Browse Forums Lighting + Lighting Design 1 Oct 28, 2014 2:38 pm Hi Everyone, I have a question surrounding two-way switches and was hoping someone could please clarify/help! Let me explain... In our current house, we have one two way switch. When both the switches are in the off position, the lights are off. You turn Switch A on, the light comes on, turn switch B on, the light goes off, Turn switch A off, the light comes on, Turn switch B off, the light turns off. So, when both switches are off, the lights are off. When both switches are on, the lights are off. It is only when one switch is on and the other is off, that the lights come on. We've just built a house and we believe that some of our two way switches are wired incorrectly. When both switches are in the off position, the lights are on! The only way to have the lights off is when one switch is on and the other is off. Which is completely different to our current house. Which way is correct? To me, it seems logical that when both switches are off, the lights are off. Therefore you can look at the switches at a glance and see that everything is off. In our new house, we can't have all the switches in the off position. Some clarification would be helpful! Thank you in advance Re: Two Way Switches Question 2Oct 28, 2014 4:13 pm If both switches are wired the same way then the light will be ON when both switches are in the same position, either up or down. And the light will be OFF when the switches are in different positions. If you want it to be different then wire one of the switches the other way around. Re: Two Way Switches Question 3Oct 28, 2014 5:11 pm I've honestly never paid any attention in any of the houses I've lived in with two-way switches (which is most of them, I think) as to whether the switches are in sync or not. Whatever state the light is in (on or off), if I want to change it I need to flick the nearest switch. Whether the switch starts in the on or off position and how this relates to the position of the other switch doesn't come into it for me. In every place we have two-way switches, I can't see both switches at the same time (usually due to distance, ie, either end of a hallway (which could be my eyesight ) as I don't think you'd bother having two-way switches right next to each other). We even have a three-way switch for the lights in our entry and front hallway (one near the front door, one at the family room door and one around the corner at the master bedroom door) so they're rarely going to be in sync depending on what switches have been used in which sequence. If I want to see what position the other switch/es are in, I need to walk right past/under the relevant lights...in which case I can look at the lights themselves and see that whether they're on or off (which is what I usually do for normal lights with just one switch - I look at the light, not the switch). I've just had a look at our light switches - they have up and down positions but no actual markings to signify on or off like the power points do. I'm not sure if there is a "correct" way or not but as RuffTuff has mentioned, if it bothers you, you'd need to get one of the switches rewired. ~ Anne I used to be indecisive but now I'm not quite sure. Eeek - We're embarking on a knockdown rebuild! Click here for our build thread Our blog: kdrhome.wordpress.com Re: Two Way Switches Question 4Oct 28, 2014 6:37 pm All my 2 ways are the same as you described in your new house. I'll ask my sparkie tomorrow to confirm it but im sure that to have the switches the way you have described in your current house the wiring in one switch has to be reversed on the active and neutral posts, which is a no no. Re: Two Way Switches Question 5Oct 31, 2014 6:30 am The switches that are used in two-way switching don't really have an on or off position, just an "a" or "b" position. When both are in "a" or both in "b" then the light will be off. When one is in "a" and one is in "b" then the light will be on. By convention, though, in Australia we think of lights being on when we push the bottom part of the rocker in (a downward movement of our hand across the switch). Interestingly, this is the exact opposite of the US where they consider "up" to be on, Regardless, it is an easy fix - you can get the electrician to take one of the wall plates off the way and rotate it 180 degrees (assuming it is a single switch plate, otherwise the other switches will now be "wrong". Re: Two Way Switches Question 7Oct 31, 2014 4:48 pm There is a similar issue when using the illuminated press button satin switches, These switches illuminate when switched off, however when used in a 2way situation one switch will be lit and the other not. The answer to this is, "thats just the way it is" Re: Two Way Switches Question 8Nov 06, 2014 1:27 am mgilla There is a similar issue when using the illuminated press button satin switches, These switches illuminate when switched off, however when used in a 2way situation one switch will be lit and the other not. The answer to this is, "thats just the way it is" Incorrect as 'thats just the way it is' The Saturn situation you described can be fixed by re-wiring with additional cable. It CAN be achieved. As for the OP, the easiest resolution would be to flip the switch plate 180 degrees as also mentioned aboe. Re: Two Way Switches Question 9Nov 06, 2014 9:03 pm Super Nes mgilla There is a similar issue when using the illuminated press button satin switches, These switches illuminate when switched off, however when used in a 2way situation one switch will be lit and the other not. The answer to this is, "thats just the way it is" Incorrect as 'thats just the way it is' The Saturn situation you described can be fixed by re-wiring with additional cable. It CAN be achieved. As for the OP, the easiest resolution would be to flip the switch plate 180 degrees as also mentioned aboe. Super Nes can you give me more info on the additional wire for fixing the saturn switch issue please. The sparkie spoke with the switch manufacturers and it was from them that "thats just the way it is" came. mgilla Re: Two Way Switches Question 10Nov 06, 2014 9:24 pm mgilla Super Nes mgilla There is a similar issue when using the illuminated press button satin switches, These switches illuminate when switched off, however when used in a 2way situation one switch will be lit and the other not. The answer to this is, "thats just the way it is" Incorrect as 'thats just the way it is' The Saturn situation you described can be fixed by re-wiring with additional cable. It CAN be achieved. As for the OP, the easiest resolution would be to flip the switch plate 180 degrees as also mentioned aboe. Super Nes can you give me more info on the additional wire for fixing the saturn switch issue please. The sparkie spoke with the switch manufacturers and it was from them that "thats just the way it is" came. mgilla Hi mgilla, I've got saturn switches throughout my place, 1, 2 and 3 way circuits. The 1 and 2 way circuit switches all have their LED illumination set-up correctly. The 3 way doesn't work with the illumination so those 6 switches (there are two 3-way circuits) don't illuminate at all. [EDIT]--- 1 of the 3 switches illuminates on the 3-way circuits correctly, while the other 2 stay unlit regardless of if the lights are on or off ---[EDIT] As far as your sparkie talking to Clipsal and being told "that's just the way it is" I call BS on that. I've got saturn electronic dimmer switches on most single circuits. My sparkie wasn't sure about them so I rang Clipsal to learn exactly what they could do and how to use them. I found the people at Clipsal to be very helpful, informative and they did KNOW everything about their product. Ring Clipsal yourself and ask about 2 way circuits and how to get the switch LED illuminating correctly. Once you know more than your electrician you'll find that he/she won't be so quick to take the cop-out option again. Good luck! ----------------------------------------------- http://pab34newdigs.blogspot.com.au/ ----------------------------------------------- Re: Two Way Switches Question 11Nov 06, 2014 10:51 pm PAB_34 Once you know more than your electrician you'll find that he/she won't be so quick to take the cop-out option again. and that's exactly right. I can even draw up a wiring diagram for him. The fact that additional cable has to be run for it to be achieved probably put it in the 'too hard basket'. Re: Two Way Switches Question 12Nov 09, 2014 2:33 pm how you have described it is how it should work. i imagined it just looks a bit weird because the lights can be off but the switch is in the on position. The straps should should go from 1 to 1 and 2 to 2 Re: Two Way Switches Question 13Nov 11, 2014 10:01 pm Super Nes PAB_34 Once you know more than your electrician you'll find that he/she won't be so quick to take the cop-out option again. and that's exactly right. I can even draw up a wiring diagram for him. The fact that additional cable has to be run for it to be achieved probably put it in the 'too hard basket'. Your electrician reads wiring diagrams!? The original electrician that wired the house during renovations refused to read any, inspite of me and the lighting supplier providing him with all the relevant literature. Of course several things were wired wrong, and even those that ended up right took a long time. 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