How to connect a pass switch diagram. Different options for connecting circuit switches. Mounting Light Switches

Basically, one electric switch is used for one lighting device. If you want to turn off the chandelier that is in the living room, you should go to this room. As a rule, one switching device is installed at the entrance to the room, thanks to which the electric lighting devices in this room are controlled. But sometimes you need two switches for one light bulb.

General Information

There are situations when the classic version of connecting fixtures is not justified:

There are quite a few cases when you have to use duplicate toggle switches. In such situations, a device is used that allows you to turn on and off lighting fixtures from different rooms and different switches independently of each other.

This method is very efficient and convenient, and it also helps to save energy.

Using a walk-through electrical switch, for example, you do not have to leave the light on the porch of the house for the whole night. On the top floor, you can turn it on and turn it off near the front door.

Features of use

It is not difficult to connect two or more switches to one lamp or lamp. Such a scheme has one significant drawback in terms of the convenience of controlling a lamp or luminaire. For example, if you use switch "A" to turn on the light, you cannot turn it off with switch "B", you will only have to use the same "A". This situation causes inconvenience and confusion.

If it is important to you that the luminaire is controlled by two switches that are linked together, using one switch to turn on the light, you could use the other to turn it off.

The main difference between the feed-through switch and the standard version of the switching device is design feature:

Lighting devices that are connected according to this principle can be both incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps.

In addition to lighting fixtures, other devices that need an on and off circuit can be connected in a similar way.

Wiring diagram for two switches

Installing such a circuit on one light bulb is not difficult. At the stage of creating wiring at the points where the installation of throw-over structures is planned, it is necessary to lay a three-core cable in advance before the first two. If you need more light switches, then you will have to use a four-wire cable that you need to stretch to the next.

To be able to control lighting simultaneously from two places, need to purchase switches, which are equipped with two switching positions and three contacts. In this case, the switching must have a toggle character, while the first node must be common to the other two.

The bottom switching position is characterized by the closure of the first, and in the second, the subsequent contact is closed. Therefore, initially there is no closure of three connections at the same time.

Accessories and devices

When considering the "two switches per one bulb" scheme, which has two changeover switching structures, components can be distinguished:

a junction (branch) box, which is used to protect connecting electrical cables - is present in every room, in large rooms they are installed in several pieces;
connecting wires (two-, three- and four-wire);
directly the lamp itself;
pass-through switching devices in the amount of two pieces.

Principle of operation

Mounting the light switch through:

The "zero" wire is laid from the source to the junction box, then goes to the lamp.
The “phase” wire is drawn from exactly the same source to the same box, and then laid to the common contact of the first switch.
Two changeover contacts of the first switch, using a junction box, are connected to exactly the same parts of the second switch.
The phase from the common contact of the second switch is connected to another electrical node of the lamp.

Installation work of the control system of one lighting device, functioning from two places at the same time, is not difficult.

Installation is carried out as follows:

In the required places, install changeover switching structures.
Lead three-core cables out of them.
Mount one or, if necessary, several electric lamps connected in parallel to each other.
Lead a two-core cable from one or more lighting fixtures.
Install the junction box at the point where it is easily accessible and the shortest cable length.
To the box, bring the wires from the flip structures, power supply and the lighting fixtures themselves.
Connect them as described in the above paragraphs.

Such a system involves connecting four contacts (two pairs) to each other. When the lighting is turned on, the phase from the common node of the second electric switch approaches the lighting device.

Security conditions

Mounting work of walk-through switches is possible both with open and hidden wiring systems.

Installation can be carried out independently, only in this case it is necessary to observe necessary safety rules:

Due to the design feature, there is no specific “on” or “off” position on the keys of the backup electric switches. Based on the position of the electrical contacts of another switch, the two connecting nodes of this system correspond to the position "closed" or "open". So when the lights are off the key will be in a different position each time. This feature is not a problem - you can quickly get used to it.

Alternatives

Pass-through duplicate switches have an alternative. An alternative option is characterized by the presence of bistable relays or LED electric lights, which are equipped with motion and light sensors. It is preferable to use bistable relays when it is necessary to use not only two, but three, four or more electrical switches to control lighting.

Luminaires equipped with motion sensors are not as practical as walk-through switches. The number of stops, the speed of movement and other parameters significantly affect the constant procedure for turning on or off the electric lighting, which is a very inconvenient option..

It consists in the possibility of controlling the lamp from different points. It is most relevant to use this type of electrical fittings in a long corridor, a spacious cottage and even a bedroom (if the first one is installed near the bed, and the second one is at the entrance to the room). Next, we will consider a simple wiring diagram for a one-key pass-through switch, and we will also provide you with a visual video lesson on the correct connection of wires in a junction box.

So, it should immediately be noted that the switch (it can also be called that) is not used alone, at least two products must be present to control. As for connecting wires, the principle does not differ from the usual version - zero goes directly to the lamp, the phase goes to break. The only difference is that in the connection diagram of a single-gang pass-through switch, not one phase is connected at the output (as in the classic version), but two. The output 2 contacts are connected to the next switch, which has one wire at the output for connecting to the chandelier.

A photo in which you can see the real picture of switching wires for 2 lamps:

There are 2 contacts at the output of the second switch, because this example uses two bulbs

In words, it is a little difficult to perceive the information, so we provide an electrical circuit for connecting a pass-through switch with one key:

As you can see, two single-key devices are connected with a three-core cable, which in turn must have a suitable core diameter. Read about it in the corresponding article!

A visual video example will show you the essence of the connection:

Wiring instructions

I would also like to mention that a common case is such a variant of the circuit, in which there are 3 or even 4 single pass-through switches. In this case, you can turn on / off the light from 2, 3 or even 4 places, which is very convenient when you are in a long corridor. To make such a chain of control, you need to use another type of product - cross, which are intermediate elements of the circuit.

As for the scheme by which you will carry out the installation, it is as follows:

This option makes it possible to control the luminaire from three places. In the event that you wish to switch off from four places, another cross switch is added to the circuit.

In most cases, standard one-two- or three-gang switches are initially mounted in each house or apartment, which control lighting from only one specific place. But this is extremely inconvenient, because how many times have you had to get out of bed to turn on the lights in the room?

With modern wiring, pass-through switches have become more often used, which are able to turn off or turn on, for example, the lighting in the room when entering the room and at the same time near the bed or, for example, on both sides of the corridor. How to do it? Very simple! To do this, it will be enough just to read this article.

What is a pass switch

It is a multi-contact switch that is capable of simultaneously controlling a light source from multiple locations. In the modern market of electrical materials, this device is represented by the following types:

single-keyboard with one input and 2 outputs;
two-key with two inputs and 4 outputs;
three-key with three inputs and 6 outputs;
cross with two inputs and two outputs for lighting control from more than 3 places.

This type of device can be both keyboard and touch or remote (control from the remote control). In most cases, standard key switches are used, however, in the case of installing the Smart Home system, it is better to mount remote walk-through switches that are controlled using a remote control or a special smartphone application.

The principle of operation of the pass switch

In appearance, the through switches are identical to the standard ones, however, due to the design, their principle of operation is significantly different.

So when you press the key of a conventional switch, the circuit simply closes or opens, and if you press the key of the pass-through switch, it opens one group of contacts and closes another.

Important! Unlike standard two-key (single-key) devices, pass-through switches can only work in pairs, since one and the second control the phase supply to the lighting device, and if one of them is not in the circuit, then the phase wire will not come to the light source, as a result of which the light bulb will not light up.

Scheme of connecting electric switches through passage for lighting control from 2 places

Allows you to effectively control the lighting from 2 points when turning the lighting on and off:

on the flight of stairs in the cottage;
in a long corridor;
in office premises;
in passage rooms;
in the bedroom (control of lighting circuits near the bed and at the entrance to the bedroom) and so on.

To answer the question: “how to connect a 2-key pass-through switch?” you need to understand the principle of its operation. Let's do this and do it on the example of the photo presented above.

In this scheme, the neutral conductor (in most cases blue) from the junction box is connected directly to the light source (bulb). The phase wire (brown) from the junction box comes to the 1st contact of the feed-through switch No. 1, after which it goes from the first contact of switch No. 2 to the second end of the light bulb.

At the same time, jumpers must be installed between contacts No. 2 and No. 2, as well as contacts No. 3 and No. 3 of through switches No. 1 and No. 2 (these jumpers are connected in the junction box).

Thanks to these jumpers, the phase to the light source can be supplied either from one or the second switch, which will allow you to turn on the lighting from several places.

This is considered the simplest circuit as it only allows one light source to be controlled. In order, for example, to turn on the LED backlight and the main lighting separately, you need to use a two-button one, the principle of which you will find in the next section.

Control circuit for a two-gang pass-through switch

The principle of operation and the connection diagram of a two-gang pass-through switch are similar to those of a single-gang switch, however, unlike the previous ones, these devices allow you to control lighting in several groups.

Consider the principle of operation of these devices according to the following photo:

In this scheme, mounted:

two double switches;
power supply 220 V (phase and zero);
junction box in which switching is performed;
2 groups of lighting circuits (for example, this can be a chandelier and LED lighting in a hall or room).

In this scheme, "0" (with the correct switching of blue color) is connected directly from the junction box to one output of the 1st and 2nd lighting groups. Next, the phase wire (brown) enters the junction box and leaves it and connects to outputs No. 1 and No. 2 of the through switch No. 1.

Further, the outputs from the passage switch No. 1 with numbers No. 3, 4, 5, 6 go to the junction box, in which they are switched with similar outputs No. 3, 4, 5, 6. Further from the outputs No. 1 and No. 2 of the passage switch No. 2 the phase goes to the 1st and 2nd lighting groups and is connected to the second contact.

How to install in a junction box

In order for double or lighting devices to perform their function for many years, the switching process must be approached thoroughly.

Often, due to negligence or lack of extensive experience in electrical work, twists can be found in junction boxes. However, this is a gross violation, because over time, contact may be lost in these twists, as a result of which the wires will begin to heat up, burn out and a fire will occur. It is also strictly forbidden to connect copper and aluminum wires without any layer.

For a reliable connection of cable and wire products in junction boxes, 3 methods are recommended:

Soldering contacts.
Welding conductors using special transformers.
Connection of conductors using special clamps (WAGO).

Basic recommendations for the installation of two-gang switches

When installing both standard and two-button switches, it is recommended:

The placement height from the floor level should be 90 cm.
The distance from the door or window opening to the pass switch must be at least 15 cm.
Distribution boxes with switching must be located in a visible place and at the same time they must be placed at a distance of 15-30 cm from the ceiling level.
It is recommended to use a 3-core flexible cable with a cross section of 1.5 mm² (VVGng, PVSng, ShVVP, and so on) for the installation of walk-through switches.
Cable and wiring products must be laid in corrugation, in strobes or cable channels.
All metal surfaces of fixtures must be grounded without fail.

findings

Pass-through single-gang and two-gang switches are modern switches that allow you to organize the control of one or more light sources from different places in one or neighboring rooms.

As can be seen from the above information and photo, it can be said that despite the design (single-gang or two-gang switch, the connection diagram for 2 sources) is very easy to install and allows you to effectively control the lighting in a huge cottage, large commercial premises or in industrial buildings.

To connect these devices will be enough:

two pass switches for 2 keys or two single-key switches;
junction box;
flexible cable with three cores.

Scheme with an impulse relay

The inclusion of lighting from two or more places can be organized using the so-called impulse relay. This option is even easier to implement.

The principle of operation of the impulse relay

Before dealing with the connection diagram of such a relay, let's figure out how it actually works.

Understanding the work process will greatly facilitate the connection, and eliminate the possibility of error:

A conventional relay has a coil and an open magnetic circuit. When voltage is applied to the coil, the magnetic circuit is pulled up and becomes a single whole. Contacts are rigidly attached to the magnetic circuit, which, when the magnetic circuit is pulled up, are also pulled up and closed with fixed contacts. If a lamp were connected to these contacts, it would light up.

But in a conventional relay, as soon as the voltage on the coil disappears, the magnetic circuit, and, accordingly, the contacts, return to their original position - they disappear. Accordingly, our lamp will go out.

In the impulse relay, everything is a little different. When voltage is applied to the coil, the magnetic circuit is pulled up and closes the contacts. In this case, the contacts are fixed in this position. Therefore, even when the voltage on the coil disappears, they remain in this position.
To change the position of the contacts, it is necessary to reapply voltage to the coil. The contacts will then open and lock in the open position.

Note! We describe the principle of operation of an electromagnetic impulse relay. There are also electronic ones that do not have coils and magnetic circuits. Their principle of operation is largely different, but the end result is the same.

To apply voltage to the coil, the instruction advises using ordinary buttons - such as on a doorbell. Even a slight pressing is usually enough to trigger the relay. Typically, this time is an order of magnitude less than one second.

But only the relay is powered by the buttons. The power contact of the relay is used to supply voltage to the lamps. Therefore, it is necessary to bring its own phase wire to it, which, when the contacts are closed, will supply voltage to the lamps.

Pulse relay connection diagram

For an impulse relay, the lighting control scheme from two places or more of them is practically the same. Therefore, if you need to control lighting from three, five or ten places, just add the number of buttons to the scheme.

So:

First of all, let's deal with the connection of the relay itself. Usually it has as many as six contacts. Their names vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Therefore, we will conduct a story using the example of one of the most common relays - RIO-1.
First, let's assemble its power part. To do this, from the group phase wire in the junction box, we mount the wire to contact "11". When the relay is activated, contact "11" will close with contact "14". Therefore, from the latter we mount the wire to our lamps.

To connect the fixtures, we still need to connect the neutral and protective wires. We take them in the junction box, and bypassing any switching devices, we connect them to the corresponding contacts of the lamp. The connection of the power section is completed.
Now we connect the control of the RIO-1 relay. In our case, we need two buttons for this. From the group phase wire in the junction box, we mount the wire to contact number one of the first button. From it - to contact number 1 of the second button.
From contacts number two of the second button, we mount the wire to contact number two of the first button. From this contact we lay a wire to the relay. Here we connect it to the "Y" contact as in the video.

But to create a circuit on the coil, we still need to connect it to the neutral wire. Therefore, from the group neutral wire in the junction box, we mount the wire to the “N” contact of the RIO-1 relay. This completes the connection, and after applying voltage, the circuit is ready for operation. Agree, there is nothing complicated in this.

Control scheme for powerful lighting systems

The above control schemes can only be used for lighting systems with a rated current up to 16 A. And in the case of pass-through switches, even less - up to 10A. More powerful systems used in production require a different approach.

These limits are related to the rated current of the switching devices. Well, the flimsy contacts of an impulse relay or a pass-through switch are not capable of switching large currents.

For remote switching of such lighting systems, magnetic starters should be used. Depending on the model, such products are capable of switching currents up to 100A and more. Yes, the higher currents the starter is able to switch, the higher its price, but there are no other options.
To control the starter, push-button posts are usually used. A push-button post is two "Start" and "Stop" buttons in one housing. The start button has a normally open contact - that is, a contact that closes only when the button is pressed. And the stop button has a normally closed contact - that is, a contact that opens only when pressed.

If you need to control lighting from two places, then you need two such push-button posts. We connect them as follows. From the phase wire coming to the power contacts of the starter, we mount the wire to the normally open auxiliary contact of the starter. From the same contact, we mount a wire to contact number 1 of the first and second "Start" buttons.

Note! Any starter has two pairs of contacts that close and open along with the power ones. These are block contacts. They are required to connect the alarm circuits and control the position of the starter. One pair of contacts is normally closed, the other is normally open.

Next, we connect contacts number 2 of the Start button of the first and second button posts to each other. We mount the wire from them to the second contact of the normally open auxiliary contact of the starter.

From contact number 2 of the "Start" button of the first button post, we mount and connect another wire to contact number 1 of the "Stop" button. From the second contact of the "Stop" button, we mount the wire to the 1st contact of the "Stop" button of the second button post. And already from the 2nd contact of the "Stop" button, we mount the wire to the starter coil. It remains to connect the second contact of the coil to the neutral wire - and the control circuit is ready.

Note! Some, especially powerful starters, are designed to work with a 380V coil. In this case, the second end of the coil must be connected not to the neutral, but to another phase wire.

At first glance, all this is very confusing, but there is nothing complicated here. It remains to connect the power wires to the power contacts of the starter - and the circuit is ready to go.

Conclusion

If you need a lighting switch from two places, then it is quite possible to implement such a scheme on your own. But here it is extremely important to comply with the phase and neutral wires, so as not to create a short circuit.

In addition, it should be remembered that even the most experienced electricians perform all work without voltage. Therefore, before connecting, remove the voltage from this group of lighting, as well as all those located nearby, which may be accidentally touched.

Greetings to all readers of my! In the next article, I will tell you, by popular demand, how to control lighting from two, three, four, five, etc. places.

Now I will show a more complex scheme in order to control lighting from three or more places.

This can be done, for example, using cross switches. What are they and what do they look like? But let's talk about everything in order.

Where in the house can you need to turn on the light from three places?

Yes, in principle, anywhere, for example, in the bedroom, at each bedside table, install a switch plus a switch near the door.

We went into the bedroom, turned on the light near the door, then went to bed and turned off the light at the bedside table - agree that this is convenient.

Another option is lighting a long corridor, then you can conditionally divide it into three sections and put a switch at the beginning of each section.

Or another way - lighting the entrance to a three-story house. We went into the entrance, turned on the light, went up to our floor, turned it off. Residents of the entrance can turn on and off the access lighting on any floor.

Important note: the lighting in this case will turn on / off at the same time on three floors!

If you need to control each light bulb separately from any floor (for example, on the first floor, control the lamp of the third floor or on the second floor, etc.), then you will have to assemble a separate control circuit for each lamp from three or more places.

By the way, the circuit for controlling lighting from three places is universal, it can be easily extended to control from four, six, ten or more places))) But more on that later, for now I want to start by repeating - with a simpler circuit-

Lighting control from two places with walk-through switches

Externally, pass-through switches, and their correct name, pass-through switches look like a regular single-gang switch.

Why a switch? The point is that this device any the position of the key does not break the electrical circuit, but only switches from one contact to another. therefore i- switches .

Here is a typical lighting control scheme from two places using pass-through switches:

By pressing the key of any switch, you can turn on / off the lamp, regardless of what position the other switch is in.

My phase wire is shown in red, zero is blue, the switches are signed No. 1 and No. 2 for convenience.

When the switch key No. 2 is pressed, the light will go out, since the phase wire “breaks” in it, in the place where the red line ends (the green arrow shows in which direction the contact moves):

After that, we press the key of the pass-through switch No. 1 and turn on the lamp - the path for the passage of electric current through the phase wire is indicated by a red line (this will be the case in all the figures below):

We press the key of the passage switch No. 2, the contact is thrown up and extinguishes the lighting lamp:

Then we press switch No. 1, its contact is thrown up and turns on the light bulb:

This is how the circuit of the pass-through switch works for controlling lighting from two places. Remembering it, in principle, is not difficult, despite its apparent complexity.

The main thing is to find the common contact terminal on the switch, that is, the terminal in which it does not switch and where the contact is fixed on one side.

Having found these terminals on both switches, we simply connect the phase wire to this terminal to one switch, and the wire from the light bulb to the second.

And we connect the two remaining terminals between the switches in any sequence, no difference. The neutral wire, as usual in the switch circuit, goes to the light bulb directly through the junction box.

In total, this switch circuit will have 5 wire connections in the junction box.

By the way, pass-through switches are also double - that is, two separate independent pass-through switches are located in one housing, it looks like a regular two-gang switch and has six terminals.

Lighting control from three or more places

To do this, you will need, as I already mentioned, a cross switch. I won’t show a photograph of it, since it looks like the most ordinary single-gang switch.

The only external difference is the four terminals on the back for connecting wires.

As well as double switches, there are also double cross switches, they have eight terminals for connecting wires.

So, in order to control the lighting from three places, you need two pass-through switches and one cross.

Pass-through switches are installed at the beginning and end of the line, and a cross-over switch between them, here is a connection diagram for feed-through and cross switches:

Why is the cross switch so named? The fact is that two independent electrical lines pass through this switch and it switches them to a cross.

To understand this, I made two drawings. Figure one - a cross switch connects electrical lines directly, in parallel:

But in this diagram, the electrical lines intersect with each other, hence the name, “cross”:

Well, now in more detail-

How the lighting control scheme works from three places using pass-through and cross switches

The cross switch is marked with the letter X (X). The operation of the circuit is indicated by analogy with the above circuit switches.

Imagine that this is lighting control in the entrance of a three-story building. Pass switch #1 is installed on the 1st floor, cross switch on the 2nd floor, and pass switch #2 on the third floor.

So, turn on the light (press the switch key No. 1) - the light is on, the electric current passes through the phase wire as shown by the red line:

We rise to the second floor and check the cross switch - press the key, the light turns on:

Press the key back, turn off the light:

We rise to the third floor to the second pass-through switch, press the key on it - the light turns on:

We leave the passage switch No. 2 in this position, go down to the 2nd floor and press the cross switch key - turn off the light:

Again, we leave the cross switch in this position and go down to the first floor, press the key of the first pass-through switch - the light turns on:

This is how the lighting control scheme works from three places using pass-through and cross switches.

With this scheme, there will already be 7 connections in the junction box.

If it is necessary to control the lighting not from three, but from four, five or more places, then for this they simply add the required number of cross switches between the walk-throughs, that's all!

For example, here's how I drew it on this diagram:

If you control each light bulb from any floor, then you will have to install three switches on each floor - on the first and third floors, three walk-through switches, and on the second floor, three cross switches.

And collect three such circuits - one circuit for each lamp. It is possible to make one double, one simple walk-through switch on the first and third floors, and on the second one also make one double cross and plus a single cross - in this case, there will be two installation boxes for switches on each floor.

But you still have to collect three schemes)))

That's all for me, I hope I clearly explained the circuits of the pass-through switches?

Finally, a related video

“How to find a common terminal (clamp) at a pass-through switch”

I would be glad for your comments, if there are any technical questions, then please ask them on the forum, that's where I answer questions- .

Question: “There are two bedside lamps with separate switches by the bed.
There is a switch by the door. How can I make sure that when the switch at the door is turned on, both lamps turn on, and then turn off one of them or both by the nearby switches by the bed?

Answer: " You will take the very first circuit from this article and add another lamp and another switch to it (duplicate the right side of this circuit). Connect the neutral wire from the second lamp to zero in front of the first lamp, connect the two wires from the second switch to the corresponding wires coming from the switch at the entrance of the room (the wires between the first and second switches in the diagram from this article). Everything will work, but if you had one lamp burning by the bed, then the input switch will turn it off, but will light the one that was not burning. Explanatory figure below:”

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	To control the lighting from two different places, we need two walk-through switches. The principle of their installation does not differ from the installation of conventional switches, so there is no point in dwelling on this issue in more detail. Let's stop only on the connection diagram.
	So, the switches are installed. After that, we connect contacts 2 of the first switch to each other, and contact 2 of the second. After that, we connect pin 3 of the first, and pin 3 of the second switch.
	Now we connect contact 1 of the first switch to the group supply wire in the junction box (see). And contact 1 of the second switch, we connect to our lamps. The neutral wire and the ground wire, as usual, are connected to the fixtures in addition to the switching devices. Everything - the scheme is ready for use.
	Agree, there is nothing complicated in this, and it is quite feasible with your own hands, even without special education. But there are even simpler schemes, which we will discuss below.