Lighting and light sources are now developing very rapidly. Engineering solutions are combined with design solutions and the result is very interesting products. The changes also affected conventional light switches. A fairly common type of them, which is used in many apartments, is a switch with two keys. How to connect it correctly and in accordance with the required lighting functionality? The answer to this question will be discussed in the article.
Advantages of the two-button switch
Despite its simplicity, such a device can separate work areas in an apartment using lighting. The two-button light switch avoids having separate buttons for each area, which is a good design decision.
It is worth noting that the connection of electrical objects to such a switch is simple in itself, and does not require any special construction knowledge. All that is needed isthe presence of a standard tool, desire and following the instructions described in this article.
Options for using a two-gang switch
As noted above, such devices can control the lighting of two groups of lighting fixtures at once. Depending on this, you can think of various options for lighting the apartment:
- To save electricity, the chandelier can be used not at full capacity, but only turn on a few light bulbs if necessary.
- Control of two lights with one switch is now possible.
- Controlling lighting in different rooms from one place is no problem.
- Fulfillment of special wishes - before visiting the bathroom, you can turn on the light using the switch in a certain room.
As you can see, the characteristics of switches with two keys can greatly simplify and improve lighting control. However, future lighting sources and their layout before installation should be carefully planned and even mark the main points on paper.
Planning for the future of lighting
Before you install the switch, you need to take into account a lot of features: the nuances of the apartment, special ideas for future lighting, the location of the planned location of light sources, the position of the switch itself, the location of the power distribution panel.
When planning lighting, a trace is created in which laying places are visiblecable. This takes into account various obstacles, such as windows, heating pipes, various fastenings in the walls.
It is worth remembering the cables that go to other consumers of electricity in the apartment. When developing the installation diagram and before installing the switch, you need to select a suitable wire section, depending on the planned load of the electrical network. The insulation material must also be selected taking into account all the features of the wall and its material. Never use homemade wiring that does not meet accepted standards. It is very dangerous to operate and may cause a fire.
Preparatory work for installing a switch with two buttons
Installation of the switch should begin with preparatory work. First of all, you need to decide on the wires: which one is the phase, and which one is zero. This procedure is best done with a special indicator. For professional electricians, a special screwdriver with a light bulb in the handle acts as such. It will be needed for many electrical work, so it will need to be purchased. To determine the phase, touch the metal part of the indicator to both wires. On which the light in the screwdriver lights up, that one will be the phase. In order not to get confused in the future, the wires should be marked in some way.
When connecting a chandelier, take care to de-energize the wiring that comes out of the ceiling. After ensuring the marking of ceiling wires and power outagesyou can start mounting the switch with two keys. But before that, it is worth preparing connecting elements and electrical insulation, which are represented by the following varieties:
- self-clamping terminal;
- screw clamp;
- Insulating tape or silicone cap.
Tool kit for connecting the switch
For the correct connection of the lamps in the chandelier, you need to carefully read the diagram of the device. In the future, this will allow you to quickly eliminate any damage in the process of using the lighting device. For successful and safe work on connecting any switch, you must prepare the following tool:
- a set of various screwdrivers;
- knife or other tool suitable for stripping wires;
- Pliers with side cutter.
This is a standard set of tools. It can be expanded depending on the conditions and degree of site preparation, as well as on which two-button switch will be used. How to connect it and where to start connecting is discussed below. First of all, you need to prepare the wires.
Preparation of electrical wires
Wire preparation varies depending on the types of electrical devices to be connected to the switch. If a chandelier is mounted with several paws, from which a pair of wires comes, then the connection can be made depending on the wishes of the landlord.
In modern lighting fixtureswire preparation, as a rule, has already been done at the factory according to the standard connection scheme. If you need to make adjustments to the combination of connecting light bulbs, you will have to disassemble the chandelier.
Usually there are three wires in the installation box. Their optimal length should be about one hundred millimeters. The ends of the wires need to be stripped to a distance of about a centimeter.
If you connect a modular chandelier switch, which in its design has two separate keys, you need to think about powering both of its parts. To do this, make a jumper from the wire that connects the two parts of the electrical device.
Preparatory stage for installation of the circuit breaker
The main rule of the work is a correctly drawn circuit of a switch with two keys and a way to connect it to an electrical device. The neutral wire is always connected directly to the lighting device, and the phase is connected through the circuit breaker. To fix the device in the wall, it is necessary to hollow out a socket with a diameter of about eighty millimeters with a puncher. Then the power supply is turned off using a switch in the switchboard. After that, you need to check the indicator for the absence of electricity on the wires, which is the main requirement for your own safety.
A socket box is fixed to the wall, in which there are holes. Wires are passed through them, which are then shortened with wire cutters to ten centimeters in length. The ends of the wires are strippedone centimeter distance. If before that the phase was not defined and marked, you need to do it at this stage. To do this, the electricity is turned on again, the phase is determined using the indicator, marked, and the power is turned off again.
Main stage of work
Next, the main stage of work begins - when the key switch is directly connected to the lighting device. The electrical wire marked in advance as a phase is connected to the switch terminal with the letter "L". The remaining wires are inserted into the mounting sockets with arrows. In the standard scheme, the phase is indicated by a residential white color, zero and ground - respectively, in yellow and blue. To distribute the connection of different light bulbs on both keys, you will need to alternate the connection of wires in the terminals with arrows.
Further, the key switch is fixed in the socket using self-tapping screws or clamps of different lengths. Then the keys themselves and the decorative frame are installed.
At the end of the main stage of work, electricity is supplied and the correspondence of the switch keys to the groups of lighting devices is checked. If something does not work as intended, or does not work at all, you need to disassemble the entire system again and check that the wires match the specific lights and that they are connected to the switches correctly.
Scheme for connecting the switch in the mounting box
A double wire from the distribution box is usually run into the junction box. In this case, the phasemarked in red and zero in blue. Two wires are also laid for each group of lighting fixtures from the mounting box. In this case, the neutral wire of each group is connected to the neutral conductor coming from the switchboard. The phase is connected to a wire of three wires going to the switch. Following the diagram, the other two cores must be connected to the free ends of the wires that fit the lighting fixtures.
Why does the phase break in the switch
Breaking a wire with a phase is made primarily for the convenience of repairing and replacing burnt out light sources. For this operation, it is enough just to turn off the switch, and not cut off the power to the entire house.
If the wires are confused and the neutral wire is broken instead of the phase, standing on the floor or a metal ladder, touching the part of the cartridge connected to the phase and conducting electric current, you can get an electric shock. Therefore, you need to pay special attention to the preparatory operations and carefully mount the switch with two keys. How to connect it is already known and should not cause any problems.
When carrying out any electrical work, first of all, you need to remember safety precautions and strictly follow it. Following it, you can improve the electrical circuit of any room and adapt the lighting to specific tasks.
In closing
Thus, in our time, lighting can be customized to your wishes and for specific functionality. This became possible thanks to the developmentvarious electrical devices and the improvement of old developments. This article proves that it is possible to control the light flexibly, and a two-button switch comes to the rescue. How to connect it and make the most of it is now known. The matter remains small - a great desire to change the lighting in your apartment or house in the best way.
