names for light switches.

[Rtony]

I'm fitting 3 light switches to 1 light in one room. Can somebody let me know which type of light switch to use or is there only va et vient? I also need the French names for 1 gang 2 way, and intermediate light switches please?

Thanks

[Loiseau]

When we asked the electrician to install three switches in a corridor, controlling the same lights, he did not tell us that they would be rocker switches, nor that they would make a buzz on the fusebox whenever they were depressed. This is unfortunate, as the room in which the fusebox is located is now a bedroom, so sleepers can be awakened by the buzz.

This was about 25 years ago, and things may have changed, but it's worth checking about the possibility of them buzzing if you are going to have three.

Places where two switches control the same light did not have this problem; they click up and down as normal, and in silence.

Angela

[Kong]

I have such an arrangement. The relay in the 'fuse box' goes 'click' rather than 'buz' and it's very feint.

[Rtony]

Thank you Angela.

I have 3 English ones fitted at the moment and they don't buzz, click or make any noise.

Perhaps I should keep them.

Tony

[Jonzjob]

We have 2 lights that operate from multiple switches. In the kitchen and the hall for the bedrooms. They both have 4 switches that operate a relay mounted in a box in the wall. I have shown this photo before and when I first took the lid of said box I nearly had a fit, got my camera, took the photo and quickly put the lid back on. The boxes are about 6" by 4" and there are loads of them spread about. You may well have the same sort of thing. The relay is the clear/yellow thing in the top right of the box.

[URL=http://s47.photobucket.com/user/Jonzjob/media/Johns/Jar-a-worms.jpg.html][IMG]http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f180/Jonzjob/Johns/Jar-a-worms.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I love the colour range, but as far as I know the yellow/green are actually the earth wires? There is a plain yellow though..

I nearly forgot to add that the switches for those lights are spring loaded rocker type.

[HoneySuckleDreams]

The French seem to favour relays to handle the multi-switch option. It works OK if you have short cable runs as everything goes back to the box. (you buy some special unit that fits in your consumer unit thingy)

We went the way of using English intermediary switches, 4 quid each from B&Q,  but don't conform to French norms

because of the modula way French switches can be assembled it is possible to buy single switches and build an intermediary - we tried but the quality of the switching units we bought were rubbish and it didn't work. We ended up throwing them away and going the B&Q route

[pomme]

The mechanisms in the fuse box are called "telerupteurs". The older ones, which make a buzzing noise, are just mechanical relays. But you can now get "telerupteurs electronique/telerupteurs silencieux " which are silent, so suitable for bedrooms, etc. But they come at a price - 33€ in Bricodepot!

If you do an internet search you can find out more about them and how to wire them.

In my main open plan room I had seven switches installed controlling the central lighting through a telerupteur, one at each doorway.

[Rtony]

Thanks Jonzjob.

I'd have put the lid back on quick too.

[Rtony]

I'm going to do it all the french way if possible.

A French electrician has told me if I want to have 3 light switches for 1 lamp the sequence is:

The first switch is a 1 gang 2 way (interrupteur simple), the second switch is an intermediate (permutateur) and the third is a 1 gang 2 way (interrupteur simple).

I just need to find a brico that sells them now.

[Rtony]

Thanks Pomme,

I've been informed that you can buy an intermediate switch that goes in the sequence as number two and that's called a permutateur too. It's a light switch but has more connections for joining switches 1 & 3 so any switch will turn the lamp on and off.

[Jonzjob]

In our lounge we have a standard 2 door 2 way switch setup, but with a difference since I replaced the halogen down lighters with dimmable LED jobbies. There are wired in combinations of 3 lamps, only switched at one end, and 2 that are switched at both ends. I needed a double LED dimmer. There was no chance of getting one here and even going through the French end of miniinthebox.com they were U.K. dimmers. This caused an unseen problem in that the French switches fit into round holes and the dimmer needed a square one. So after some thumping and banging the wall box was fitted and the switch inserted. The result is great, but why don't the French have a double dimmer?

I suppose that they may be available now, but they weren't a year ago! I nearly forgot to say that the 2 downlighters are switched at both ends and only need the dimmer at one.  The dimmers are the ones with the small rotary knobs (cheeky [:-))]) and push/push for on/off.