Before starting work on connecting the chandelier, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with its structure.
Designation of chandelier wires
Contacts for connecting to the electrical wiring wires on the chandelier are indicated by the following Latin letters:
- L– phase,
- N– neutral wire,
- RE– grounding conductor yellow-green colors.
Markings on chandeliers have only recently begun, and chandeliers produced a long time ago may not have markings. In this case, you will have to figure it out yourself.
About connecting the ground wire in the chandelier
In modern chandeliers with metal fittings, a grounding wire is installed yellow-green colors. The ground wire is designated in Latin letters RE. If the apartment's electrical wiring is made with a grounding wire (it must be yellow-green, but can be of any color), then it also needs to be connected to the terminal to which it is connected yellow-green chandelier wire.
In old houses, apartment electrical wiring is usually made without a grounding conductor. Old chandeliers or those with plastic fittings also do not have a grounding conductor. In such cases, the grounding conductor is not connected; it will not affect the performance of the chandelier, since it only performs a protective function.
In the photographs, the wires coming out of the ceiling and chandelier are shown in white, and this is no coincidence. There is no single international standard for the color marking of wires in the electrical network, and even more so in chandeliers. And in Russia, the color marking of electrical wires has changed since January 1, 2011. Only the PE ground wire is marked yellow-green in the specifications of all countries color.
Attention! Before connecting the chandelier, to prevent electric shock, it is necessary to de-energize the electrical wiring. To do this, turn off the corresponding circuit breaker in the distribution panel and check the reliability of the shutdown using the phase indicator.
Chandelier connection diagrams
Despite the variety of models, all chandeliers, including LED chandeliers with remote control, are connected according to one of the schemes discussed below. To connect, it is enough to connect the wires coming out of the ceiling correctly to the terminals of the terminal installed on the chandelier body. The work is simple and can be done by any home handyman, even without electrical experience.
If there are 2 wires coming out of the ceiling and the chandelier
Connecting a single-arm chandelier, consisting of one light bulb, and a single-key switch in the electrical wiring usually does not cause difficulties. It is enough to connect two wires coming out of the ceiling using any type of terminal block with the wires coming out of the base of the chandelier.
Although, according to the requirements of the PUE, twisting of electrical wiring is currently prohibited, but in a hopeless situation, taking into account the fact that the chandelier consumes low current, you can temporarily connect the chandelier using the twisting method, followed by insulating the connection.
According to the requirements of the PUE, to increase operational safety, the phase wire in the electrical cartridge must be connected to the central contact, and the switch must open the phase wire. It is advisable to follow this rule. But in practice, no one thinks about this; they usually connect the switch and chandelier as needed.
If there are 2 wires coming out of the ceiling and a multi-arm chandelier
If a chandelier has several arms, but only two wires come out of it, it means that all the light bulbs inside the chandelier are connected in parallel, and such a chandelier is connected according to the above diagram.
If there are 2 wires coming out of the ceiling, 3 or more from the chandelier
Let's consider a more complex option for connecting a chandelier; the wires in it are connected to make it possible to turn on each light bulb separately. For our case, all pairs of wires from the cartridges, regardless of their number, must be connected in parallel. One option is to install an additional jumper made of wire (pink in the photo).
You can do without installing a jumper. It is enough to unscrew the screws at the first and third terminals, remove the wire coming from the left socket from the first terminal, and insert it into the third, along with the right wire coming from the right socket.
If there are 3 wires coming out of the ceiling and 2 from the chandelier
Typically three wires come out of the ceiling if a two-gang switch is installed. First of all, you need to deal with the wires coming out of the ceiling - find the common wire. This is easy to do if you have a phase indicator.
To search for a common wire, you need to turn on both keys on the switch and sequentially touch each wire with an indicator probe. Depending on which wire opens the switch, phase or neutral, two options for the indicator’s behavior are possible.
- When you touch two wires there is a glow, but not the third. In this case, the wire on which there is no glow is common.
- When you touch one of the wires there is a glow, but not the other two. Then the wire on which there is a glow is common.
Without a phase indicator, it’s also easy to figure out the connection. You need to connect any two wires from the ceiling to the chandelier and turn on both switch keys. If the light comes on, it means that the connection has been made with the common wire and one of the wires coming from the switch. You can leave it like that. If you want to understand the wires completely, you need to brute-force the connection so that when both keys on the switch are turned on, the light does not come on. This way you can find the wires coming from the switch.
All that remains is to clamp the common wire and any other wire coming from the ceiling with a pair of chandelier wires into the terminal. If you need to connect a chandelier so that the light is turned on by any of the two switch keys, then place a jumper (pink in the photo) or clamp the wires, which are connected by a jumper in the photo, in one terminal. The jumper can be installed not in the terminal block, but in the switch.
If there are 3 wires coming out of the ceiling, several from the chandelier
If you want not all the bulbs of a multi-light chandelier to turn on at the same time, but in groups, then the chandelier must be connected according to the diagram below. A prerequisite is the presence of a two-key switch. You need to connect a two- or three-arm chandelier according to the method described above. A common wire is determined from three coming out of the ceiling. One wire from pairs coming from each chandelier socket is connected to it.
The remaining two wires are connected to the remaining free conductors from the pairs coming from the chandelier sockets. It will be much easier to cope with connecting a multi-arm chandelier if you become familiar with its structure.
Connection diagram for 2-3 chandeliers
from a single-key switch
In a large room, or if there is a suspended ceiling, for good lighting you have to install several chandeliers or spotlights mounted in the ceiling, which must be turned on simultaneously with one single-key switch.
Sometimes it is necessary to connect the switch in such a way that it can turn on the lights in two, three or more rooms at the same time. In this case, chandeliers or lamps are connected in parallel, like several sockets in one chandelier, according to the following diagram.
Each chandelier in the diagram is connected to the switch through a separate junction box, but all connections can be made in one junction box, it all depends on the wiring diagram in the room. If each chandelier has many horns, then they are connected in parallel, as for the connection case discussed above, when two wires come out of the ceiling, and three or more from the chandelier.
Connection diagram for three chandeliers
from one three-key switch
If in one or more rooms you need to turn on each chandelier separately from one three-key switch, then you should connect the chandeliers according to the diagram below.
This option for connecting lamps is often used to control lamps installed in the bathroom, toilet and kitchen. One three-key switch is installed in the corridor, and the corresponding chandelier is turned on before entering the room.
Connecting a chandelier
to the Viko switch block (Viko) with socket
Sometimes it is necessary to install an additional socket next to the switch. If necessary, it is advisable to replace the installed switch with a block consisting of switches and a socket, for example Viko (Viko), shown in the photo. There are from one key to four switches for a chandelier in a block. So there is an opportunity to choose the right one. The photo shows a two-key unit with LED backlighting and one socket.
You need to connect the switch block with a socket to the chandelier according to the diagram below. As you can see, the circuit is not much different from connecting a chandelier to an ordinary switch, with the exception of an additional wire running from the neutral wire to the left terminal of the socket.
In the diagram, the connection of wires is shown in accordance with the requirements of the PUE; in real wiring, zero and phase can be connected in reverse. If, for example, there was a two-key switch, but you need a single-key switch with a socket, then you can not lay an additional wire, but use a free one, switching it in the distribution box to zero or phase, depending on which wire goes to the switch.
Building or extending wires
when connecting a chandelier
Now, when renovating an apartment, they began to install suspended ceilings. Tension ones are especially popular. They have a magnificent appearance, practically do not wear out, come in any color with a glossy or matte surface, and are not afraid of water. Stretch ceilings are installed at a distance of 5-10 cm below the existing ceiling plane, so the length of the conductors for connecting the lamps becomes insufficient. It is necessary to increase their length.
The complexity of the task lies in the fact that it will be impossible to get to the place where the wires are spliced to connect a chandelier or other lamps after installing the ceiling without dismantling it. This means that the connection must be made in the most reliable way. Connecting wires in hard-to-reach places using a terminal block is not a reliable type of connection. The screws in the terminal block may become loose over time and will need to be tightened.
The website article “Connection of wires broken in the wall” discusses in detail in photographs the methods of connecting aluminum and copper wires to each other, which is also suitable for the case of extending wires to connect a chandelier or other lamps. For a reliable connection when extending aluminum wires with copper, I recommend reading the article “How to connect aluminum wires”. To extend the wires to connect a chandelier to a suspended ceiling, one of the methods described in the article, threaded or permanently riveted, is suitable.
Wire cross-section for connecting the chandelier
If the chandelier is equipped with six hundred-watt incandescent light bulbs designed for a supply voltage of 220 V, then the current consumption will not exceed 3 A. A copper conductor with a cross-section of 0.5 mm 2 can withstand such current, and standard apartment wiring is usually made with wires with a cross-section of at least 2.5 mm 2. So, when connecting a chandelier with 220 V light bulbs, you don’t have to worry about the wire cross-section. When connecting a chandelier with LED lamps, you also don’t have to worry about the wire cross-section.
When connecting a chandelier or lamps with halogen bulbs to a voltage of 12 V, the current consumption becomes much greater, and the cross-section of the wire in the wiring section from the step-down transformer or adapter to the chandelier lamps must be calculated using the online calculator below and check its compliance.
The current consumption of which is tens of times less than that of incandescent lamps.
Fluorescent lamps have long been firmly established in our lives, and are now gaining the greatest popularity, since electricity is constantly becoming more expensive and the use of conventional incandescent lamps is becoming quite an expensive pleasure. But not everyone can afford energy-saving compact lamps, and modern chandeliers require a large number of them, which calls into question cost savings. That is why more and more fluorescent lamps are being installed in modern apartments.
The device of fluorescent lamps
To understand how a fluorescent lamp works, you should study its structure a little. The lamp consists of a thin cylindrical glass bulb, which can have different diameters and shapes.
Lamps can be:
- straight;
- ring;
- U-shaped;
- compact (with base E14 and E27).
Although they all differ in appearance, they have one thing in common: they all have electrodes inside, a luminescent coating and an injected inert gas containing mercury vapor. The electrodes are small spirals that heat up for a short period of time and ignite the gas, due to which the phosphor applied to the walls of the lamp begins to glow. Since ignition coils are small in size, the standard voltage available in the home electrical network is not suitable for them. For this purpose, special devices are used - chokes, which limit the current strength to the nominal value, thanks to inductive reactance. Also, so that the spiral heats up briefly and does not burn out, another element is used - a starter, which, after igniting the gas in the lamp tubes, turns off the filament of the electrodes.
Throttle
Starter
Operating principle of a fluorescent lamp
A 220V voltage is supplied to the terminals of the assembled circuit, which passes through the inductor to the first spiral of the lamp, then goes to the starter, which fires and passes current to the second spiral connected to the network terminal. This is clearly seen in the diagram below:
Often a capacitor is installed at the input terminals, playing the role of a surge filter. It is through its operation that part of the reactive power generated by the inductor is extinguished, and the lamp consumes less electricity.
How to connect a fluorescent lamp?
The connection diagram for fluorescent lamps given above is the simplest and is intended for igniting one lamp. In order to connect two fluorescent lamps, you need to slightly change the circuit, following the same principle of connecting all elements in series, as shown below:
In this case, two starters are used, one for each lamp. When connecting two lamps to one choke, you should take into account its rated power, which is indicated on its body. For example, if it has a power of 40 W, then you can connect two identical lamps with a load of no more than 20 W to it.
There is also a diagram for connecting a fluorescent lamp without using starters. Thanks to the use of electronic ballast devices, lamps are ignited instantly, without the characteristic “blinking” of starter control circuits.
Electronic ballasts
Connecting a lamp to such devices is very simple: detailed information is written on their body and it is schematically shown which contacts of the lamp need to be connected to the corresponding terminals. But to make it completely clear how to connect a fluorescent lamp to an electronic ballast, you need to look at a simple diagram:
The advantage of this connection is the absence of additional elements required for starter lamp control circuits. In addition, by simplifying the circuit, the reliability of the lamp operation increases, since additional connections of wires to starters, which are also rather unreliable devices, are eliminated.
Below is a diagram of connecting two fluorescent lamps to the electronic ballast.
As a rule, the electronic ballast device already comes with all the necessary wires for assembling the circuit, so there is no need to invent something and incur additional costs to purchase the missing elements.
How to check a fluorescent lamp?
If the lamp stops lighting, then the likely cause of its malfunction may be a break in the tungsten filament, which heats the gas, causing the phosphor to glow. During operation, tungsten gradually evaporates, settling on the walls of the lamp. At the same time, a dark coating appears on the edges of the glass bulb, warning that the lamp may soon fail.
How to check the integrity of a tungsten filament? It’s very simple, you need to take a regular tester with which you can measure the resistance of the conductor and touch the lead ends of the lamp with the probes.
The device shows a resistance of 9.9 ohms, which eloquently tells us that the thread is intact.
When checking the second pair of electrodes, the tester shows a complete zero; this side has a broken filament and therefore the lamp does not want to light up.
The break of the spiral occurs because over time the thread becomes thinner and the tension passing through it gradually increases. Due to the increase in voltage, the starter fails - this can be seen from the characteristic “blinking” of the lamps. After replacing burnt out lamps and starters, the circuit should work without adjustment.
If turning on the fluorescent lamps is accompanied by extraneous sounds or a burning smell is heard, you should immediately turn off the power to the lamp and check the functionality of all its elements. There is a possibility that there is slack in the terminal connections and the wire connection is heating up. In addition, the inductor, if made poorly, may have a turn short circuit in the windings and, as a result, failure of the fluorescent lamps.
Spotlights can operate on a voltage of 220 V or 12 V. Regardless of the voltage, they can be connected in parallel (in a loop or with separate wires) or in series (a garland). The difference is that the power for the 12V spot is supplied through a step-down transformer. It converts mains 220 volts into the required 12. Let's talk in more detail about how to connect spotlights to one- and two-key switches.
Connection diagrams for 220 V
Some spotlights operate on 12 V. To supply them with power, you need to install a converter (they also say a transformer or driver). With the development of technology, spots have appeared that can operate from 220 V. This scheme is at least a little simpler, because recently it is more often necessary to connect spotlights directly to the network, without converters.
The use of recessed lamps allows you to obtain uniform lighting. In addition, you can choose a beautiful
Serial connection
This scheme is easy to implement, it requires few wires, but spotlights can be connected in series only in a relatively small number - five or six pieces. The main disadvantage of this method is that the lamps will not glow at full strength. Another drawback: if one lamp fails (burns out), all lamps stop working because the circuit is broken. To restore functionality, you have to check each one.
Scheme of sequential connection of spotlights
The circuit is very simple - the phase sequentially bypasses all lamps, and zero is applied to the output of the last one. The circuit with the junction box and switch is located below.
Electrical wiring when connecting spots in series
When working, be careful: a phase must go to the switch, which then goes to the lamps. Zero (neutral) - goes directly to the last lamp in the chain. This is important for the correct operation of the circuit and also for safety.
If you have a three-wire wiring, in addition to zero and phase, there is also a protective ground wire, it is taken directly from the ground block and fed to each of the lamps to the corresponding terminal. You can take the ground from a nearby outlet or on a switch.
Scheme of sequential connection of spotlights to a two-key (double) switch
The practical implementation of this scheme is more convenient not with a cable, but with wires - after all, one wire constantly breaks, bypassing all the lamps, and the zero wire goes in a whole piece from the junction box to the last lighting fixture. But we repeat once again - this type of connection is almost never used.
Parallel connection diagrams
When connected in parallel, all lamps will shine at normal intensity, which is why this scheme is more popular even though more conductors are required. To connect any number of built-in lamps (even with LED lamps), use non-flammable 2*1.5 or 3*1.5 (a three-core wire is used if the wiring is grounded). It is possible to use VVG ng ls cable (non-flammable with reduced smoke emission during combustion), but this is optional. It can be round or flat = it doesn’t matter, but non-flammable is a must, especially if you have a wooden floor.
Methods
Parallel connection can be implemented in two ways:
Daisy chain connection
Let's look at the diagrams. The figure below shows how to route the wire using the daisy chain method. A cable comes out of the junction box, it goes to the first lamp, another piece of cable is connected to the output of this lamp, which stretches to the next lamp. This is how all lamps are connected.
Physically it looks like the photo below. Several lengths of cable connect the luminaires one after the other.
If you want to divide the lighting fixtures into two groups, they are connected to a two-key switch. The circuit becomes somewhat more complicated, but only because the number of wires increases.
An example of implementation can be seen in the video. You can use other terminals, but the method itself is shown well.
Radial
With a radial connection, each lighting fixture has its own piece of cable. The method is expensive in terms of cable consumption, but more reliable in terms of operation: in the event of a breakdown, only one lighting point does not light up. In this case, it makes sense to stretch the cable from the distribution box along the ceiling to the middle of the room and secure it there. From this point, start pulling cables to each recessed lamp.
Pay attention to the picture on the right. It shows that wires diverge from the phase wire to the lamps and separately from the neutral wire. Since a lot of wires converge in one place, you need to choose a reliable method. If the wires are single-core and there are not very many lamps, you can make a twist, but then you will need to crimp it well with pliers and then weld it. Not the easiest way and the connection turns out to be permanent. But reliable. The second method is simpler: install a connector with the required number of inputs on each cable conductor and connect the wires to them. You can use Wago terminal blocks for the corresponding number of connected wires. They are reliable, easy to install, but cost a decent amount (it’s better not to buy fakes).
Parallel connection - cable to each lamp
Another option is regular terminal blocks with screw connections. They are cheap and quite reliable, but on the side where the cable will be connected, you will have to put jumpers on all the terminals involved. This will supply voltage to all wires.
Despite its high reliability, the method is rarely used - the costs are high, and it is problematic to efficiently connect a large number of wires at one point.
Connecting 12 V spotlights
The circuits are exactly the same, but the cable from the switch goes to the converter, and from the output of the converter it goes to the lamps.
If there are a lot of spotlights, they prefer to be connected to two keys. In this case, two transformers (power supply, adapter) will be required. The scheme does not look much more complicated - there are two branches. If you wish, you can find switches with three keys, or you can put several next to each other. But, if you need to change the lighting within a wide range, it is better to use a dimmer.
As you understand, the circuits differ only in the presence or absence of a transformer. So it will not be difficult to implement the remaining schemes.
Converter/transformer power selection
For the lighting to work properly, it is necessary that the driver power be 15-20% greater than all consumers connected to it. For example, you need to select a step-down transformer to connect 8 spotlights, in which 40 W incandescent lamps will be installed. The total power of all lamps will be 320 W. A transformer will be required for 380-400 W.
It is clear that the more light sources you connect, the more powerful the converter will be required. But with increasing power, the price and size of the device increases. In addition, powerful transformers can be difficult to find. One more thing: a large and heavy box can be difficult to hide. Therefore, in this case, a large group of lamps is divided, and each has its own converter, but of lower power (how to connect spotlights in this case can be seen in the diagram above).
Installation features
To correctly connect spotlights, you need not only to choose the right circuit. It is necessary to follow a certain sequence of actions, which depends on the type of ceiling.
You just need to connect a few spotlights - and you have a beautiful interior
In suspended ceilings
Spotlights are usually installed with suspended or suspended ceilings. If the ceilings are suspended, all wires are laid in advance. They are attached to the ceiling without connecting to power, the lamps are placed and secured on pendants, then the wires are connected to them and the operation is checked.
Before installing suspended ceilings, turn off the power, remove the lamps and remove parts that may be damaged by temperature. Afterwards, holes are cut in the material (the lamps are visible or can be felt), sealing rings are installed, and then the lamps are assembled.
In plasterboard ceilings
If, you can proceed according to the same scheme, but you need to install the lamps after the ceiling is plastered. That is, separate the wiring and leave the ends of the wiring hanging freely. To avoid problems with determining the location of lighting fixtures, it is necessary to draw a detailed plan indicating the exact distances from the walls and from each other. According to this plan, markings are made and holes are cut out using a drill with a crown of the appropriate size. Since there may be small movements - a few centimeters - when cutting the cable, leave a margin of 15-20 cm. This will be quite enough (but do not forget that the wires are attached to the main ceiling and they should extend 7-10 cm beyond the level of the drywall. If the ends turn out to be too long, you can always shorten them, but extending them is a big problem.
There is a second way to connect spotlights to a plasterboard ceiling. It is used if there are few light sources - four to six pieces. The entire installation of spotlights along with wiring is done after the work on the ceiling has been completed. Before installation begins, the cable/cables from the junction box are led beyond the ceiling level. After finishing the puttying and sanding work, markings are made and holes are drilled. The cable is passed through them, bringing the ends out. Then the lamps themselves are installed.
Everything is simple, but this method cannot be called correct: the cables simply lie on the drywall, which definitely does not comply with fire safety standards. You can still turn a blind eye to this if the ceiling is concrete, the cable is non-flammable, the cross-section of the wire is not small, and it is done correctly.
If the floors are wooden, the PUE requires installation in non-flammable all-metal trays (cable ducts) or metal pipes. You can install such wiring only before starting work on the ceiling. It is very undesirable to violate installation rules - wood, electricity, heat generation during operation... not the safest combination.
When wiring is already present in an apartment or house and there is no need to connect additional light sources, then the question of how to connect a lamp is not relevant. But how can this work be done when the need arises? Here you can’t do without basic knowledge of electrical engineering and the ability to draw up a fundamental, seemingly elementary diagram.
All fluorescent light sources (housekeepers), incandescent lamps, LED lamps can be connected, as in principle all resistances present in the electrical circuit, in parallel, in series, mixed. A mixed connection is not used to connect lamps, since it is simply not necessary. But it’s worth paying attention to parallel and serial connections in more detail.
Serial and parallel connection of two or more light sources
In order to connect the simplest incandescent light bulb, as in principle any other, you need to connect one contact to phase and the other to zero, the most common alternating voltage in the CIS countries, 220 volts.
Parallel connection of lighting devices means connecting two or more sources of light flux in parallel, that is, some lamp contacts are connected only to phase, and all others only to zero, as shown in Figure 1.
A current will pass through each light bulb, which will depend on its power, just as the brightness of the light flux emitted by them will also depend on the power of each lamp. Naturally, the current I will be equal to the sum of all three currents, so the cross-sectional diameter of the main conductors should be chosen according to it. This connection is considered the most common and acceptable, since it will be possible, if necessary, to add light sources in the future and they will not affect those already installed.
With a series connection shown in the figure, the current flowing through one light bulb will depend on the power of each light source, and the voltage on them will be divided by the number of lamps and, for a given input voltage of 220 volts, will be equal to 110 volts on each light source.
This connection must be made with lamps that have equal power. This can be seen using the example of two incandescent lamps. Since if you connect one lamp of 20 Watt, and another, for example, of 200 Watt, then the lamp with a lower power will immediately fail, since the same current will pass through it as in the second lamp with a power of 200 Watt, and this is 10 times its face value. This connection can be used to increase the service life of incandescent lamps, for example, in entrances and staircases. By connecting two lamps of 220 volts and a power of, for example, 60 watts each, they will burn at half power and will last a very long time. Please note that this is only possible when connecting incandescent lamps. Connecting two or more LED lamps (luminaires) and energy-efficient lamps in series is not practical, since they already have a fairly long service life.
Connecting a lamp to one switch or several
How to connect a lamp through a switch? The main nuance when connecting is that the neutral power wire is directly connected to the 220 volt network, and the phase is broken through the switch. This is done so that you can safely solve problems with the lamp socket by turning off only the switch. If two switches are connected in series, then only when both keys are pressed will the lamp light up. These types of connection of light switches are very rarely used, only under certain individual conditions.
More interesting is the connection of the so-called pass-through switch.
The essence of this circuit for connecting one lamp is that the lamp can be turned on and off from both the first and second switches, regardless of the position of each of them. For example, this is convenient, say, in a long corridor, when entering it, a person presses the switch key 2, and calmly walks along the illuminated room, having reached the end of the corridor, there is no need to return to turn off the light, but he can lightly press switch 1, installed at the end corridor, turn off this light source. With this connection, the phase also passes through the switches.
Improving lighting by installing a motion sensor
The main function of installing a motion sensor and connecting it to the lighting system is to automatically turn on the lighting without pressing the light switch button. That is, a person entered the room or into the sensor trigger zone and the light turned on; after leaving, the light turned off on its own (automatically). When choosing a motion sensor, you must first take into account the maximum power of the lighting lamps.
The connection diagram for the motion sensor is also not particularly difficult. It can be installed with or without a switch. Simply, when the switch contact is turned on, the motion sensor is removed from the lighting network, and the lighting device is turned on directly without a sensor.
In any case, when working with voltage, be sure to comply with safety requirements, and in particular:
- check the presence and absence of voltage on live elements that a person touches during installation;
- lighting power supply circuit breakers must be locked;
- carry out work with proper tools.
Video about connecting lamps
Often a situation arises when it is necessary for the light bulbs in one of the rooms to be turned on from different places. For such cases, on flights of stairs there are pass-through switches, which are difficult to install, so it is usually impractical to install such switches in apartments.
It is much easier to turn on several light bulbs from one regular switch. How to connect two light bulbs to one switch will be discussed in this article.
Switch device
The main element of the switch is the working part, mounted in the socket box. It is a metal structure with an attached drive. The drive is used to turn the device on and off. The drive is a moving contact that closes and opens an electrical circuit between two static contacts.
The first contact is called incoming: it is connected to a phase from the mains. The second contact (outgoing) is connected to the phase conductor coming from the lighting device. When the switch is positioned correctly, both fixed contacts are initially in an open state. When you press the device button, the moving contact provokes the closure of both fixed contacts. As a result, current flows through the closed circuit of their electrical network to the light bulb, and it lights up.
To ensure safety, the working part of the switch is housed in a housing made of dielectric material. The cases are made of plastic or porcelain.
Other components of the switch are the frame and keys. These elements are usually made from plastic. The keys are fixed on the drive of the working part. Moving as a result of pressing, the key changes the position of the contact, which leads to turning the light on or off.
The frame is designed to prevent a person from accidentally touching the switch contacts. In other words, the frame acts as a barrier between the energized elements and the person. The frame is fixed with screws or latches made of plastic.
The only difference between a two-key device and a single-key device is the presence of a pair of output contacts. Each contact is connected to a phase conductor of one of the lamps.
Regular switch for one lamp
The figure below shows a diagram of connecting a light bulb to a regular light switch.
The switch is installed in a phase gap. Zero is directed to the lighting fixture. If you set the switch to zero, the contacts will soon burn out. The reason is the increased load when electricity passes through the zero contact.
Another reason for breaking a phase conductor is the need to quickly disconnect voltage from the consumer in the event of an emergency. Zero does not allow the system to be de-energized, but only opens the circuit.
Note! Electrical installation work should only be carried out in a de-energized electrical network. If it is not possible to determine the phase conductor by color scheme, it is allowed to supply current to carry out “ringing”. Before checking, you need to make sure that there are no short circuits in the exposed wiring.
Two lamps per switch
The diagram for connecting two lamps to one switch is similar to the rules for connecting one lamp. The neutral conductor is sequentially directed from the junction box through all lighting sources. The phase wire running through the switch is connected to the second contacts of the light bulbs.
The contacts must be connected as securely as possible. It is recommended to use terminal blocks. Connections are made with screws or Wago blocks (the conductor is pressed with a spring).
Note! It is unacceptable to twist wires of different metals (copper and aluminum). Otherwise, the result of such actions will be an oxidation process, which will lead to loosening of the contact and overheating.
The diagram below shows the connection of two light bulbs to a single-key switch.
Each light source has a marking indicating the load limit. This information must be kept in mind when calculating the total power of connected lighting fixtures.
Two-gang switch
Two-key switches are used in rooms with separate lighting, when you need to connect a chandelier with several arms. Such switches are used in separate units (installed between the doors to the bathroom and toilet).
A two-key switch has a more compact size compared to two single-key switches, so its installation is justified in all cases where you need to save space on the wall.
Separate lighting
A similar scheme is often used in office buildings, where it is necessary to separately illuminate many local areas. The separate lighting scheme is not particularly complicated, although it requires special knowledge.
The switch is placed in a phase break. The devices are equipped with one input and two output voltage contacts. The phase wires after the switch go to the lighting fixtures. The neutral conductor will be common to all light sources in the room.
As a result, pressing one of the keys turns on only the devices connected to a specific phase. Other light sources do not turn on.
Chandelier with multiple arms
To connect a multi-lane lighting device using a two-key switch, you will need a three-wire conductor. One core is shortened so that it goes into the junction box, and a couple of other wires should reach the switch.
The phase wire is directed to the breaker. The outgoing conductors are fixed in the terminal blocks of the switch. The lighting device comes with an output of three wires: neutral and two phase. The zero from the distribution box is directed to the zero contact, and the outgoing wires from the switch are connected to the phases of a multi-arm chandelier.
The connection diagram for a chandelier with five arms is shown in the figure below.
The result is a connection where pressing one key only turns on a pair of lamps. Another key controls three lamps. If you want to turn on all the lights, you must press both keys. Ultimately, this design provides a choice of three light intensity options: with two, three or five bulbs.
In retail chains there are switches with three keys. Their connection diagram is a little more complicated, but generally similar to those given earlier.
Connection from an outlet
In some cases, you need to connect an additional lighting fixture with a dedicated switch. In this situation, connecting from an existing outlet will do.
When installing a single-key switch, you will need a two-wire wire and a switching device. For a voltage breaker installed above the socket, zero and phase are removed from it. The phase wire is interrupted inside the switch, and the neutral wire is left intact. Other lighting devices in the circuit are provided with power in a similar way to the above circuits.
For electrical installation work, you will need three wires (zero and two phases). For a three-key switch, one more phase core is required.
Connecting lamps with converter
To organize lighting for point consumers, you can use 220-volt networks or 12-volt converters. The latter create a switch-on delay of several seconds, after which they smoothly transfer current to electrical appliances.
The circuit allows you to take care of incandescent lamps or halogen light sources, since it protects them from voltage surges.
The connection diagram is shown in the figure below.
If a converter is used, the switch is installed before it. There are two important technological reasons for this:
- Reduced voltage is associated with significant current. Breakers are not designed for this mode of operation, as a result of which the contacts may burn out.
- The converter allows you to turn on the lamp smoothly. If you place a breaker after the converter, it will not be possible to ensure a smooth start, and the electricity will flow intermittently after pressing a key.
If you are installing a switch with two keys, you will need a second converter. Its power supply will come from the second line. The neutral conductor will be common.
Electrical installation requires special attention to safety. You should start working only after the network has been de-energized. If you do not have confidence in your abilities and at least basic knowledge of electrical engineering, it is better to seek help from a qualified electrician.