What is a Two Way Switch? How a 2 Way Switch Wiring Works? What is the need of a Two Way Switch?
Wiring a 2 way switch is about as simple because it gets when it involves basic house wiring. When wiring a 2-way switch circuit, all you’re really doing is controlling the facility flow (Switching off/on) to the load (a light, lamp, outlet, ceiling fan, etc. Now a typical circuit will contain a 3-wire cable containing a black wire, a white wire, and a bare copper wire.
Have you ever wonder how a lamp that is used to illuminate the stairs of a building is connected to the 2 switches that control it from either end? This can only be done employing a two way switch or a multiway switching. Furthermore, the two-way switch is employed to on/off the light, fan from two different locations. A two way switch is also referred to as a 3 way switch in some countries but generally, both of them are the same.
How It Works
How Two Way Switch Wiring Works
There are a few of the ways during which you’ll make a 2 way switch wiring connection. One is an older method, which isn’t often used nowadays and therefore the other may be a more modern and safer version which is being implemented in industrial also as residential applications. most significantly, a crucial component called a Two-Way Light Switch is that the main element of the two Way Switching, regardless of the sort of wiring used. it’s a typical single pole switch with three terminals.
The three terminals are usually named COM, L1, and L2, but sometimes COM, 1 Way, and a couple of Ways also are used. In one position, the COM and L1 are connected while within the second position, the COM and L2 are connected.
How To Wire 2 Way Switch
There are various ways of 2 way switch wiring, which brings with it a lot of functions as well. But not all of them are functional in this modern era as varieties of two way light switches have been introduced. Let us indulge in some of them.
Standard 2 Way Switch Wiring
The first way of wiring uses a few 2 Way Light Switches with a 3-wire control where both the COM terminals are connected together. The L1 terminals of both the switches are connected to the line of the AC Supply. The L2 terminals of both the switches are connected to at least one terminal of the sunshine bulb while the opposite terminal of the sunshine bulb is connected to the neutral of the AC power supply.
From the above 2 way switch wiring diagram, you’ll easily visualize how the wiring works. within the state shown, the sunshine is off. If either of the switches is toggled, the sunshine activates. to show off the sunshine, you’ll toggle the opposite switch. When this setup is compared with digital electronics, then it seems almost like an EXNOR Gate, where the status of the light (on or off) depends on the COM terminals of both the switches connected to respective L1 and L2 terminals.
Even though it uses more wire but still is the most recommended method of two way switch wiring as both line and neutral wire come from the same circuit breaker.
Staircase 2 Way Light Switch
Consider the above 2-way switch schematic which has been wont to control a bulb in the staircase. The schematic shows that circuit is completed and the bulb is ON. Suppose you would like to OFF the bulb from the upper switch at top of the stair ( (upper portion of staircase) ) simply cut the switch then the circuit will break and therefore the bulb is going to be OFF.
To modify ON the bulb again, just turn on an equivalent switch at the upper portion of the staircase. In other words, you’ll OFF and ON bulb from the upper switch at the highest of the stair. Obviously, you’ll perform an equivalent operation from rock bottom switches installed in a staircase. This is not always the case, but in some cases like shared flats and long stairs, we may control the light point in staircase wiring from three different places by using two 2 way toggle switch wiring with an intermediate switch.
Final Verdict
The Conclusion
Thus it can be clearly seen that each features a common terminal (COM) with a pole which will be switched between position L1 or L2. the 2 way light switch wiring are often implemented by using 2 different methods. For light bulb , the recommended wire gage used is AWG #14. The LIVE AC Source is connected to L1 of SW1 and one side of the load is connected to L2 of SW2. within the second method the L1 of both SW1 and SW2 are connected together. Similarly, the L2 of both SW1 and SW2 are connected together.
The LIVE of the AC Source is connected to COM of SW1 and one side of the load is connected to COM of SW2. the opposite side of the load is then connected to the NEUTRAL of the AC Source. With this configuration, the lamp is going to be turned ON when one switch is ON and therefore the other is additionally ON. If both switches are in different positions, the lamp is going to be OFF.
