How to properly connect a two-key light switch and avoid mistakes.

Installation of a neutral wire and grounding is necessary when connecting any electrical equipment. If you work in an apartment, then you need to determine the grounding wire in the panel, but if the installation is carried out in a private house, then a grounding loop is first installed. Let's consider both options.

The phase cable is connected accordingly to the phase; The zero wire is connected to the zero bus. To do this you need to use a special clamp

Please note that you cannot connect the ground and neutral wires together; The protective cable assembly is brought to the wall of the shield - it is this that acts as a point with a different potential.

Even in apartments, they arrange the ground using metal mesh trays. But, here the resistance must first be calculated. Measurement and verification of existing parameters is carried out with a multimeter.

Sometimes, to connect protective systems, craftsmen arrange connections with batteries, gas pipes or pipes in the apartment. This is a very dangerous scheme, because if a current leak occurs, not only your apartment, but also your neighbors’ apartment will be energized.

For the grounding circuit, a repeated or double ground is used. This method is described in the photo below, there is also a diagram there

Please note that the neutral cable is re-grounded every 200 meters

To carry out grounding in a private house, it is necessary to organize a circuit. It is presented in the shape of an isosceles triangle. Metal pegs are driven around the perimeter, located at equal distances from each other. They are connected to each other by reinforcement that is welded to them. The cable end from the house is connected to the resulting closed circuit.

What kind of lighting do you prefer?

Built-in Chandelier

It looks like a portable grounding diagram. It is used to protect the cottage or by professional electricians if it is necessary to test and take measurements from high-voltage overhead wires.

You can buy a set of grounding wires for the KPZ-M, ShRN cabinet and the SSD KPZ-M container at any electrical store; their price depends on the type and area of ​​use. There you will also find special clamps, an anode grounding electrode and other necessary devices and circuit elements. Be sure to first check the certificate of quality and compliance with the necessary standards.

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Types and meaning of lines

1. Thin and thick solid lines - in the drawings depict electrical lines, group communication lines, lines on UGO elements.
2. Dashed line - indicates shielding of wire or devices; denotes a mechanical connection (motor - gearbox).
3. Thin dash-dotted line - intended to highlight groups of several components that make up parts of a device or control system.
4. A dot-dash line with two dots is a dividing line. Shows a breakdown of important elements. Indicates an object remote from the device that is connected to the system by mechanical or electrical communication.

Network connecting lines are shown in full, but according to the standards, they are allowed to be cut off if they interfere with the normal understanding of the circuit. The break is indicated by arrows; the main parameters and characteristics of the electrical circuits are indicated nearby.

A thick dot on the lines indicates a connection, soldering of wires.

Ground color

The color of the grounding wire, “ground”, is almost always indicated by yellow-green color

. Windings that are either completely yellow or light green are less common. The wire may be marked “PE”. You can also find green-yellow wires marked “PEN” and with blue braiding at the ends of the wire at the fastening points - this is grounding combined with neutral.

In the distribution panel (DP) it should be connected to the grounding bus, to the housing and the metal door of the panel. As for the distribution box, the connection goes to the grounding wires from the lamps and from the grounding contacts of the sockets. The ground wire does not need to be connected to the RCD (residual current device), therefore RCDs are installed in houses and apartments, since electrical wiring is usually carried out with only two wires

Grounding designation on the diagrams:

Conventional ground(1) Clean ground(2) Safety ground(3) Chassis ground(4) DC ground(5)

What is the difference between grounding

Grounding Designation

Unfortunately, often the electrical wiring in our apartments and houses is not carried out in compliance with all strict standards and rules for color and alphanumeric markings for electricians. And knowing the purpose of the L and N markings on electrical equipment is sometimes not enough for proper connection. Therefore, be sure to read our article “How to determine phase, zero and grounding yourself, using improvised means?” If you have any doubts, this material will come in handy.

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Wire color coding

Anyone who has ever dealt with wires and electricity has noticed that conductors always have different insulation colors. This was done for a reason

The colors of the wires in electrics are designed to make it easier to recognize the phase, neutral wire and ground. They all have a certain color and are easily distinguished during operation. The color of the phase, neutral, and ground wires will be discussed further.

How phase wires are painted

When working with wiring, phase wires pose the greatest danger. Touching the phase, under certain circumstances, can become lethal, which is probably why bright colors were chosen for them. In general, the colors of electrical wires allow you to quickly determine which of a bunch of wires are the most dangerous and work with them very carefully.

Coloring of phase wires

Most often, phase conductors are red or black, but other colors are also found: brown, lilac, orange, pink, purple, white, gray. Phases can be painted in all these colors. It will be easier to deal with them if you exclude the neutral wire and ground.

In the diagrams, phase wires are designated by the Latin (English) letter L. If there are several phases, a numerical designation is added to the letter: L1, L2, L3 for a three-phase 380 V network. In another version, the first phase is designated by the letter A, the second by B, and the third by C .

Ground wire color

By modern standards, the ground conductor is yellow-green. It usually looks like yellow insulation with one or two longitudinal bright green stripes. But there are also transverse yellow-green stripes in color.

Grounding may be this color

In some cases, the cable may only have yellow or bright green conductors. In this case, the “earth” has exactly this color. It is displayed in the same colors on diagrams - most often bright green, but it can also be yellow. Signed on circuit diagrams or on ground equipment in Latin (English) letters PE. The contacts to which the “ground” wire must be connected are also marked.

What color is the neutral wire?

Zero or neutral is blue or light blue, sometimes blue with a white stripe. Other colors are not used in electrical engineering to indicate zero. It will be like this in any cable: three-core, five-core or with a large number of conductors.

What color is the neutral wire? Blue or cyan

“Zero” is usually drawn in blue on diagrams and signed with the Latin letter N. Experts call it a working zero, since, unlike grounding, it participates in the formation of the power supply circuit. When reading a diagram, it is often defined as "minus", while the phase is considered "plus".

How to check the correctness of marking and wiring

Take a multimeter and/or an indicator screwdriver. It’s easy to work with a screwdriver: when you touch a phase, the LED built into the housing lights up. So it will be easy to identify phase conductors. If the cable is two-wire, there are no problems - the second conductor is zero. But if the wire is three-wire, you will need a multimeter or tester - with their help we will determine which of the remaining two is phase and which is zero.

Determining the phase wire using an indicator screwdriver

We set the switch on the device so that the selected jackal is more than 220 V. Then we take two probes, hold them by the plastic handles, carefully touch the metal rod of one probe to the found phase wire, the second to the supposed zero. The screen should display 220 V or the current voltage. In fact, it may be significantly lower - this is our reality.

If 220 V or a little more is displayed, this is zero, and the other wire is presumably “ground”. If the value is less, we continue checking. With one probe we again touch the phase, with the second - to the intended grounding. If the instrument readings are lower than during the first measurement, there is “ground” in front of you and it should be green. If the readings turn out to be higher, it means that somewhere there was a mistake with “zero” in front of you. In such a situation, there are two options: look for exactly where the wires were connected incorrectly (preferable) or simply move on, remembering or noting the existing position.

And, in conclusion, let me give you some advice: when laying wiring and connecting wires, always connect conductors of the same color, do not confuse them. This can lead to disastrous results - at best, equipment failure, but there may also be injuries and fires.

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Marking

There is not only the color of the wires phase, zero, ground, but also other types of markings, primarily alphabetic and digital designations. The first letter A indicates the wire material - aluminum. If this letter is missing, the core material will be copper.

Basic marking of wires in electrical engineering:

• AA - corresponds to a multi-core aluminum cable with an additional braid of the same material.
• AC – additional lead braiding.
• B – the presence of protection from moisture and additional braiding made of two-layer steel.
• BN – non-flammable cable braid.
• G – absence of a protective shell.
• R – rubber shell.
• NR – rubber shell made of non-flammable material.

What does L stand for?

Common symbols on light switches are applied to mark their contact connectors or to indicate the position in which their key is located.

Single-key switch connection diagram

Presumably, this symbol is taken from the first letter of the English word "Line", meaning line or linear wire. The second contact also has its own designation, which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer:

• The symbol L with a unit added to it is L1.
• The same sign, but with the addition of a stroke - L`.
• A small arrow pointing up.
• Just one (“1”).

A number of manufacturers do not indicate this outlet at all. If it is on top, a wire is led from it to the chandelier or junction box.

Connection diagram for two-button switch

The PUE stipulates from which sides conductors should be supplied and discharged to the switch. According to the requirements of the regulations, the connection is made from below, and the outlet is mounted from above.

For two-key and three-key devices, the number of output conductors increases to two and three, respectively, which forces their manufacturers to mark additional contacts. Therefore, their designations often contain icons such as L2, L3, or the same letter, but with two or three strokes. It is also possible that instead of letters next to the output terminals there are only numbers corresponding to the number of the output conductor.

Markings on the body

Symbols on the switch housing
In addition to the L mark on the light switch, other symbols and icons are located on its operating contacts or on the housing.

Most often, manufacturers use the symbolic principle of designating the two states of a switching device: on and off. Intuitive zeros and ones (“0” and “1”) are traditionally used as such symbols. The first corresponds to the “Off” status. Or "OFF" And it is located at the very bottom of the device body. The second icon means “ON” and is applied at the top. There are also such rare symbols as arrows indicating the direction of switching.

Having become familiar with what L is on the indoor lighting switch, everyone can independently connect it to an existing power supply. In case of emergency, a faulty device can be repaired. This will also be aided by the ability to understand the differences in labeling for different types of switches made by different manufacturers.

Source

Philips marking

Let’s look at the marking of this company using the example of the well-known LED – Luxeon Rebel. Its marking: LXML-ABCD-EFGH

• LXML – series;
• A – type of light distribution (P for Lambertian distribution);
• B – emitted color (W – white, from the word White);
• C – white color (C – cold, N – neutral, W – warm);
• D – rated current (I for current 350 mA);
• E – digit reserved for future versions of LED;
• FGH – luminous flux measured in lumens.

For example, a white LED with a rated current of 350 mA will be labeled: LXML-PWxI-0xxx.

LED Luxeon of similar series have similar markings. In general terms, we can say that the marking of this diode is very informative in comparison with other manufacturers.

Species and types

Electrical wiring diagrams are special drawings that indicate certain connections between electrical elements and devices that are connected to the network and consume electricity. The connection is described and organized according to standards and rules that are defined and operate according to physical laws. The diagram is designed to teach electricians and other specialists to understand the principle of network structure and the structure of devices, what parts it consists of.

Important! The main purpose of electrical diagrams is to help install and configure electrical devices and make repairs based on quick and easy troubleshooting. To delve deeper into the topic, you should understand what types of wiring diagrams exist and by what principles they are divided, what their characteristic features are. Electrical circuits, like documents, are divided into several types and types, divided according to certain standards

First of all, you need to understand the main types of electrical circuits, which are:

Electrical circuits, like documents, are divided into several types and types, divided according to certain standards. First of all, you need to understand the main types of electrical circuits, which are:

To delve deeper into the topic, you should understand what types of wiring diagrams exist and by what principles they are divided, what their characteristic features are. Electrical circuits, like documents, are divided into several types and types, divided according to certain standards. First of all, you need to understand the main types of electrical circuits, which are:

• Structural. The simplest option, which in the simplest “words” makes it clear how this or that device works and what it consists of. The order of reading such documents is indicated by arrows from block to block, and incomprehensible points are indicated by explanatory inscriptions;
• Assembly. They are often used in manuals or online resources, where it is suggested that you install electrical wiring or other elements yourself. In such a diagram, you need to show the exact location of each individual element of the circuit (sockets in the house, and so on);

• United. As the name implies, this document combines several types and types of schemes. Typically, such electrical circuits are used in cases where all the important features of the circuit can be shown without a huge number of different elements;
• Layout diagrams. Documents defining the relative location of certain components of a product or electrical installation, and, if necessary, also bundles (wires, cables), pipelines, optical fibers, etc.;
• Are common. Those that define the parts that make up the complex, as well as their connections;
• Functional. They are not much different from structural ones, but they describe in more detail all the components and nodes of the network. They no longer have obvious connections and components;

• Principled. They are most often used in distribution networks, as they provide an accurate understanding of how a particular electrical equipment operates. On this kind of diagrams, all functional blocks of the circuit and the types of connections between them must be indicated;
• Connections. Original documents indicating methods of external connections of the device to other networks and other devices.

Complete schematic drawing

The specific feature of the schemes divides them into:

• Electrical. Documents showing the components of products powered by electrical energy;
• Gas. Papers that display the structure and main components of the gas system of any equipment, room, etc.;
• Hydraulic Documents showing the components of products and their structure, using the energy of compressed fluid for work;

Functional electrical diagram

• Division diagrams Design documents that determine the composition of the device, its components, their intended purpose and relationship;
• Pneumatic. Documents showing the components of products and their structure, using the energy of compressed gases for operation;
• Kinematic. Diagrams in which, using special symbolic drawings, the links of mechanisms and kinematic pairs are indicated for their kinematic analysis;

• Combined. With their help, the main and auxiliary equipment of a device or circuit, their interconnection and automation tools that show the technical process are displayed;
• Vacuum. Schemes that allow you to describe devices whose action (and their components) are based on changing pressure and achieving a vacuum;
• Optical. They represent the process of changing light in an optical system.

General installation diagram of the switching device

Failure to follow basic installation rules, even for such a simple device as a switch, can lead to very unpleasant consequences. These include overheating and sparking with a possible subsequent short circuit, as well as voltage that remains in the wiring.

This is fraught with electric shock, even if you just need to replace the lamp when the lighting is off.

Therefore, before connecting the switch, it is worth remembering the basic connection elements:

Zero vein. Or, in electrician jargon, zero. Displayed on the lighting fixture.

Phase diverted to the switch. In order for the lamp to go out and come on, the circuit must be closed within the phase conductor

It is important to remember that when the switching device is brought to zero in the opposite direction, it will work, but the voltage will remain. Therefore, to replace a lamp, for example, you will have to disconnect the room from the power supply.

Phase diverted to the lamp

When you press the key, the circuit will close or open at the point where the phase channel breaks. This is the name of the section where the phase wire leading to the switch ends and the section stretched to the light bulb begins. Thus, only one wire is connected to the switch, and two to the lamp.

It should be remembered that any connections of conductive areas must be made in the junction box. It is highly undesirable to perform them in a wall or in plastic channels, since complications will certainly arise with the identification and subsequent repair of damaged fragments.

If there is no distribution box near the installation site of the switch, you can extend the neutral and phase from the input panel.

The figure shows a connection diagram for a single-key switch. The places where the wires connect are marked with black dots (+)

All the above rules apply to a single-key switch. They also apply to multi-key devices with the difference that each key is supplied with a piece of phase wire from the lamp that it will control.

The phase stretched from the distribution box to the switch will always be only one. This statement is also true for multi-key devices.

Replacing a switch or installing it from scratch is carried out only if there is a fully formed electrical circuit.

In order not to make mistakes when working with wiring, you need to know the markings and color of current-carrying channels:

• The brown or white color of the wire insulation indicates the phase conductor.
• Blue – zero core.
• Green or yellow – grounding.

Installation and further connection are carried out according to these color prompts. In addition, the manufacturer can apply special markings to the wires. All connection points are designated by the letter L and a number.

For example, on a two-key switch the phase input is designated as L3. On the opposite side are the lamp connection points called L1 and L2. Each of them will need to be output to one of the lighting fixtures.

Before installation, the surface-mounted switch is disassembled, and after connecting the wires, the housing is mounted back

How to check the correctness of marking and wiring

Wire colors in electrical engineering are designed to speed up the identification of conductors, but relying only on colors is dangerous - they could be connected incorrectly. Therefore, before starting work, you should make sure that you have correctly identified their affiliation.

Take a multimeter and/or an indicator screwdriver. It’s easy to work with a screwdriver: when you touch a phase, the LED built into the housing lights up. So it will be easy to identify phase conductors. If the cable is two-wire, there are no problems - the second conductor is zero. But if the wire is three-wire, you will need a multimeter or tester - with their help we will determine which of the remaining two is phase and which is zero.

We set the switch on the device so that the selected jackal is more than 220 V. Then we take two probes, hold them by the plastic handles, carefully touch the metal rod of one probe to the found phase wire, the second to the supposed zero. The screen should display 220 V or the current voltage. In fact, it may be significantly lower - this is our reality.

If 220 V or a little more is displayed, this is zero, and the other wire is presumably “ground”. If the value is less, we continue checking. With one probe we again touch the phase, with the second - to the intended grounding. If the instrument readings are lower than during the first measurement, there is “ground” in front of you and it should be green. If the readings turn out to be higher, it means that somewhere there was a mistake with “zero” in front of you. In such a situation, there are two options: look for exactly where the wires were connected incorrectly (preferable) or simply move on, remembering or noting the existing position.

And, in conclusion, let me give you some advice: when laying wiring and connecting wires, always connect conductors of the same color, do not confuse them. This can lead to disastrous results - at best, equipment failure, but there may also be injuries and fires.

Almost everyone who has dealt with electrical wiring has noticed that insulated wires can have different colors. But few people know that this action facilitates the work when installing electrical wiring, and there are even special rules for the design of electrical installations, following which you can significantly reduce the risk of tragic consequences when working with electricity. So what is the essence of color designations and what do they mean? The answers to these questions will be given below.

Coding, marking and history

The idea of ​​dividing wires by color is not new - the very first experiments, as old textbooks tell us, were carried out with multi-colored terminals and wires. The same uncomplicated simplicity remains in cars - you can hardly confuse the blue and red wires. True, he is sometimes black, but that's a completely different story.

When studying wiring, the most important ones to determine by wire color are not the phase, but the ground and zero; the phase can always be found using a detector screwdriver or (almost) any diode. But sometimes it becomes simply dangerous to confuse the colors of earth and zero, and it is necessary to determine in advance what color of wire phase zero-ground is.

Ground wire

In most cases, the color yellow-green is used to indicate the ground wire. Sometimes you can find conductors with only yellow insulation. Even less commonly used is light green. Typically, such wires are marked with PE symbols. However, if the ground wire is aligned with the neutral, it is designated as PEN. It is colored green-yellow and has a blue braid at the ends.

In the distribution panel, the grounding wire is connected to a special busbar, or to the housing and metal door. In the distribution box, the connection is made with similar wires provided in lamps and sockets equipped with special grounding contacts. The grounding wire does not need to be connected to a residual current device (RCD), so such protective devices are used where only two wires are used for electrical wiring.

Designation N in electrical

the designation N marks clamps and contact connections for connecting the neutral working conductor/neutral wire. Moreover, this rule applies to both single-phase and three-phase networks.

The colors of the wire that mark the neutral wire (zero, zero, zero working conductor) are strictly blue (light blue) or white-blue (white-blue).

Phase color

The designation of the phase wire is not so clear. It can be either brown, or black, or red, or other colors besides

blue, green and yellow. In an apartment switchboard, the phase wire coming from the load consumer is connected to the lower contact of the circuit breaker or to the RCD. In switches, the phase wire is switched; during switching off, the contact closes and voltage is supplied to consumers. In phase sockets, the black wire must be connected to the contact marked with the letter L.

Letter and numeric wire markings

The first letter “A” denotes aluminum as the core material; in the absence of this letter, the core is copper.

The letters “AA” denote a multi-core cable with an aluminum core and an additional braid made of it.

"AC" is indicated in case of additional lead braiding.

The letter “B” is present if the cable is waterproof and has an additional double-layer steel braid.

“BN” cable braid does not support combustion.

"B" polyvinyl chloride shell.

"G" does not have a protective shell.

“g” (lowercase) bare, waterproof.

“K” is a control cable wrapped with wire under the top sheath.

"R" rubber casing.

"NR" non-flammable rubber casing.

Wire colors abroad

The color marking of wires in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Singapore, Kazakhstan, China, Hong Kong and the countries of the European Union is the same: Ground wire - Green-yellow

Neutral wire - blue

phases are marked with different colors

The neutral designation is black in South Africa, India, Pakistan, England, but this is the case with old wiring.

Currently the neutral is blue.

In Australia it can be blue and black.

In the USA and Canada it is designated white. You can also find gray labeling in the USA.

The ground wire is yellow, green, yellow-green in color everywhere, and in some countries it may also be without insulation.

Other wire colors are used for phases and may be different, except for the colors indicating other wires.

Phase wire color

The phase does not have any precise designation. Black, brown, red and other colors other than green, yellow and blue are quite common. In the distribution panel installed in the apartment, the connection of the phase wire coming from the consumer is made with the contact of the circuit breaker located below. In other circuits, this conductor may be connected to a residual current device.

In switches, the phase is directly involved in switching. With its help, the contact is closed and opened - turned on and off. In this way, voltage is supplied to consumers, and, if necessary, this supply is stopped. In sockets, the phase conductor is connected to the contact marked L.

Connecting a two-gang switch

Before making the connection, you must first strip the ends of the wires by 1-1.5 centimeters to ensure good contact with the terminals. If the wires are powerful, multi-core, at this stage you need to press off their ends.

A switch with two keys should have three wires. One of them is input - phase, and the other two are output, which will supply voltage directly to the lamp itself.

The neutral wire and grounding, as already mentioned, are connected directly to the light source (to the light bulbs, or more precisely to their contacts).

After this, you need to find the phase wire and the entrance to it (unlike the outputs, there is only one). Look at the switch, previously freed from the top casing. At least one arrow must be drawn on it. It usually indicates where the phase will come from and where it will go. Near the base of the arrow, the phase wire should have an entrance.

Operation of a two-button switch

As a rule, in such switches the terminals for the phase input are marked with the symbol “L”, in turn, the terminals for the output cables are marked with arrow symbols.

To accurately find the phase, use a special device. And if it is not there, you can determine this experimentally by temporarily connecting a chandelier or lamp.

You need to alternately connect one wire to the other two using pliers in pairs (not simultaneously!). That is, you select one wire and connect it first to one of the remaining ones, then to the other. This wire, from which first one or another group of lamps (luminaires) will light up, is the phase.

When the phase is found, it can be connected to the input of the switch (this is the first wire that goes to the switch), and the other two wires - to the two output terminals, respectively (these are the second and third wires that go to the switch). Next, all that remains is to insulate the dangerous places on the wires and insert the structure into the socket box, which should be screwed into a place prepared in advance for this.

Afterwards, all that remains is to install the accessories and you can check the device in operation.

To better understand the connection diagram, we suggest watching the video below, which describes in detail and shows examples of the connection diagram of a two-key switch:

Connection features

Double rocker switch contacts
To understand the specifics of connecting a standard switch, you will need to study the principle of its operation. For example, it’s convenient according to the description that a variety of devices can be selected using the key.

The 220 Volt network is supplied to it only after pressing a button or key when switching to the “On” mode. After this, the working lamp or light bulb immediately lights up.

When connecting a three-button switch, the distribution of functions of each of the contacts is the same. But in this case, on the side of the conductor output towards the junction box or chandelier, there are two contacts that are used to switch different groups of light bulbs. As a result, the number of notations increases by one. The same thing is observed when using a three-button product, in which the number of contacts and output conductors is increased by one more. Knowing these characteristics of the switching device will help you decipher the L marking on the switch.

Graphic symbols in electrical diagrams

Regarding graphic symbols in electrical circuits, GOST 2.702-2011 refers to three other GOSTs:

• GOST 2.709-89 “ESKD. Conventional designations of wires and contact connections of electrical elements, equipment and sections of circuits in electrical circuits.”
• GOST 2.721-74 “ESKD. Conditional graphic designations in schemes. Designations for general use"
• GOST 2.755-87 “ESKD. Conventional graphic symbols in electrical diagrams. Switching and contact connection devices."

Conventional graphic symbols (UGO) of automatic circuit breakers, switches, contactors, thermal relays and other switching equipment that is used in single-line diagrams of electrical panels are defined in GOST 2.755-87.

However, there is no designation for RCDs and difavtomats in GOST. I think it will soon be reissued and the RCD designation will be added. In the meantime, each designer depicts an RCD according to his own taste, especially since GOST 2.702-2011 provides for this. It is enough to provide the UGO designation and its explanation in the explanations of the diagram.

In addition to GOST 2.755-87, to complete the circuit, you will need to use images from GOST 2.721-74 (mainly for secondary circuits).

All designations of switching devices are based on four basic images:

using nine functional features:

Basic graphic symbols used in single-line diagrams of electrical panels:

​

The designations of wires and busbars in electrical panels are determined by GOST 2.721-74.

Designation of switches in the drawings

All switches are schematically depicted as a circle with a line on the top. One hook located at the top of the dash indicates a single-gang open type switch. Two hooks correspond to a two-gang switch. An icon with three hooks indicates a switch with three keys. (Figures 1,2)

In the case where a perpendicular strip is placed above the main line, this indicates a switch design intended for hidden installation (Figure 3). One, two or three lines correspond to a one-, two- or three-key switch. If the circle is completely filled in black, it is an image of a moisture-resistant open type switch.

Figure 4 shows a circle intersected by a line with dashes located at the ends. Thus, pass-through switches in two positions are indicated on electrical diagrams. The circuit mirrors two ordinary switches. The number of perpendicular lines indicates the number of keys. The designation of moisture-resistant switches appears as a filled circle.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 show switches arranged together with receptacles in one block. This placement significantly saves space and facilitates installation. To connect, you only need one wire, laid in a single groove.

Figure 5 shows a regular switch connected to a standard outlet. The entire unit is designed for hidden installation. The next option (Figure 6) is more complex. It includes a grounded socket, as well as a one- and two-gang switch. Figure 7 shows a block consisting of two conventional switches and one socket.

How does a two-key switch work?

We will give you a brief overview and give you a general idea of ​​this mechanism, and at the same time prepare for connection. When assembled, the switch has a familiar appearance for us, on the outside there is a frame and keys, but inside is what will interest us now.

We need to get to the working mechanism, since basic manipulations will be performed with it. Remove the protective plastic elements. Using a flat-head screwdriver, we disconnect the keys; to do this, you need to carefully pry them off from the side or top. Some switches have special protrusions for these purposes.

Next, disconnect the frame. As a rule, frames on different switches are attached using two standard methods, using screws or latches. In our example, the fastening is made using latches.

Removing the frame is very simple, the latches can be easily unfastened by hand.

If the frame on your switch is attached differently, then they are usually diagonally located screws. Unscrew them and remove the frame.

The mechanism is ready for connection.

Useful tips

1. Calculate in advance the required (sufficient) cross-section and length of the wires depending on the power of the light sources. The cross-section cannot be less than one and a half square millimeters.
2. In addition to the distribution box, it is also recommended to purchase an additional protective device that will protect against short circuits and overloads in the electrical network.
3. Choose terminal switches rather than those with screw-in screws, as the first connection option is stronger and more durable: the screws will need to be tightened after a while.
4. You can adjust the lighting using a single-key device! But for this, additional equipment is purchased and installed - the so-called dimmer.
5. If you install a similar structure to illuminate a bathroom or other damp place, do not mount the switch indoors under any circumstances.
6. Note: if the switch is modular, then there is always another one near the input terminal. These two terminals must be connected to each other with a separate wire.
7. All connections and connections are strictly prohibited outside special junction boxes. And in the case of complicated environmental conditions, additional protection must be made (for example, from water, humidity, ingress of other solid and liquid substances).
8. If you install a switch, for example, for a toilet, then one of the keys can turn on the light in this room, and the other can turn on the hood.

Connecting a switch that controls the light with two keys is not difficult if you strictly follow the instructions given above. Read all the instructions and useful tips first so that you don’t miss anything, then everything will work out!

Types of wires

When connecting electrical equipment and installing various systems, you cannot do without special conductors. They are made of aluminum or copper. These materials conduct electricity well.

Important! Aluminum wires must only be connected to aluminum wires. They are chemically active. If they are connected to copper, the current transmission circuit will quickly collapse. Aluminum wires are usually connected using nuts and bolts. Copper - through a terminal. It is worth considering that the latter type of conductors has a significant drawback - it quickly oxidizes when exposed to air.

Advice in case the current stops flowing at the point where oxidation occurs: to restore the power supply, the wire must be insulated from external influences using electrical tape.

How the output contacts are connected

The presence of a large number of symbols on the contacts of multi-key electrical switches causes certain difficulties with their connection. It is difficult for an inexperienced user without measuring equipment to determine which of the conductors is responsible for turning on a specific light bulb in a chandelier or one of the groups of luminaires. In this situation, you have to act by trial or error.

The procedure for each type of switch can be represented as the following algorithm:

• with a single-key version, the switch has L and L1 - this means that only one outlet conductor is connected to the output;
• in a two-key analogue, they will have to be connected alternately to each of the output terminals, and watch which of the illuminators lights up;
• based on experimental data, the required contacts are selected under the designations L1 and L2;
• in a three-key model, the possibilities expand: you will have to go through the connection order many times (the number of combinations of three options is 6).

It is possible to simplify the last operation if you alternately connect “unidentified” outlet conductors with the phase wire and observe which light bulbs, groups or lamps light up.

Connecting a double switch with screw contacts

Now we prepare the wires. We remove the insulation from the cores. The depth of the screw contact is 6-7 millimeters. And let’s move on to analyzing the main question of how to connect a double switch.

We connect the supply phase to the upper contact. Unscrew the contact screw. We insert the wire.

Make sure that the insulation does not get into the clamp and tighten the screw.

We connect the outgoing wires in the same way.

We check the reliability of fixing the wires in the contacts.

The connection is complete.

We install the mechanism in the socket box, put on the frame and keys.

We apply voltage, the two-key switch is ready for use. In this article we have discussed in detail how to connect a double switch.

You can find out how to connect a two-key switch on our website in the corresponding instructions.

The connection of other electrical wiring elements (sockets with and without a grounding contact, illuminated switches, chandeliers, lamps) is described in great detail here.

Tools we used in our work:

Tool

• flat screwdriver
• crosshead screwdriver
• knife
• voltage indicator