on the wires. You can buy them at an electrical store. You will need a special crimp, you can use ordinary pliers instead, but it will be of poor quality.
The twists are closed with electrical tape or heat shrink, which are also available in electric stores. They will also tell you how to connect the switch. You can even ask for a diagram. However, if you are unsure of your abilities, it is better to turn to professional installers.
Determining the desired automaton
How to connect the wires to the switch, you can see on the already installed one. It is enough just to remove the top cover and measure the voltage relative to the ground contact, there will be a potential on one of the wires - this is the "phase". But it is worth remembering: electricians can bring 2 "zero" wires.
To determine the machine or fuse, you need to turn on the light and "click off" one at a time until it goes out. If this is a new installation, then the procedure is carried out until the moment when the phase voltage disappears. When it is possible to disable allpower supply, you can not complicate the process and do it.
So that someone does not accidentally turn on the light while the installation work is being carried out, you need to hang a prohibition poster on the power supply. It is dangerous as an electric shock, and the fact that after a blow a person can fall and get injured (head, torso). A simple procedure for replacing a switch without observing safety precautions will turn into a long sick leave.
Installation from scratch
To install the switch correctly, you should buy:
- box for wires installed in a wall niche;
- the conductors lead into a protected distributor, to which they leave access in case of problems (the maximum is hidden under a thin layer of plaster, marking the location);
- shrink sleeve corresponding to the diameter of the wire is heated by an open fire;
- lugs are also selected according to the diameter of the conductor, the ideal option would be to use solder joints, but this is a laborious and time consuming process;
- the switch is chosen with reliable contacts: threaded or clamping;
- it may be necessary to use a protective corrugation for laying wires in prepared wall channels.
The switch is mounted in a niche. For outdoor installation, it must have a closed housing made of non-conductive material. These models are sold ready-made. Under the feet of a person there should not be a metal scaffold to prevent impactcurrent from poor-quality installation of the switch. This question is most relevant in industrial premises.
What not to do?
It is important not only to know how to connect the switch correctly, but also to anticipate installation errors. Never use "ground" instead of a neutral wire. The lamp will burn, but this will lead to a distortion of the total load of the entire house. Then, when there are too many such connections, the electricians of the service company will be tormented to look for the cause of the constantly knocking out introductory machine.
It is not recommended to bolt wires in an inaccessible place. After a year or two, such contacts should be extended. You can leave bare sections of wires only by first insulating them. The twists are also subject to soldering and insulation. Leftover metal pieces may short out in the future.
It is not recommended to work when the voltage is not relieved. Do not leave wires open for a day or more during repairs, connect power equipment that does not belong to lighting from the wire, take power past the circuit breaker.
Mounting Methods
A single switch is connected to the break in the supply wire. But there are complex contactors designed to turn on in one place and turn off in another. It is very useful for lighting corridors, stairs, warehouses, where there are several exits.
Let's see how to connect a pass switch. The picture shows the wiring diagram, where you can see - the contact canswitch on and off from any direction. In all positions, the light is controlled by one switch. Approaching the stairs, a person lights a lamp and, having risen, extinguishes it already at the top. Another can already illuminate the room from above, even from below.
The advantage of the circuit for the through switch is the ease of installation. But extra meters of cable will be required, compared with a single switch. The lamp can be one, right above the stairs. Recently, automatic switches have been installed, but the power button is also required 2. An analogue can be a motion sensor that is triggered when any object approaches it.
Forked montage
Sometimes there are problems in the question of how to connect two switches. After all, one has only one wire used in the gap. When a chandelier with several lamps is used, then its neutral wires are combined inside the ceiling into one neutral one. The phases are divided and go through contactors.
But how to connect a double switch if we have two incoming wires? The phase clings to one contact and one end of the jumper is taken from here. The second is placed on the adjacent key. The neutral terminal, as a rule, is one for both keys, the contact isolation is made inside the plastic case.
Be sure to determine the phase wire before connecting. This can be done with an indicator screwdriver. The LED is on, there is voltage. Often a screwdriver shows the presence of potential on the second one, but the diode is already burning weaker. This is the reasonincorrect wiring connection in the electrical panel.
To make it easier to figure out how to connect a two-gang switch, the standard wire colors are used: red - phase, black - neutral. However, in each room, the marking may be different. When connecting the lamp socket, the supply conductor must enter in the center.
Installation rules
The lead wire to the switch should be thicker than those connected to the cartridges. In the chandelier, conductors are used even thinner, so the uniformity of potentials is maintained. When using energy-saving lamps, it is recommended to separate the circuits of sockets and switches with fuses.
The same rule applies when installing LED lamps. Light-emitting diodes are often used in switches. Fluorescent lamps do not always work correctly with them, they start blinking. Here it is better to remove the photodiode circuit.
You need to clamp the wire at a length of more than 5 mm. A short one may fall out of the switch over time or during the next disassembly. The thickness of the wire is selected according to the calculated load. Otherwise, the wiring will heat up and last for a short time.
