Two Way Switching Explained - How to wire 2 way light switch

How to wire 2 way light switch, in this video we explain how two way switching works to connect a light fitting which is controlled with two light switches. We look at the EU colour coding wires and explain the different ways to connect the lighting circuit.

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[EngineeringMindset]

⚠️ *Found this video super useful?* Buy Paul a coffee to say thanks: ☕

[edcottingham]

I am OBVIOUSLY not an electrician. But I am an old (79) guy with lots of digital logic experience. I knew I could find the answer here, but I thought I should try to work it out for myself, a job I expected to take between 5 and 15 minutes. 40 minutes later, I still hadn't gotten my head around it. I even resorted to fooling around with "truth tables" and considering the various possible switch combinations and outcomes. I probably could have worked it out this way although maybe I would only have formalized the problem still without figuring out how to wire the darn switches. It couldn't be that complicated, and it's not. In fact, it is the sort of simple solution that we call "elegant." But it is hard to get your head around it.

Thanks, Paul, for turning on the light for me!

[JaredOwen]

I have always wondered how this worked - thanks Paul!

[AmericanOne]

I'm 61 years old and have electrical work since 1978 and have never seen so many ways to use 3 way switch's (USA). Goes to show the old saying "Never to old to learn" holds true... Had to come back and buy you a cup of coffee...Thanks

[ndowroccus]

Thank the lord someone showed an actual diagram showing how these switches work.
Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank You
THANK YOU!!!

[sergisanchomukhachev]

Man this video just solved my childhood mystery

[dougbarber]

One of the best presentations of this nature I've seen. Simple and to the point

[callumgardiner]

As an electrical apprentice this channel has helped me out alot, my instructors are great but having the diagram helps alot, I ain't the smartest, keep the videos coming !

[krichards]

Thank You for your simple explanation. L1 to L2 and the common to common did the trick for me. I had wires in the walls and you helped me more than any other video. Well done my-man. after this I won't need to watch another video again. have many times over the years. You are an incredible teacher

[stewvlogs]

Great video, helped me out lots. I now know what the red sleeves were on my light switch wires when I looked inside the switch to try and install a smart switch. They were intermittently live but with red bands instead of brown. Thank you!

[MichaelFlatman]

Legend, and thanks for saying "put brown sleeve to show it's intermittently live" it really could save lives

[MTAZ]

this vieo was a life saver.

i have swapped out light switches and sockets before.
i had switch break, went to B&Q to get one that looks the same, took the old one off, and put the new one on, but got no get the 2 way to work.
looked at other videos and the wieing colour was not the same, as the house was built 30+ years ago, i ended up with 3 red wire, a blue and a yellow/green wire.
after wtaching this video and using a trster screw driver, worked out which was live wire and which was the return to the ligtht and then had to work out what the blue and green/yellow was equal to and turned out one way to two v1 was how it was wired up.

[conman]

Extremely helpful video, I was moderately unsure about a renovation I was doing. This video cleared up what I needed to do

[ramonprasad]

This helped me enormously, I did it twice ! Before I discovered that lamp supplier had delivered 24 V lamps not 240 V lamps. Your wiring works perfectly ! Thankyou

[LeoL]

Thank you, this one solved my IoT DIY project to turn off my bedroom lamp without removing the conventional switch.

[jschweigert]

Thank you for this! Just installed a 3-way switch in my basement using V3 and it works like a charm!

[davidbreslin]

Hi Paul I installed downlights in my hallway, with a two way switch one at either end, after all plastering and paintwork completed I had to break open ceiling and walls which was heartbreaking, but this had to be done. I've used the option 1 from your vid, and works a treat, looks really well, I wouldn't have been able to do this without your very informative video with easy follow diagrams, thank you so very much for all in this case part of your knowledge. Keep up the brilliant work, now I've to go fill holes, thanks again.

[joshnicholson]

Hey Paul, you’re awesome! Could you do a video explaining how dimmer switches work; in 1950 when they used resistors and then how they now work using semiconductors? I’m struggling to visualize these concepts, thanks for all you’ve done for my understanding of electrical engineering!

[deejay]

You're a good explainer. I like the way you showed how to, step by step, connect each wireoh, and how each wire reacts depending on how the switch flipped. Thanks so much. You did such a good job that even I could understand what you were saying and showing.

[rob]

It's satisfying to get an idea of how the wiring works (I didn't even know there were several different ways of installing the circuit) but I think I'll still leave it to an electrician, thanks all the same. Here in the UK any electrical work now needs to be carried out by a qualified person anyway. Additionally it's important to have this paperwork when selling your house as you it may be required.