Connection diagram of light to switch. How to connect a switch with one key: detailed instructions

Before purchasing and installing a two-key switch, you first need to decide what it is for? And it is designed to control two lighting circuits from one point.

Don't confuse it with pass-through switches, which have different roles. They differ in the number of contacts. Therefore, when choosing, look first of all not at the front panel, but at the back of the switch.

two-key pass-through light switch

two-gang simple switch

Let’s say if you have 2 or more light bulbs in a chandelier, using a two-key switch you can make it so that when you press one key, only half of the lamps turn on, and when you press the second, all the rest turn on at once.

It can also control two different lamps located at separate points from each other - for example, sconces at different ends of the room or in another room altogether.

The two-key switch differs from its single-key counterpart not only in the number of switches, but also, most importantly, in the number of contacts. There are only 3 of them here. One common and two outgoing. Through them, the phase is separated and then returned to the junction box via separate wires or directly goes to the lamps.

Please note that to install a double switch you will need at least a three-wire wire, even if you do not have a PE protective grounding conductor in your apartment wiring.

Installation of a two-button light switch and connecting wires

There is nothing complicated in the connection diagram and in the process of installation, installation and connection of wires to the switch contacts. First of all, the switch needs to be disassembled. To do this, remove the keys themselves. If you can’t do this manually by simply pulling them towards you, use an ordinary screwdriver, prying the keys off from the side.

As a result, what you have in your hands is the body itself with the fastenings on the sides and the internal contact part. The main task is to supply voltage from the phase conductor to the common contact. Further, when two keys are closed, this phase will diverge into one or the other lighting circuit.

To find the central contact, look at the marking, since it may not always be located alone and in the center.

What to do if you don’t understand the inscriptions or they are erased and painted over? Then you need to use a contact screwdriver with a battery-powered tester with a continuity test function.
Insert any metal object (nail, screw) into the supposed common contact. You wrap your fingers around it and touch the other two contacts with a screwdriver.

When you press the keys one by one, that is, turn on one - check, then turn off the first and turn on the second - check, the screwdriver LED should light up each time. If this does not happen, then this is not a common contact.

To connect the common contact, use the conductor phase coming from the junction box gray. Strip the end of the core, insert it between the contact plates and tighten the screw with a screwdriver.

Next, connect the other two wires in the cable to the outgoing contact connectors.

Connecting the conductors directly to the two-key switch itself is now complete. Insert the housing into the mounting box and tighten the mounting screws.

Then you tighten two spacer screws, which help the mounting fork with teeth to rest as much as possible against the walls of the box and firmly hold the switch body inside it.

After this, you can return all the decorative frames and the keys themselves to their place.

Installation of connections for a two-gang switch in a distribution box

The following cables can enter the junction or distribution box:

• power cable from the machine in the panel
• cable going down to the switch
• one (if you have a chandelier with two lighting circuits) or two cables (if the light points are in different places) to the outgoing lamps

To avoid confusion, follow the following order:

First of all, connect all neutral conductors. They are usually blue. Zero does not pass through the two-key switch and goes directly from the panel to the lamp, through the connections in the distribution box.

All stripped wires can be connected using Wago quick-release terminals.

Although everyone has a different attitude towards them, they are an ideal option for lighting circuits with minimal loads.

Next in order is protective grounding. This is a yellow-green wire. If you do not have a grounding conductor in your apartment or the lamp body is insulated and the cable is two-core, then this connection will not be in the junction box.

It remains to connect the phase conductors. Here you need to be extremely careful. First, clamp the phase that comes from the power supply into the Vago terminal block. Then insert a wire into the same terminal that comes from the common phase contact of the two-key switch.

You should have 4 free, unconnected wires left. Two of them are the wiring that goes to the chandelier or sconce, and the other two wires are phases connected to the lower outgoing contacts of the two-key switch.

Take two more clamps and SEPARATELY connect these conductors through them. Thus, you will connect two lighting circuits to the lamps independently of each other.

Connection to a chandelier or lamp

In a lamp or chandelier, terminal blocks are usually used for connection. Place the wires of the cable coming from the junction box onto them according to the color marking.

A factory-made lamp must have cores of exactly the color specified in the rules. Phase - a gray or dark-colored conductor should go to the central contact of the lamp, and zero - blue to the light bulb base itself.

The yellow-green ground connection can be attached either to the terminal or directly under the screw on the housing.

Errors when connecting a two-key switch

The first mistake that an illiterate specialist can make is to connect not a phase to the switch, but a zero.

Remember: the switch must always break the phase conductor, and in no case the zero conductor.

In the opposite situation, the phase will constantly be on duty on the base of the chandelier. And simply replacing a light bulb can end very tragically.

By the way, there is another nuance due to which even experienced electricians can break their heads. For example, you wanted to check directly at the contacts of a chandelier whether the phase arrives there through a switch or zero. You turn off the two-key switch, touch the contact on the chandelier with a Chinese sensitive indicator - and it lights up! Although you assembled the circuit correctly.

What can be wrong? And the reason lies in the backlight, which is increasingly included with switches.

A small current, even when turned off, still flows through the LED, applying potential to the lamp contacts.

By the way, this is one of the reasons for blinking LED lamps in the off state. How to deal with this can be found in the article ““. To avoid such a mistake, you need to use not a Chinese indicator, but a multimeter in voltage measurement mode.

The second error is when the phase supply conductor is connected not to the common contact of the switch, but to one of the outgoing ones. In this case, the circuit will not work as expected. All lights will light only if you press two keys at the same time. But if you press only the key to which the phase does not come initially, the chandelier will not light up at all.

If you moved into a new apartment, where you were not the one who connected the chandelier, and it behaves in such a strange way, that is, it does not react as expected to the two-key switches, then the problem is most likely due to such an erroneous installation of the supply wires. Feel free to disassemble the switch and check the common contact.

If you have an illuminated switch, an indirect sign of such an incorrect connection may be the neon bulb not working properly. Why indirect? Since here everything depends on which key you start the phase on.

The third common mistake is connecting the neutral wire on the chandelier not to the common zero in the junction box, but to one of the phase wires.

To avoid this, use and follow the color coding of the wires, and even better, if you don’t trust the colors, check the voltage supply using a high-quality indicator or multimeter before turning on the lamp.

In this article we will look at how to connect a switch with one key and install it correctly. But first, let's figure out what this device is, how it works, and what types of them are used in everyday life.

• How to make the right choice
• How to connect correctly
• About security measures
• Dismantling
• How to change the wiring
• Preparing the installation site
• Connection

Types of Household Electrical Switches

A household electric light switch is a device for closing and opening a circuit in order to connect or disconnect certain energy consumers. Most often, the latter are lighting devices: chandeliers, lamps, sconces, etc. A 1-key switch can be used for connecting both single-lamp and multi-lamp devices.

There are two types of circuit breakers used in everyday life:

• invoices;
• built-in

The first type is used mainly for installation on wooden or brick walls of rooms with external (open) wiring. Such devices are attached to the surface using a special platform (socket box) and two screws.
Recessed light switches are installed inside a mounting box installed in a wall hole. They are intended exclusively for hidden wiring, which involves preliminary gating of walls, laying wires and hiding it using subsequent putty.

According to the principle of operation, both types are no different. It lies in the fact that when you press a key, the electrical circuit either closes, turning on the devices, or opens, turning them off.

Push-button light switch design

Switch 1 key consists of:

• working mechanism (button drive placed on a metal base, contacts);
• fastening mechanism (two metal “legs” movably connected to the base);
• keys made of plastic;
• decorative frame.

Additionally, the device can be provided with constant illumination (LED), which helps to find it in the dark.

How to make the right choice

When choosing a 1-key switch, regardless of the type of installation and wiring, it is necessary to consider two points: the amount of current consumed and the humidity level. The current for which the circuit breaker is designed is indicated on its operating mechanism. It should not be less than the current consumed by the connected device. As for the second point, if the installation of a single-key light switch is planned in a room with a high level of humidity, it is better to give preference to special waterproof models.

How to connect correctly

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The basic rule for connecting a push-button light switch is that it must open the wiring phase, and in no case “zero”. This is the only way to ensure safety when carrying out work to repair a lighting device or replace lamps. The connection diagram for a single-key switch is shown in the figure below.

The grounding wire shown in the figure is usually absent in residential buildings of old buildings, but if it is already provided by the wiring, it is very advisable to use it as indicated in the diagram.

About security measures

Before starting electrical installation work, the electricity must be turned off. This can be done using a package breaker (in old houses), an input two-pole circuit breaker or a load switch (in new houses). When the room is completely de-energized, you need to make sure of your safety by checking the presence of electricity at the contacts of the sockets using a phase indicator - a special electrical indicator.

Dismantling

After making sure that the electricity is turned off, remove the old light switch (if there is one). To do this, you first need to pry off the plastic key with a screwdriver if this is a model for hidden wiring and unscrew the fastening of the decorative frame, or disassemble the device body if this is a surface-mounted model. After this, you need to unscrew with a screwdriver the two screws that secure the “claws” with which the working mechanism is secured inside the wall. When they are released, the device can be removed from the mounting box. For surface-mounted light switches, after disassembling the housing, it is necessary to unscrew the two screws (self-tapping screws) that secure the working part to the socket box.

When the switching device is dismantled, you can disconnect the wires from it. In most push-button models they are secured with screws. Therefore, you just need to loosen the screws and pull the wire.

After disconnecting the device from the network, determine whether the phase wire was opened by the switch. To do this, turn on the electricity using the above-mentioned switch, two-pole circuit breaker or load switch, and touch each of the wires with a phase indicator. If done correctly, it will light up upon contact with the conductor that should come from the junction box. If the phase indicator does not light up when it comes into contact with any wire, it means that the neutral conductor has opened here, and the wiring will have to be redone.

How to change the wiring

In order to output a phase to the switch instead of “zero”, you will need to find and open the junction box. Next, you need to determine where the wires from the package, load breaker or two-pole circuit breaker fit. Using an indicator, you need to find the phase among the incoming wires and redistribute the wires so that it goes to the switching device. A diagram of the correct distribution of cores inside the distribution box is presented below.

Preparing the installation site

Before connecting a single-key switch to the network, you need to prepare its installation site. For models intended for hidden wiring, a mounting box should be installed (replaced), and for overhead devices, a socket box should be installed. The mounting box is simply inserted into the hole in the wall. In some cases, its installation can be carried out by shrinking it onto putty. The socket box for an external switch is usually mounted on the wall using dowels and screws.

Connection

Having prepared the installation site, you can begin connecting. Switch 1 key has two contact clamps, where the stripped wires are fixed with bolts. Each of the cores must be stripped of 5-8 mm of insulation. After this, the bare ends of the wires are inserted into the clamps and secured with bolts, and it does not matter which of the conductors will be connected to which contact.

After completing the connection, you should check the reliability of the fixation, and only after that, the device can be mounted in (on) the wall. The 1-key switch for open wiring is simply screwed to the socket box. For built-in models, this process is a little more complicated. After fixing the conductors to the contacts of the working mechanism, it is placed in the mounting box. The “paws” should rest against its walls. By tightening the screws of the “legs”, the latter will begin to move apart, resting more and more. When the working mechanism is securely fastened, you can screw the decorative frame to it and install the key.

All that remains is to turn on the electricity and check the results of your work.

Before implementing a diagram for connecting a switch to a light bulb, you need to think in advance about how the electrical equipment will be placed. It is better to apply the markings on the wall so as not to miss some little details. Now you have to switch wires and install equipment, and you need to do it so that everything works properly. In this article, we will help you figure out how to connect and carry out safe further operation of the devices.

Important! The main rule of the instructions is to disconnect electricity from the network to avoid electrical injury.

Usually the switch is installed on one phase conductor; when it is turned off, the network opens, and as a result, voltage is not supplied to the light bulb. It is worth noting that connecting the circuit in a different way may be unsafe.

To place the wiring in the distribution box, you need to stretch the cables that supply the entire room to it, then the wires coming from the switch and the light bulb. Thus, we connect one wire from the light bulb to the neutral core, which is connected to the general network, and the remaining wire to the switch conductor. The second core of the switch is connected to the phase conductor of the general power system. As a result, we get the connection of the working wires of the lamp and the general electrical wiring through the switch. Using this method, when you switch the lamp switch, this part will disconnect electrical circuit from food.

What will be needed to implement the scheme?

Before direct installation, be sure to select a switching method, preferably connecting using terminal blocks or spring clamps. Then refer to our list and find out what tools will be needed for wiring:

Errors and malfunctions in the question of how to connect a switch to a light bulb

Often what is expected from installation work is not achieved. This is because something went wrong during the wiring process or you missed some details. So, if the light bulb does not light up when the switch is turned on, it is necessary to test all live parts.

Be sure to check with the indicator whether voltage is supplied from the network to the switch. If it is absent, we can safely say that mistakes were made when connecting the conductors to the general energy system of the room.

Many homeowners have to replace or install light switches. Most often used single-key switch connection diagram- one of the simplest schemes for turning on lamps or lamps. This article describes step by step how such a scheme is assembled.

Before starting any work related to electricity, the first thing you need to do is de-energize the electrical wiring - turn off the input circuit breaker, and also take measures to ensure that no one accidentally turns it on.

This is especially important if the electrical panel is located on a landing in a multi-story building or on the street.

For installation and switch connections you will need:

• - the switch itself;
• - distribution box;
• - connecting wires;
• - insulating PVC tape.

Connection diagram for a switch in a distribution box

Connecting a wire directly to a light fixture or switch is quite simple - it doesn't require any explanation.

This article will discuss how to connect wires from a lamp, electrical panel and switch in one junction box.

Once again we would like to remind you that all work on connecting wires in the distribution box, connecting switches and lamps should begin only after the mains voltage has been removed.

By following this simple rule, when the switch breaks exactly the phase and not the zero, you will ensure your safety and also make it safe to operate electrical equipment in your apartment.

If the switch disconnects from the load not the phase, but the neutral wire, then the wiring will always remain energized, which is not only inconvenient, but also dangerous.

For example, you need to replace a light bulb that has burned out in a chandelier. If the switch turns off the neutral wire and not the phase, if you accidentally touch the current-carrying parts of the chandelier or the base of the light bulb, you may get an electric shock, since these parts are under phase voltage.

You can determine the phase wire in the distribution wiring using an indicator screwdriver.

Again, for safety reasons, the phase wire (usually red) must be connected to the lamp socket in such a way that the light bulb is connected to the phase by the central contact of the base.

This reduces the likelihood that a person will touch the phase wire.

Switch connection diagram consists of one or more light bulbs connected in parallel, a single-gang switch, a distribution box and a 220-volt power source.

Specialized stores offer a wide range of wires for electrical wiring, so for phase and zero it is better to take wires of different colors, for example, red and blue.

So, with switchboard A two-wire cable connects to the junction box. It is very convenient if it is two-colored, for example, the phase wire is red and the neutral wire is blue.

In addition, a cable from the lamp and a cable from the switch are suitable for the junction box. The phase wire from the distribution board (red) is connected to the red wire going to the switch.

The second (blue) wire from switch is connected to the red wire, which is connected to the load (lamp, chandelier). As a result, we made the phase that goes to the lamp commutated.

The neutral wire (blue) from the electrical panel is connected to the neutral wire, which goes to the load (light bulb).

The result is that the neutral wire from the junction box goes directly to the light bulb, and the phase is connected to the light bulb through a switch.

The scheme works as follows. When you press the switch key, the circuit is closed, and the phase from the electrical panel is supplied to the lamp, its light bulb begins to shine. By pressing the key again, the electrical circuit is broken and the light bulb turns off.

After all connections, the twisting points are thoroughly insulated and neatly laid. It is best to connect the wires in the junction box by twisting and soldering.

Connection diagram for socket and switch in one junction box

Very often, a distribution box is installed in each room of the apartment, where all the switches, lamps and sockets of this room are connected.

In this case, due to the large number of wires going to the junction box, it is quite difficult to figure out what needs to be connected where.

How to connect a socket and switch to a distribution box?

Let's consider the option when a socket and a lamp are simultaneously connected to one distribution box.

So, two wires come from the distribution board to the box - red (phase) and zero (blue).

The procedure for connecting the switch and lamp is exactly the same as discussed above.

The socket is connected parallel to the supply wires: the socket phase is connected to the supply phase (both wires are red), and the zero from the socket is connected to the neutral supply wire (both wires are blue).

A light switch can be a simple electrical device, as well as a complex switching device. They are designed for different lighting control schemes. When installing the wiring, it is important to connect the light switch correctly. The connection diagram in the classic version is the use of a simple device with one key.

Its contacts open when the lighting is turned off and close when turned on. In this case, the phase passes through the switch, and the zero is connected to the lamp. The connection order must not be mixed up, otherwise there will be constant voltage on the lamp.

Connecting a single-key switch

The devices are available for indoor and outdoor installation. A single-key light circuit provides switching of a luminaire or group.

If there are more lamps, the main connections are also made through the junction box.

Features of using multiple keys

The double light switch circuit allows you to control the same number of lights. Here, the lamps are switched separately through one switching device, depending on which of the two keys is pressed. The method is common for turning on a chandelier. Three-key models are used less frequently.

The difficulty of replacing it with a device with a large number of switchings lies in the need to lay additional phase wires to the lamps and switch. Connection diagrams are indicated on its back side (three pins for a two-key device).

Essentially, a switch represents two simple devices combined in one housing. When one of the keys is turned on, the phase is supplied to the corresponding lamp. Voltage is supplied to the input terminal (clamp). Two contact groups are connected to it, each of which has its own key. Lamps are connected to the output terminals.

A three-key light switch works in a similar way. The principle of operation is to switch wires connected to individual lamps or their groups.

Connecting a lighting system in an apartment or house

In houses and apartments, power and lighting circuits are separated from each other and protected by separate circuit breakers. If the first one fails, the light still continues to light, which makes troubleshooting easier. If the second circuit goes out, it can be repaired by connecting the carrier to any of the outlets.

The lighting system is protected from short circuits and excess long-term permissible current by an automatic switch with a rating determined by the total power of all lamps.

Switch device

The following types of household switches are produced:

• internal;
• external;
• with moisture protection;
• modules.

When installed in a wall, models for hidden wiring are used. First, a recess is drilled in the concrete into which a socket box is inserted and wires are laid. As a result, the device is inserted into the wall and located at the level of its surface.

The switch and socket box are sold separately. They must be suitable for each other, as well as for the installation conditions in a wall or thin partition.

External switches are used for open wiring that runs through pipes or cable ducts. A wooden or plastic platform is installed under them, attached to the wall with screws or dowels.

The modules are mounted on special cable channels and are used in office premises or enterprises.

Devices with moisture protection are installed in bathrooms, bathhouses, other damp areas or in places where drops of water may come into contact with them.

How to connect a light switch: diagram

The elements to which the wiring is connected are terminal blocks - mechanisms with self-clamping contacts. To connect, the end of the wire is stripped and inserted into the hole, where it is clamped with spring-loaded contacts.

Instead of terminals, the switch can be equipped with screw terminals. The end of the stripped core is inserted into them and tightened by tightening the bolt.

The switching mechanism contains a moving contact that occupies 2 fixed positions: “on” and “off”. Depending on which of them the key is located, it will be closed or open.

Switch selection

The device is purchased in a specialized store, where you can choose the most suitable one in appearance and parameters. The switch must match the power of the lamps. Its price depends on this. For example, contacts made of cermet containing silver are designed for an electric current of 4 A.

With a variety of designs, switches should be selected for a specific purpose. They can be key-type, push-button, wall-mounted, ceiling-mounted, rotary, reversible, walk-through, etc. Particular attention is paid to whether the light switch is intended for external or internal wiring. Its connection diagram is also important because it performs a specific function.

It is important to check the build quality of the device and how clearly the keys switch.

Touch light switches

The outer panel is a glass decorative plate with markings. Below it is a sensitive element that responds to a light touch or approach of fingers. In this case, a signal appears, converted by the semiconductor circuit into an electrical one, perceived by the switching part. Depending on the location or duration of the touch, the electrical circuit is closed or opened, as well as the brightness of the lamps is smoothly adjusted.

For greater convenience, remote control panels are used, connected to several switches of the same type.

The number of functions varies between models and depends on the price. The devices are equipped with sensors for motion, temperature, light, etc. They can be connected to an electric fireplace, air conditioning, lights and a security lighting system around the perimeter of the house.

Operating principle of the touch switch

There are many electronic circuits. Below is simple circuit light that you can collect with your own hands.

When a person touches the sensing element E1, a small potential from the body is transferred to the two-stage amplifier through the capacitor C1. Relay K1 is connected to the output of transistor VT2, which is activated or turned off at the next touch. Its power contacts are connected to the lamp power circuit (not shown in the diagram). Capacitor C2 is a filter that smoothes out voltage ripples, and diode VD1 protects transistor VT2 from voltage surges.

This light switch circuit contains an actuation voltage of 15-20 mA. To configure it, connect R1 and change the resistance until the contacts begin to switch reliably. Then a suitable denomination is selected.

The touch plate is made of foil PCB or copper plate coated with corrosion varnish. The supply wire is shielded.

The power supply can be a 9 V battery or Charger from the phone.

Pass-through switches

The devices are designed for convenient control of lighting in long corridors, staircases, walk-through rooms or on descents to the basement. It is convenient to use several switches located in different places for one lamp. Lighting control becomes more comfortable and economical.

Schemes of pass-through light switches

The devices contain 3 contacts on each of them (1 common input and 2 changeover outputs). From two switches located at a distance from each other, you can assemble the simplest and most common lamp control circuit.

When you press a key, one of the changeover contacts opens one circuit, while closing the other (or vice versa). In the first switch, input terminal 1 is connected to the phase, and in the second - to the lamp. Output contacts 2 and 3 of one device are connected to the corresponding ones of the other.

When properly connected, the lamp should light up and go out in sequence when one of the switches is switched. When one circuit breaks, both lines are prepared for subsequent switching on. Here, each key does not have a fixed “on” and “off” position.

Below is a picture of how to turn on a light with two switches. The circuit is assembled mainly through a junction box. All basic connections are made in it. To avoid mistakes when making connections, the wires should be marked.

Two-key pass-through switches

The light connection diagram with two switches to control one lamp or group is the simplest. If you take more complex ones - two-key ones, you can independently control two lamps. At first glance, the circuit seems complicated, but, in essence, it consists of 2 connections for a pair of single-key pass-through switches. In this case, the number of inputs and outputs doubles.

After the circuit is assembled, it is advisable to check it with a multimeter. To do this, use its probes to ring the input and output contacts of the switch. When switching keys, you should monitor the tester readings. If the circuit closes and opens as expected, you can connect the circuit to the network.

Conclusion

For specific lighting control conditions, a specific light switch is used. Its connection diagram is directly related to the design features. The most common are simple models that open or close an electrical circuit. The circuit becomes more complicated due to the use of two and three keys, with which you can switch the same number of lamps or control the brightness of a chandelier. In addition to them, pass-through switches have appeared, allowing you to adjust the lighting from different places. Then, remote and touch control systems began to be produced, due to which the functionality significantly increased. Despite the high prices, such switches are increasingly used due to the creation of comfortable conditions and energy savings.