This is an updated version of the first arrangement. Prior to 2006 different colours of cables were used in uk domestic electrical wiring and appliances for the neutral and live wires.
How To Replace A Light Switch Made Easy
Wiring a light switch red and black uk. Because the electrical code as of the 2011 nec update requires a neutral wire in most new switch boxes a 3 wire cable runs between the light and switch. Hold the red and black terminals of your circuit tester to a red and a black wire that appear in the same cable. 3 way switch wire diagram power to light fixture. Wiring a one way switch. The red and black are used for hot and the white neutral wire at the switch box allows for powering a timer remote control or other programmable switch. A one way light switch has two terminals which is a common marked as com or c.
A three way switch is different. Before this change old wiring colours in the uk for 2 core wire were red live black neutral and earths are either bare or yellow and green whereas with 3 core cable live red blue neutral additional yellow and earth either bare or yellow and green. What were the old uk electrical wiring colours. If it doesnt work switch the lower wires. This was the neutral wire. Although still used today the earth wire used to be pure green.
This is a typical wiring setup for a 3 way light switch with black white red and ground wires. This type of switch has two brass screws usually. The black hot wire connects to the far right switchs common terminal. The old colours were. The other terminal is marked as l1 and is the output to the light fixture. The common is for the live wire that supplies the input voltage to the switch.
The l2 terminal is unused. The other outlet powered by the black wire which always has power is always on. Then turn on the light switch with all power off to the lighting circuits there is no power to the switch. Wiring a three way switch. This was the live wire. In this diagram power enters the fixture box.
This 3 way light switch wiring diagram shows how to do the light switch wiring and the light when the power is coming to the light fixture. In the split tab configuration the two halves of the outlet are separated and the red wire goes to a wall switch. Using the diagram above this would mean either cable 1 2 or 3. When you see a red wire in an outlet box its usually because the outlet is a switched outlet. A metal light switch must be earthed as seen below. This type of switch lets you turn the light off or on from more than one place in the room.
A two way light switch can also be used in in place of a one way light switch in this instance the red wire from the feed cable is connected to the common c terminal and the red wire going to the light is connected to the l1 terminal.