Can I convert a single switch controlling two ceiling lights into a double switch?

Question

We had our kitchen and dining room knocked through to make one large room. The original ceiling lights are in each end of the room, but the electrician put them onto one switch. On inspection of the switch there are only 3 wires (black, red and bare). Does that mean they completely redid the circuit? Can this be made into a double switch so that both ceiling lights can be controlled independently? Can dimmer switches be used?
Thanks for any help!

Answer 1

No he hasn't re-wired, those are the old colours and have been there at least 8 years. It is perfectly possible to have both lights operate separately but as mentioned, another switch cable and a 2 gang switch plate are needed. You are looking at about £120 - £180 depending on how long it takes to route the new cable, lifting floor boards etc. but no more than half a days work.



Dimming would depend on the lamp you use (light bulb) as the new energy saving lamps such as CFLs are not dimmable.



The fact that he's left the cpc (earth) bare and unsheathed and not identified the switched line conductor would suggest laziness.

Answer 2

One Switch Two Lights

Answer 3

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RE:

Can I convert a single switch controlling two ceiling lights into a double switch?

We had our kitchen and dining room knocked through to make one large room. The original ceiling lights are in each end of the room, but the electrician put them onto one switch. On inspection of the switch there are only 3 wires (black, red and bare). Does that mean they completely redid the...

Answer 4

He has wired both lights so that they can only be worked from the one switch. He has also broken the Wiring Regulations by leaving a bare wire.



The red wire is the "live" and you must not touch this at all regardless of the position of the switch. This wire comes down from the ceiling rose of the first light (the one nearest the switch).



The black wire is the "switched live" and this becomes live when the switch is ON. This carries the current up to the ceiling rose and down through the the holder to the bulb itself.



The second ceiling light will be wired in parallel from the first one.



The bare wire should have been covered with a green/yellow sleeve because this is the Earth. It must always be connected to the brass post in the switch mounting box.



It is not possible to control the lights independently from this arrangement. To separate them you will have to do some large re-wiring in both light fittings and run wires down to the second switch. This will probably mean lifting floorboards upstairs to gain access to the route for running the additional wires along and down the wall to the switch.



If you had asked him to wire it up so that you could work both lights separately then he has bodged it - you must ask him to come back and do it properly.



If you did not specifically ask for each light to be separately operated then you are effectively stuck with it.



BUT you can easily replace the switch with a dimmer, all you need is an electrician's screwdriver. This is a direct one-for-one replacement. But note that most energy saver light bulbs (sometimes called CFL) cannot be used with a dimmer switch.



Before changing the switch you must follow the wiring instructions carefully and make sure that you isolate the lighting circuit in your consumer unit.

Answer 5

I’m trying to picture one outlet in the ceiling that powers a ceiling fan and light independently. It’s a strange arrangement. Why the outlet? Most modern ceiling fans are direct wired. In familiar installations, (if the switches are side by side) one switch should supply the fan and the other the light. The neutral and the ground should be common to both. That would require 3 conductors and a ground from the switches to the fan/light device. If the switches are by opposite entrances you may have a mis-wired 3 way switch.

Answer 6

If the electrician put them on one switch it will be because that's what you wanted. If you want them controlled from the same box, one more wire will have to be added. Another way has already been suggested, you could put them both on pull switches so that if you leave the wall switch on permanently, or just short the wires out in the box and put a blank plate over, the lights can be controlled independently from the pull switches.

If you add one more wire you can have 2 dimmer switches in the box instead of just one on/off switch.

Answer 7

Yes it rather looks as though he rewired the circuit - the bare wire is the earth - it should actually be in a green and yellow sleeve but don't worry about that for now - so you really only have two wires - live feed and switch return, so if you want two switches controlling a light each you will need to install an extra wire.

Answer 8

You need to bring another wire to the switch from one of the lights to enable it to be 2-gang.



Not enough wires in the wall.

Answer 9

no there would have to be at least 4 wires to work the lights independently, you could fit a switched lampholder to one or both lights, either corded or remote controlled

Answer 10

==== the two way switch is not the same as a switch for one light === it is my opinion that the electrician did the easy way out and put it all on one switch === you should get him to ""lick his cat over"" and fix it correctly .. those two lights can be on separate single switches == your electric system is different than what we gots in the USA and those three wires are hooked into that 2-way connection === it can be separated but, it may take some doing to get it the way you want ..... it will involve pulling some new wire .. at the least you should talk to the electric-dude and find out what he did and why .........