How to change a two-gang switch. How to change the switch if you are not an electrician? According to the method of fastening

29.10.2019

Replacing a light switch in an apartment is a fairly simple operation that even a novice home master can handle. All you need is basic knowledge of electrical engineering and the ability to work with a simple tool.

Preparatory stage

The main thing when working with electricity is safety. In the absence of self-confidence, it is recommended to use the services of a professional electrician.

If you decide to do the work yourself, we follow the following preparatory steps:

The lack of light is not caused by problems in the electrical network, but by the burnout of the cartridge. We check the cartridge.
We look to see if there is light in other parts of the house (apartment).
If, as a result of the check, there are no malfunctions that are not related to electrical network, proceed to dismantle the switch. Before changing the switch, we de-energize the apartment. To do this, we use a cutter. We check the mains voltage with an indicator. Letting family members know about the event repair work. No one should use the light while the switch is being replaced.

For electrical installation, you will need the following tools and materials:

voltage indicator (do not use this tool as a screwdriver due to excessive fragility);
a set of screwdrivers (Phillips and a pair of flat tools of different sizes);
pliers;
stationery knife;
insulating tape;
flashlight for illuminating dark areas.

Dismantling

We perform the work in the following sequence:

Remove the keys from the switch. We do this with a screwdriver, prying the keys. We remove the double keys one by one.
Remove the outer panel of the box with the same screwdriver.
When the panel is removed, the screws that hold the switch itself become visible. Unscrew the screws.
We take out the switch from the niche.
We disconnect the wires. It is important to remember the order of connecting the wires. It is recommended to take a picture of the working field so as not to get confused later.

One button connection

Before replacing any light switches, we clean the insulating layer on the wires. Five-millimeter sections of wires are laid in the switch terminals. We direct the phase wire (red) to the contact designated as L1. We bring a blue (black) wire to contact L2. The switch is installed in a niche. We fix the case with the help of sliding strips and screws.

We start the power supply on the switchboard and test the system for operability.

Sometimes the light is turned off by moving the key up. Then we turn the case of the device and change the conductors in places. We fix the decorative panel and the switch key.

Two button installation

Replacing a single-key switch with a two-key switch is carried out according to the same algorithm as in the case of a single-key switch.

There is a difference: you will need to connect three phase conductors to terminals L1, L2 and L3. For a three-key device, we use four conductors: one to the phase, and one to each contact.

Not in every case wires of familiar colors are used: red for phase, black (blue) for zero. In old buildings and in private houses, the color scheme is often different. There are also single-color wires. It is recommended to look for the necessary wires using the indicator.

Each of us at least once in our lives had to deal with a situation where, when you press the switch button, the lamp for some reason does not light up, and its replacement does not bring the desired result. If at the same time everything is in order with the switches in other rooms (the light turns on), then the switch that does not work is most likely damaged and needs to be replaced.

It is believed that the replacement of the circuit breaker is a fairly simple operation and may well be carried out on your own(this also applies to the case of updating an outdated model).

At independent solution For questions about how to replace the switch, you may need the following tool:

a regular straight or Phillips screwdriver;
indicator screwdriver (phase indicator);
assembly knife and insulating tape;
pliers.

Before starting work, you first of all need to turn off the power in the room where the faulty switch is being reset. To do this, you should find and turn off the line machine in the hallway on the electrical panel responsible for supplying power to this room (or the general machine that powers the entire apartment).

When using conventional fusible inserts (“plugs”) instead of an automatic machine, the latter are simply unscrewed from their holders. In the event that automata or inserts are installed in both supply wires (phase and zero), you will have to turn them both off.

Work procedure

The sequence of operations when dismantling the "suspicious" switch is as follows:

The dismantling of the product begins with the removal of the operating key of the switch and the removal of its decorative panel, which is fastened to the base with two screws. Thus, you gain access to the terminals of the device.
At the next stage of work, you should make sure that it is the switch itself that is “guilty” of the malfunction that has occurred, and not the power supply wiring. To do this, you need to turn on the machine that was turned off earlier and use an indicator screwdriver to check whether voltage is supplied to one of the working terminals of the switch. When working with an indicator screwdriver, it is necessary to hold it in one hand, while touching the contact plate located on the end part of the indicator handle with your thumb. Such a touch is necessary for the formation of a closed electrical circuit and the correct operation of the phase indicator. In order to avoid any troubles, it is recommended to first make sure that the indicator itself is working by checking it at control points that are obviously energized.
After that, you must press the key and check for voltage at the adjacent terminal and on the wire extending towards the lighting fixture.

If the indicator shows "phase", then the switch is working; in this case, electrical wiring may be faulty, laid in the area from the switch to the lamp. If there is no “phase” on the second terminal of the device, the switch will need to be replaced.

Then it is necessary to re-power the faulty switch and, after making sure that there is no voltage (“phase”) on both of its terminals, loosen the screws securing the wires and disconnect them.
After that, you need to loosen the fixing screws that fix the switch body in a special plastic (mounting) box walled up in the wall and carefully pull the switch out of it.
At this stage of work, it is recommended to check the condition of the contact part of the supply wires. If the exposed sections of the wiring are slightly broken, you need to cut them off at the break point and remove the insulation from the ends of the wire with a knife.
Next, you should arrange the ends of the wiring so that they can be connected to the terminals of the newly installed switch.

The switch should be installed in the following sequence:

disassemble the switch to be installed and connect the previously prepared wires to its working terminals. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that the stripped ends of the wiring neatly fit the terminal contacts and do not protrude outward by more than 2-3 mm (it is recommended to check the reliability of the wires in the terminal blocks by slightly twitching them away from the clamp);
then you need to install the switch in its original place, in the mounting box; and this should be done very carefully - so as not to accidentally damage the wires;
then, firmly pressing the body of the device against the wall, it is necessary to tighten the screws on the spacer "antennae" that fix it in the mounting box;
after that, a decorative cover is put on and the switch key is put in place;
in conclusion, you only need to include circuit breaker on the panel and check the operation of the new device.

Sometimes you may encounter a problem when the light in the room does not turn on. If replacing the light bulb does not help, then the switch may need to be replaced. Calling an electrician will be expensive in most cases. Therefore, it is best to replace the light switch yourself. To replace the switch, you will need: a screwdriver, a phase indicator, a new switch, as well as a knife and electrical tape.

How to replace a switch

Before you replace the light switch, you must first turn off the electricity. You can turn off the electricity in the floor shield on the landing. In some apartments, metering boards may be located in the hallway. If instead of the machine is installed fuse then you need to unscrew it. If the machines will be installed on both lines, then both lines should be disconnected.

Sequence for replacing a single-gang switch

The design of the switch can be varied. Depending on the features, you need to wring out the cover and remove the switch key. In simple words you need to remove all the elements of the switch that will block access to the wires. After you have access to the wires, you need to make sure that the problem is in the switch. To do this, you need to turn on the apartment machine and, using the phase indicator, determine which of the two wires is the phase. When you touch the indicator screwdriver, a red light should light up on it. The indicator must be held only by the handle. It is forbidden to touch the metal part, as you can get an electric shock.

Important! When enabled electric current Do not touch bare wires or terminals. This can be life threatening.

After detection, you need to turn on the switch and check the appearance of a phase on the other terminal. If you see that the phase is present, then this means that the switch is fully functional, and the fault is between the switch and the lamp. If the phase does not appear, then this means that the old switch should be replaced. In some apartments, switches can be installed in violation of the rules on the neutral wire. Therefore, the method of verification that is indicated above will not work. In this case, you will need to use a multimeter. We have an article on how to use a multimeter.

Phase test multimeter

Turn off the apartment machine, check the absence of a phase at the switch terminals with an indicator and unscrew the lamps from the lamp. You can then measure the resistance between the terminals. If the switch is good, then the resistance will be zero. In the presence of a breakdown, the resistance will be close to infinity.

Removing the light switch

Now you need to unscrew all the mounting bolts and disconnect the wires and the case. When removing the switch, be careful not to damage the wires. Now you should check the condition of the wires. If the bare part fell off during installation, then you need to protect the wires again and adjust the ends so that it is convenient to connect a new switch. Areas with damaged insulation must be wrapped with insulating tape. To check the strength of the fastening of the wires, they must be pulled, but not too hard. If the connection is bad, then tighten the fixing screws.

Now you can turn on the power supply and check the operation of the new switch. If the connection and connection is done correctly, then the light will turn on. Now you know how to replace an old light switch with a new one. We hope this information was useful and interesting.

how to make a dimmer with your own hands.

Circuit breaker failure can occur different reasons: from a short circuit to the banal wear of the box. In order to replace it, you can call an electrician, but if you wish, this work can be done independently. There is nothing difficult in this operation, and any adult, even without special knowledge, will cope with it in no more than half an hour. However, it should be remembered that since this work involves electricity, you need to take care of safety measures. In this article you will find a detailed answer to the question of how to change the switch with your own hands.

Preparation for work

Before proceeding with the replacement of the switch, you need to make sure that the reason is in it. Often the “culprit” is the cartridge, so you should first check it with a probe or multimeter, after unscrewing the lamp.

Also make sure that other rooms have light.

After making sure that it is the switch that is faulty, it must be dismantled. It should be remembered that the light switch is replaced in a de-energized apartment, so it is necessary to turn off the voltage that is supplied to the room with a knife switch. Warn all households that you are working with electricity and at this time they should not turn on any electrical appliances, and even more so, touch the switch.

Let's figure out first how to change the switch with one button.

Removing the switch

To dismantle a faulty device, you must first remove its protective cover, made of plastic or carbolite. To do this, you need to unscrew the 2 fastening screws.

The switch mechanism with one key is fixed inside the socket box with spacer tabs. It has a pair of screw terminals with cable cores connected to it. The position of the legs, if necessary, can be adjusted located on the left and right side screws.

Before removing the mechanism, it is necessary to determine which core the phase is suitable for. To do this, we need a screwdriver-probe. Touching her contacts one by one, we check the presence of voltage. Then the device key should be switched to another position, and then re-check.

The supply phase cable is the one on the contact of which the probe indicates the presence of voltage; at the same time, it is absent on the second contact. The zero core should go to the lighting device.

Phase detection is performed on a circuit breaker that is energized, so you must be extremely careful when performing this procedure. Only after its completion, the room must be de-energized by turning off the breaker or removing the plugs.

Having de-energized the apartment, you need to make sure that there is no voltage on the switch, and then continue to dismantle it. In this case, you need to act as follows:

Remove the mechanism from the socket, after unscrewing the screws of the spacer legs.
After that, you need to separate the wires, starting with the phase. Loosen the contact screw, pull out the cable and mark it with electrical tape.
Disconnect the second cable from the mechanism.
Straighten the wires.

This completes the dismantling.

Preparing to connect

Before you connect a new device, you need to prepare it for installation. The procedure for this is as follows:

Remove the key using a flathead screwdriver.
Unscrew the screws to gain access to the mechanism. The execution of these devices is different, but they are connected according to the same principle and fixed to the socket by means of spacer legs. The movement of the latter is provided by screws.

To fix the wires, a pair of screw clamps and a pressure plate are provided. With their help, you can loosen the fastening, or, on the contrary, press the cores more strongly. One to two wires can be connected to each contact.

Installing a new switch

Having prepared the mechanism for installation, we proceed directly to its connection. In this case, you need to act in the following order:

Strip the ends of the wires from insulation by 1-1.5 cm with a knife.
Insert the cleaned core into the contact hole, making sure that there is no insulation in the clamp. It should be remembered that the phase conductor (red) must be mounted in the socket of the contact marked with the L1 symbol, and the neutral conductor (black or blue) in the socket L2.
If the end of the core sticks out more than 2 mm, trim the excess.
Tighten the contact screw.
Pull on the cable to make sure the contact is secure. The wire must remain motionless. If this is not the case, tighten the contact more tightly. But it is important not to overdo it - you can break the thread.
Strip and insert the next wire into the hole.
Fasten in the same way, make sure the fixation is good.

After that, the switch must be inserted inside the socket and secured with sliding strips. Then supply electricity to the room and check the operation of the device under voltage.

If the light turns off when the key is pressed up, you should swap the cables or simply turn the mechanism case over.

After making sure that everything is in order, replace the switch key and screw the cover. When installing the key, you need to make sure that the pins on it fit into the button grooves. This completes the switch replacement.

Let's move on to the question of how to properly change a switch with two or three buttons. The procedure for performing the procedure is almost identical to that observed when working with a one-button device, with the exception of a couple of nuances. When installing a switch with two buttons, the phase is connected to terminal L3, and the other two cables go to terminals L1 and L2. Switches for three keys are connected with four wires, one of which is phase, and each of the other three corresponds to its connection group.

Visually the whole process of replacing a two-gang switch on the video:

Conclusion

In the material presented, we tried to analyze in as much detail as possible how to replace the light switch. As you can see, this procedure does not present any particular difficulties, and our readers, after reading the article, will easily cope with such work on their own, without the help of a professional electrician.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, and switches in the apartment, among other things, tend to fail. Of course, you can call an electrician, and he will replace him in a matter of minutes, but most often this simple procedure You could spend a whole day or more.

In principle, if there is a desire and some skill, then you can replace the switch with your own hands, and not wait for electricians.

It is not difficult to do this, and such a replacement will take a maximum of half an hour of free time.

How to replace the switch in the apartment.

The first thing to do turn off the electricity in the apartment. Now you can start dismantling the old switch. screwdriver needed pry the key switch, after that it should snap off, or simply unscrew the bolt on the cover of the switch. The design of the keys of old switches is different, but do not be afraid to break something, because you should already have a new switch.

By the way switches are different.. It all depends on the dimensions of the mounting boxes in the apartment. Now they mainly install the so-called "Euro-boxes", and earlier Soviet-style boxes were placed in our apartments. And if you don’t know what kind of boxes you have, then don’t buy the switch in advance, but simply remove the old one and take it with you to the store, the seller will always tell you which type you need, and you will only have to choose the color and design.

After the keys and the switch cover are removed, access to the fastener bolts will open. These bolts need to be unscrewed a little with a screwdriver until the switch comes out of the box. On euro-switches, sometimes you just need to unscrew the bolts that are screwed into the box.

Now you need to unscrew the wires. If the switch single-key, then there are two wires, if two-key(turns off two lamps), then three. Before replacing the switch, you need to align the bare ends of the wires, and if they are damaged, then it is better (if the wire supply allows) to bite off the end with wire cutters and clean it again. If there are three wires(in a two-gang switch), then you need to remember which wire is common (phase).

Usually, the common wire is connected from below, and the other two that go to the lamps are connected from above, or vice versa. You can also determine the phase wire using the indicator, if the wiring is done correctly, then phase must go through the switch. That is, when checking with an indicator, the wire on which the phase indicator lights up will be common, and the other two to the lamps. But even if you confuse something, then nothing terrible will happen, since there is no zero, then there will be no short circuit.

Now wires need to be fixed on the switch contacts. As a rule, the wire is inserted into the contact hole, and clamped with a bolt using a screwdriver. It is not necessary to clamp the wire too tightly, but also weakly, too.

When the wires are installed, you can carefully, without touching the conductors check switch operation, and at the same time determine the position of the keys when turned on. Sometimes it happens that the switch is already installed, and the keys in the switch turn the light up and turn it down, then you have to remove it and turn it over. So it's better to check everything in advance.

If everything works correctly, then you can put the switch in the box. With a screwdriver, you need to tighten the bolts along the edges of the switch until the fasteners rest against the box and the switch will hold securely. Euro-boxes have special holes for bolts, with which you can fix the switch. You also need to make sure that the switch is installed straight.