Converting two way light to one way and add a light

[Tyre Smoke]

Sorry for the heavy title.

Currently I have an outside floodlight that is switched from inside the house and outside via a weatherproof switch on the gatepost. The switch on the gatepost never gets used, so I am trying to get my head around whether it would be simple enough using the existing wiring to substitute the gate switch for a lamp?

The switch on the gate has three wires going to it, red in COM, blue and yellow into L1 and L2, all sleeved with red (to show live). this corresponds with the indoor switch which has red into COM (presumably this is the feed from the supply) and yellow and blue (sleeved red again) in L1 and L2.

The indoor switch is part of a three gang switch, but as far as I can make out, the wiring diagram is like this:

Larger image: http://www.diynot.com/wiki/efa6e2d8354dac4a6228ec4...


So, am I right in thinking that if I remove the switch on the gate I can substitute a lamp by moving some wires to complete the circuit and if so, which to where?

[Smiler.]

The issue with your plan is that there will be no neutral connection at the gatepost switch & no way of easily getting one there for a light.

[guffhoover]

You need to supply the gate light with neutral and at the moment it just has switched lives and earth.

You have enough conductors in the cable between switches but I cant see a way of reconfiguring the main switch wiring to provide the neutral without putting the neutral in circuit with the switched live in one of the switch states.

[Tyre Smoke]

I see, but surely the live to the gate which is switched there can be made part of the circuit I.e live in and the wire to the existing lamp can be neutral out, completing the circuit? It would effectively make the wire between the two L2 terminals redundant, or actually used as earth?

[Smiler.]

Tyre Smoke said:

I see, but surely the live to the gate which is switched there can be made part of the circuit I.e live in and the wire to the existing lamp can be neutral out, completing the circuit? It would effectively make the wire between the two L2 terminals redundant, or actually used as earth?

The blue wire at the house switch is not a neutral, it's a switched live. If you had a neutral at the switch, you could do what you propose. But you don't, so you can't.

[guffhoover]

Smiler. said:

Tyre Smoke said:

I see, but surely the live to the gate which is switched there can be made part of the circuit I.e live in and the wire to the existing lamp can be neutral out, completing the circuit? It would effectively make the wire between the two L2 terminals redundant, or actually used as earth?

The blue wire at the house switch is not a neutral, it's a switched live. If you had a neutral at the switch, you could do what you propose. But you don't, so you can't.

Correct. You need to rewire between your choc block at first switch so that you can propagate a neutral to your gate light.

Get a sparky they'd sort this out for you in jiffy.

[ATG]

You've got the cabling you never in place, but in your diagram you'd need to change connections at the junction block near the lights and at the indoor switch in addition to shoving a lamp outside so that the new lamp is connected to neutral.

Sorry, I'm talking ste. You're short a conductor from the junction block to the switch for the neutral.

Edited by ATG on Tuesday 10th November 15:38

[xstian]

If the switch in side the house is a 3 gang, you may have a permanent live from one of the other switches. In which case you could make the brown from the JB your switch live for the out side light and the blue a neutral. Assuming they are all on the same circuit.

Up load a picture of your 3 gang so we can see the wiring.

[ruggedscotty]

The three way switch will have one live supply to it.

As you said need a photo or a description of the indoor switching. It is an easy conversion but you will most probably need cable to complete




That first switch how far away is it from the the junction box ?

Would it be easy to add another switch in near to the junction box ? If that was possible you could blank plate the old switch and then convert the other switch on the post to a light.

Id wire in a new switch and connect it as a simple on off. Take the feed up to the junctionbox and link it in to provide switching to the existing lamp. Then use the old wiring to provide a feed to a new lamp on the gate post. remember that you will need to remove the switches and choc block the wiring to give you a switch neutral and earth through to the new light on the post. You will see how this changes the wiring to do so.

Edited by ruggedscotty on Tuesday 10th November 17:16

[Tyre Smoke]

Sorted it! Many thanks for your help. A bit of further investigation and it would seem there has been a bit of bodging in the past with a junction box filled with silicon sealant amongst other things.