How to connect a ceiling light with two lamps. How to properly connect a chandelier to a double switch. Hanging the chandelier on the hook

Arrangement of a modern home, requiring the creation of a high level of coziness and comfort, today is impossible without the installation of modern lighting devices. A new generation of chandeliers, which is distinguished not only by a more interesting, expressive design, but also very demanding on the installation of equipment that can fully provide all modes of operation. One of the features is the ability to select the illumination mode during the operation of the chandelier, in other words, the ability to turn on both all lamps at once, and a certain number of them, which allows you to more rationally use the lighting mode, while significantly saving on electricity. One of these simple and affordable solutions is to connect the chandelier to a double switch, thus distributing the number of lamps on.

Considering the possibility of including a multi-lamp chandelier in the electrical circuit of a house or apartment or distributing lighting by zoning spotlights, the simplest and most functional is the use of a two-button switch as a switch.

Among the many types and models of light switches, it is the two-button device that is today the most popular type of household light switches. This type gained its popularity relatively recently, when chandeliers and lamps with several lamps began to come into fashion, which made it possible to turn on a different number of lamps.

At the same time, such a two-button switch by its design is not something special, just two devices are connected in its body, allowing, independently of each other, to connect and disconnect the electrical circuit.

The body of the double switch, like the rest of electrical fittings, has standard dimensions and can be installed without problems depending on the version in the outer or inner position. For internal views, the body holders are adjustable - with a screw, you can adjust and fix its position.

Fixation of wires in modern versions of devices is carried out using lamellar clamps or fixing the clamping bar with a screw.

Chandelier device

Modern lamps, when it comes to conventional lamps that are designed for conventional incandescent lamps, energy-saving lamps and LED types of lamps have a similar electrical connection diagram. Basically, there is nothing complicated in their device, despite the differences in the design solution or the shape of the lamps themselves, the circuit is a few electric lamps with wires connected in a certain sequence. The complexity of the connection here is to correctly connect these wires, first on the terminal strip, and then connect to the switch with two buttons.

For clarity, you can imagine a diagram of the installation of a chandelier with five lamps. At the output of the chandelier there are three wires - one common for all five lamps, and two connected to 2 and 3 lamps. If these two wires with connections to 2 and 3 lamps are connected as a lamp with two wires, then all five lamps will be on when switched on. This, it turns out, is due to the fact that all cartridges have a common output to the zero phase, and the rest of the wires, when connected, are included in the network as a conductive conductor. Shorting or opening this conductor and leads to turning on or off the light at the same time in all lamps.

Turning on only the connection of the conductors from two lamps will supply voltage to these lamps, while the other 3, although they will be connected to a common "zero", will not be turned on, since no voltage will be applied to them. Thus, by disconnecting a line of 2 or 3 lamps, you can turn on all, only 2 or only 3 lamps. The connection diagram of a five-arm chandelier is based on this principle.

For the correct connection of the five-arm luminaire, all the wires are clamped into the terminal block in separate sockets - separately the common "zero" and separately each of the conductive conductors.

Safety rules

When working with electricity, and even more so when it is necessary to maintain a clear sequence of work, it is necessary to adhere to the safety rules as much as possible. The main point to which you should pay special attention when installing a chandelier should be working with bare wires. Such work is carried out only when the general switch of the house or apartment is turned off. Make sure of

Fitting the wires, installing the switch must be carried out with the mains voltage turned off.

At the same time, to select the required wire, it is necessary to check the presence of voltage on the conductors; this must be done with the utmost care and only with a serviceable tool with insulated metal parts and handles.

When testing the assembled circuit, it is allowed to turn on and off the devices only after their final fixation and isolation of the wire twists.

Work order

At the initial stage, for the convenience of further work, a connection diagram is drawn and a detailed plan is being worked out. All the necessary elements and materials are being prepared. The chandelier is being assembled and its fastening elements are being installed.

Practical work is carried out in the following order:

According to the connection diagram, the presence of zero and phase in the wires is checked at the point of connection of the switch and installation of the chandelier;
The mains voltage is cut off;
The zero phase wire is marked and connected to the common wire of the luminaires;
On the terminal strip, wires are connected to 2 and 3 lamps in separate outputs;
The luminaire is temporarily fixed on the fastening elements;
The leads from the chandelier are fixed on the switch in connectors that have two outputs - each wire to a separate connector;
The live wire is attached to the single connector on the opposite side of the two-button switch housing;
The correctness of the connection is checked;
The voltage is turned on and the operability of the circuit as a whole is checked.

Checking the operability of connecting the chandelier to a two-key switch is carried out in all positions of the device - turning on one key, turning on the second key, simultaneously turning on two keys. Such manipulations allow you to make sure that all connections are working.

Connection errors and methods of their elimination

Recently, quite often, when installing electrical wires for internal wiring in new buildings, a cable is laid using an additional protective grounding cable. For this, an additional cable with a yellow-green marking for the insulation of the metal core is used (Option 2). Turning on this wire instead of zero or phase when turning on the circuit for connecting a two-button switch to the network does not allow to close the circuit and light the chandelier.

The lack of voltage when the chandelier is turned on on one or all of the circuit lines indicates an incorrect zero connection or no voltage at the switch. Checking the presence of voltage is carried out using the indicator on the input connector, when the switch is turned on, the presence of voltage is also checked at the output contact of the switch.
Malfunctions of the installed lamp in the form of the lack of turning on the lamps of one or both branches for a five-arm chandelier require disabling the circuit for removing all connected devices and checking the operation of the switch, the chandelier and the integrity of the wires, and only after this, the connection is made again.

Practical work on the installation of both lamps and switches, sockets and other electrical accessories can only be correctly carried out.

You can practice assembling a circuit for switching on a device with 2 or more lamps for a two-button switch using several pieces of wire, and connecting the assembled circuit to a regular outlet.

Stripping aluminum wires when using a conventional terminal block should be about 4-5 mm, this is quite enough for clamping the adapter with a screw. The twisting of copper wires is additionally pressed with pliers, and ideally should be soldered.

Attention! When connecting a luminaire with copper wires to aluminum wires, it is imperative to use a terminal block. Direct twisting of copper and aluminum wires is prohibited!

The chandelier belongs to those interior items that people begin to get acquainted with almost from birth. A baby lying in a stroller or crib looks at the beautiful luminous device on the ceiling with interest. Any large room in an apartment or house is necessarily equipped with a chandelier, which is fixed in the center of the ceiling. It not only becomes an interior decoration, but also allows you to evenly distribute the lighting load over the space of the room. To vary the illumination of a room, chandeliers with 5 or more bulbs are most often used. These lamps will be discussed in this article. Let's talk about how to connect a chandelier with 3 wires, what is needed for such work, and can a person do this without special electrical engineering education?

Device

On the modern market, there is a wide range of lighting fixtures with intricate designs, a large number of LEDs or lamps, with remote controls. However, until now, most people prefer to install a five-arm chandelier in their living rooms.

If such a chandelier is connected to a single switch, this will entail a large consumption of electricity. Agree, it is not always necessary for all five horns to glow in the room, sometimes two or three are enough. Therefore, the most popular is the wiring diagram for a chandelier with a double switch. We will talk about such a scheme below, and before connecting the chandelier to a household two-button switch, let's figure out what such a lamp consists of and how it works.

First of all, this is the basic design for 5 horns. Regardless of where the lamps are directed (downward or upward), the fastening of sockets and lampshades with horns is carried out in the same way - using threaded connections. Each horn at the end looks like a threaded tube; a decorative cover is attached to it with a nut. But very often fastening occurs due to the bottom of the cartridge, which is screwed onto the carob thread. You need to connect the wires to the cartridge and screw in the bulbs, it is in it that their direct contact occurs. Shades are used to diffuse light, and also perform a decorative function, most often they are made of metal, glass or plastic.

Chandelier wires most often run inside a metal structure. The plafonds are attached to the luminaire body using latches, bolts or a plastic ring that is screwed onto the socket thread. From each socket inside the horn, a 2-core wire is connected to the connection box of the luminaire.

You can install a variety of lamps on a chandelier - incandescent, fluorescent, LED, energy-saving.

The chandelier body can also be equipped with a power supply or a ballast for starting LED and fluorescent lamps.

There are chandeliers equipped with reflectors that have a white or mirrored surface and create directional light.

Details on how to choose a chandelier and lamps for it can be found in this video:

Tool

Before connecting a chandelier with three wires, prepare the necessary tool:

Indicator screwdriver (you will need it to determine the phase and zero).
Pliers with insulated handles.
Knife (to strip the insulation on the veins).
Multimeter.
Insulating tape.
Screwdrivers (flat and cruciform).
Nippers.
Marker.

Devices with which the wires will be connected. These can be special pads, in which the connected wire is clamped under a screw, spring or connecting insulating clamps (PPE). Well, don't forget, of course, the stepladder.

Wire assignment

Before connecting a room chandelier with a two-button switch, let's figure out how many wires we need and why each of them is needed.

example of chandelier assembly instructions (click to enlarge)

Any lighting device must have a passport with the diagram indicated in it. Study it carefully, the assignment of wires by color is described there. As a rule, the phase is performed in white or brown, the blue wire means zero, and there may also be a third protective ground wire, it is usually made in green or yellow. In total, 4 cores should come out of the chandelier - zero, protective ground and 2 phases.

If there is no passport for the lighting device, then we ourselves will determine where the phase is, and where is zero.

So, you have a hole in the ceiling, from which three cores stick out, one of them is zero, and the other 2 are phase from a two-button switch. If your chandelier is with protective grounding, then there will be a separate fourth wire for this.

Turn off the power supply to the apartment and set the keys of the double switch to the "Disabled" position.
To avoid shorting, separate the three wires that protrude from the ceiling at a distance from each other to the sides.
Remove the insulation from each core by about 1 cm.
Apply voltage by turning on the machine and then the switch. Use the indicator screwdriver to touch each core, the one of them, in contact with which the indicator does not light up, will be zero. Mark it with a marker.
Now turn off the keys on the switch one by one and check the corresponding phase presence.

Determine the purpose of the cores in the luminaire using a multimeter:

To begin with, set the "Call" mode on the device and short-circuit the probes for 1 second. An audible signal should sound, which means that you have correctly selected the measurement limit and the device is working properly.
There are 2 contacts in the cartridge, one of them is phase, it is springy and is located in the center, the second is zero, it is located on the side (when the bulb is screwed in, it touches it with its base).
Also strip all four strands extending from the chandelier by 1 cm.
Now we need to find the zero core. Attach one probe of the multimeter to the zero (side) contact in any of the cartridges. With the second probe, touch the stripped wires in turn. As soon as you hear a sound signal, it means that this core is zero, also mark it with a marker.
In a similar way, determine the correspondence of the two phase conductors extending from the luminaire. This time, with the probe of the multimeter, alternately touch the central phase contacts in the cartridges. In a five-arm chandelier, one phase vein is connected to three cartridges, and the second goes to the remaining two.
To check the grounding wire, you need to touch it with one probe and touch the metal body of the luminaire with the other, a sound signal will confirm the correctness of the choice.

Scheme with a one-button switch

To begin with, consider a simpler diagram - how to connect a three-arm chandelier with 3 wires. Here are three detailed step-by-step instructions. First, check the package contents of your luminaire:

Having opened the factory packaging, immediately find a list of the kits included in the chandelier, and check the presence of all components against the list.
Find a bracket with which the chandelier will be attached to the ceiling. It is a strip that is directly screwed to the wooden base in the ceiling, and the chandelier cover will be attached to this strip.
Check the presence and integrity of all shades.
Next, there should be a device (you can call it a junction box of the chandelier), in which the wires will be disconnected, three horns are attached to it, and this mechanism itself is connected to the bracket cover. A double wire (phase and zero conductors) will be pulled through this device. One end of it will be connected to the phase and zero conductors that come out of the hole in the ceiling, the other end is designed to connect to the conductors in the horns.
Usually the third ground wire is included in the luminaire kit separately. On the metal case (most often on the lid), a special icon indicates the place where the protective earth must be connected.
Check for the presence of three horns, cartridges must be fixed on them, and a phase and zero conductor must come out of each.

Now let's look at how to connect the wires in the chandelier:

Take one arm and the connection box of the luminaire where the connection will be made. Two veins emerge from the horn (blue - zero, brown - phase). Pull them through one of the three holes and secure the horn.
Do the same with the other two horns.
As a result, in the junction box of the luminaire, there were 6 wires from the horns - three blue and three brown, and a double 2-core wire, which will be used to connect to the network.
Strip the insulation on all 6 conductors from the horns and on the twin wire.
Connect the three blue wires together from one strand of the twin wire, and in the same way connect the three brown wires to the second strand of the twin wire. Do this with a twist, you can also solder on top. Put on the insulating caps, as a rule, they are included in the kit.
Carefully tuck all the wires in the junction box of the chandelier and close the top with a lid.
Connect the protective earth wire at the specified location.

It remains to connect our chandelier with three wires to the network:

Before starting the electrical part of the work, de-energize the room by turning off the supply circuit breaker.
Fix the fixing frame to the wooden structure in the ceiling using ordinary wood screws. This must be done as firmly and reliably as possible, because the bar will have to withstand the full weight of the chandelier.
In order not to alter anything later, immediately try on the lamp, lightly attaching the decorative bolts. Look, if everything suits you, then unscrew the bolts and start connecting the wires.
It is advisable to do such work with a partner so that one person can hold the connected lamp, and the other is engaged in the connection. If there is no partner, then fix the lamp to the installed bar by tying it tightly with a string or a piece of strong wire.
Start by putting self-clamping terminal blocks on the wires sticking out of the hole in the ceiling. Then connect the corresponding wires of the lamp to them.
Now turn on the breaker and circuit breaker to check correct operation. If all three lamps light up, turn off the switch, the machine and finish the work by finally screwing the lamp to the bar.

Now you know how to properly connect a three-arm chandelier, let's look at a more complex option - connecting the chandelier to a double switch.

Scheme with a two-button switch

Connecting a five-arm chandelier to a household two-button switch is performed in the same way.

From the junction box comes a zero core, which is laid to the luminaire, all five zero cores from each lamp will be connected to it.
The phase core from the box comes to a two-button switch, two cores extend from it, which will supply voltage to one and the second group of bulbs.
In the junction box, the zero and phase conductors are connected to the phase and zero of the supply network.
In the junction box of the luminaire, instead of 6 wires, as in the three-arm version, 10 (5 phases and 5 zeros) will now be displayed.

All five blue zero cores in the luminaire must be connected into one common harness. And from the phase veins, form two connecting harnesses - one of the three brown veins from the bulbs, the second, respectively, of the two. That is, when one key of the switch is turned on, three lamps will light up, and when the second key is turned on, two.

There are three wires in the junction box of the chandelier. One ends are brought out to the upper part and will be connected to the veins brought to the hole in the ceiling to the point where the lamp is attached. Connect the other ends in this way:

Blue zero core with a connecting harness of five zero cores of all lamps.
One phase conductor, for example brown, with a connecting harness of the phase conductors of three lamps.
The second phase conductor, for example, white, with a connecting harness of the phase conductors of two lamps.

From the hole in the ceiling, in the place where the lamp will be fixed, you have three stripped veins sticking out. Connect them to the phase and zero conductors of the chandelier, respectively. In the case of the protective grounding of the luminaire, there will be a fourth wire and connection.

You can see that, by analogy with the simpler option, connecting the chandelier to a double switch is also easy. You can see more about connecting a chandelier in this video:

I would like to give a little advice on inexpensive Chinese chandeliers. Check all wiring for integrity immediately after purchase. They often have already assembled the entire electrical part in the junction box of the chandelier, check the reliability of the contacts. It will be a shame if you then have to redo such a huge work.

Now you know how to connect a 5 or 6 arm chandelier to a double switch. In principle, if you have basic knowledge of electrical engineering, it will not be difficult for you to do this. But it will turn out to save a little on calling a professional electrician.

The chandelier not only complements the overall design of the room, but also serves as a light source in the dark. However, the maximum possible level of illumination is not used very often, right? For the most part, there is a need to use the economy mode, when only part of the lamps is functioning.

For this purpose, the chandelier is connected to a double switch, which allows you to adjust the light intensity of the room. Do you want to install the switching device yourself, but do not know how to do it correctly?

We will help you deal with all the nuances of this process - the article contains diagrams for connecting the device to a switch with two buttons, and discusses the main mistakes that beginners make. Correct connection of the wires will allow control, providing comfortable lighting.

The article material is provided with photographs, diagrams and recommendations in video format for the correct connection of the chandelier on your own. Having studied the basic rules and installation schemes, you can get to work.

Work with electrical wiring must be carried out in compliance with safety measures and adherence to a clear sequence of actions.

First of all, the rules relate to the de-energization of the wiring in the process of fitting and, installing the operating mechanism of the switch, connecting the conductors to the terminals and other actions.

The main aspect worth focusing on when performing household electrical work is contact with bare wires. All actions in this case must be performed after disconnecting the general switch and using special tools

However, in order to determine the required wire, the presence of power supply is still required, therefore, in the work it is necessary to be as careful as possible and perform all actions only with special tools with high-quality insulation of the handles.

The only drawback of the Vago terminal blocks is that they are not treated with quartz paste, which protects the contacts from oxidation. However, this problem can be solved by acquiring such a composition and self-douching it into a clamp

As a result, 3 connection nodes are obtained at the output: the phase of the first and second groups of lamps is L1 and L2, the common neutral node is N. Taking into account the marking of the wires, they must be connected to the corresponding lines on the ceiling.

There are two phase conductors leaving the luminaire (L1, L2), and there will be only one neutral wire (N) and it is connected to the second contact of the socket

At the final stage, it is necessary to lay all the wiring in the block of the chandelier bowl and install it. Fastening is carried out in one of the ways: hung on a hook or screwed on with screws. Next, the decorative luminaire plugs are tightened.

Using a ground wire

When arranging electrical communications in new houses, in accordance with generally accepted standards, there will be a ground wire in the wiring.

In such rooms, when installing the chandelier, you can find that 4 wires come out of the ceiling: two phases from the switch, zero and ground.

The marking of the ground wire is done by a combination of yellow with a green stripe. In a single-phase network, it will be the third core, in a three-phase network - the fifth

In most models of chandeliers with two groups of lamps and metal parts, a terminal block is provided in the package through which the grounding is connected.

During the installation of the lighting device, you need to pay attention to this and connect the wire.

Connecting a halogen lamp

Chandeliers do not always operate on a 220 V alternating voltage network - these can be products designed for an alternating voltage of 6, 12 or 24 V. Therefore, in the second case, you will need a step-down transformer.

Sometimes the manufacturer in each model of a lighting fixture operating on halogen lamps builds in special transformers to reduce the current.

The diagram shows the principle of connecting a chandelier with an electronic transformer. This luminaire variation has a controller unit. The connection plan is shown on the back of its case. On the diagram: PE - ground, N - zero, L - phase

Chandeliers that come with a remote control can be of various modifications: with halogen, LED or incandescent lamps.

There are models of a combined type. Such a device is complicated by the presence of a radio control unit. In fact, this controller is a wireless device controlled by a remote control or a standard rocker switch.

The connection of such a lighting device is performed similarly to the previous model, but here one more wire will be added, the thinnest of all.

This is the antenna through which the communicating actions of the remote control and controller are reproduced. It remains unchanged inside the glass of the chandelier.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The whole process of preparing the chandelier for connection and direct connection to the power supply of the double switch is described in the video:

Inexperienced craftsmen quite often make mistakes in the wiring process, which ones and how to avoid them, see the video:

If you reproduce correctly all the stages of installation and follow the scheme, you can protect yourself from unpleasant consequences when directly operating the lighting device. Moreover, it will be possible to create a unique light atmosphere in the room, adjusting it to fit your needs.

Share with readers your experience of connecting a chandelier to a double switch. Please leave comments on the article, ask your questions and participate in discussions. The feedback form is located below.

Before starting work on connecting the chandelier, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with its device.

Chandelier wire designation

Contacts for connecting to the wires of the electrical wiring on the chandelier are indicated by the following Latin letters:

L- phase,
N- neutral wire,
PE- grounding conductor yellow-green colors.

Chandeliers began to be marked only recently, and chandeliers produced a long time ago may not have marks. 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 ground wire is installed yellow-green colors. The grounding wire is indicated in Latin letters PE... If the electrical wiring in the apartment is made with a grounding wire (it must be yellow-green, but it can be of any color), then it must also be connected to the terminal to which it is connected yellow-green chandelier wire.

In old buildings, apartment 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 chandeliers are shown in white, and this is no coincidence. There is no single international standard for the color coding of wires in the electrical network, and even more so in chandeliers. And in Russia, the color coding of electrical wires has changed since January 1, 2011. Only the PE ground wire in the specifications of all countries is marked yellow-green color.

Attention! Before connecting the chandelier, in order to avoid electric shock, it is necessary to de-energize the wiring. To do this, switch off the corresponding circuit breaker in the distribution board and check the reliability of the disconnection using the phase indicator.

Chandelier connection diagrams

Despite all the variety of models, all chandeliers, including LED chandeliers with a remote control, are connected according to one of the schemes discussed below. To connect, enough wires coming out of the ceiling are correctly connected to the terminals of the terminal installed on the chandelier body. The work is simple and within the power of any home craftsman, even without experience in electrical work.

If 2 wires come out of the ceiling and the chandelier

Connecting one arm chandelier, consisting of one light bulb, and a one-button switch in the wiring is usually straightforward. It is enough to connect two wires coming out of the ceiling using any kind of terminal block with wires coming out of the base of the chandelier.

Although, according to the requirements of the PUE, the twisting of wiring wires is currently prohibited, but in a hopeless situation, given that the chandelier consumes a small current, it is possible to temporarily connect the chandelier by the twisting method, followed by the isolation of the connection.

According to the requirements of the PUE, in order 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 observe this rule. But in practice, no one thinks about this, they usually connect a switch and a chandelier as needed.

If 2 wires come out of the ceiling and the multi-track chandelier

If the chandelier has several horns, but only two wires come out of it, then all the bulbs inside the chandelier are connected in parallel, and such a chandelier is connected, according to the above diagram.

If 2 wires come out of the ceiling, 3 or more wires from the chandelier

Consider a more complex option for connecting a chandelier, the wires in it are connected to enable each light bulb to be turned on separately. For our case, all pairs of wires from the cartridges, regardless of their number, must be connected in parallel. One of the options is to install an additional jumper from the 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 cartridge from the first terminal, and insert it into the third, together with the right wire coming from the right cartridge.

If 3 wires come out of the ceiling, and 2

Usually three wires come out of the ceiling in case a two-button switch is installed. First of all, you need to deal with the wires coming out of the ceiling - to find a common wire. This is easy to do with a phase indicator.

To search for a common wire, you need to turn on both keys on the switch and consistently touch each wire with a probe indicator. Depending on which wire opens the switch, phase or neutral, two options for the behavior of the indicator are possible.

When you touch two wires, there is a glow, but the third does not. In this case, the wire on which there is no glow is common.
When you touch one of the wires, there is a glow, the other two do not. Then the wire on which there is a glow is common.

Without a phase indicator, it is also easy to figure out the connection. You need to connect any two wires from the ceiling to the chandelier and turn on both keys of the switch. If the light comes on, it means that the connection was made with a common wire and one of the ones coming from the switch. You can leave everything like that. If there is a desire to understand the wires to the end, you need to brute force to connect so that when both keys on the switch are turned on, the light does not light up. Thus, it will turn out to find the wires coming from the switch.

It remains to clamp the common wire in the terminal and any other wire coming from the ceiling with a pair of chandelier wires. If necessary, connect the chandelier so that the light turns on either of the two switch keys, then we put a jumper (in the photo in pink) 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 3 wires come out of the ceiling, there are several

If it is necessary that not all the lamps of a multi-track chandelier 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-button switch. You need to connect a two- or three-arm chandelier according to the method described above. It is determined from the three common wire coming out of the ceiling. It is connected to one wire from the pairs coming from each holder of the chandelier.

The remaining two wires are connected to the remaining free conductors from pairs coming from the chandelier sockets. It will be much easier to cope with the connection of a multi-track chandelier if you become familiar with its device.

Connection diagram for 2-3 chandeliers
from a one-button switch

In a large room, or if a suspended ceiling is installed, for good lighting, you have to install several chandeliers or spotlights mounted in the ceiling, which must be turned on at the same time with one single-button switch.

Sometimes it is necessary to connect the switch in such a way that you can turn on the light at the same time in two, three or more rooms. In this case, the chandeliers or lamps are connected in parallel, like several cartridges in one chandelier, according to the following scheme.

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 there are many horns in each chandelier, 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 of three chandeliers
from one three-button switch

If in one or several rooms it is necessary to turn on each chandelier separately from one three-button switch, then the chandeliers should be connected according to the diagram below.

This option for connecting lamps is often used to control lamps installed in bathrooms, toilets and kitchens. One three-button switch is installed in the corridor, and a corresponding chandelier is turned on before entering the room.

Chandelier connection
to Viko switch box with socket

Sometimes you need to install an additional socket next to the switch. If necessary, it is advisable to change the installed switch to a unit consisting of switches and a socket, for example Viko, shown in the photo. There are from one to four switches for the chandelier in the block. So there is an opportunity to choose the right one. The photo shows a two-button block with LED backlighting and one socket.

Connect the switch box 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 going from the neutral wire to the left terminal of the socket.

In the diagram, the connection of the 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-button switch, and you need a one-button switch with a socket, then you can not lay an additional wire, but use a free one by switching it in the junction box to zero or phase, depending on which wire comes to the switch.

Extending or lengthening wires
when connecting the chandelier

Now, when renovating an apartment, they began to install false ceilings. Tensioners are especially popular. They have a great look, practically do not wear out, come in any color with a glossy and matte surface, are not afraid of water. Stretch ceilings are installed at a distance of 5-10 cm below the existing plane of the ceiling, so the length of the conductors for connecting the luminaires becomes insufficient. It is required to increase their length.

The complexity of the task lies in the fact that it will be impossible to get to the place of the splicing of wires to connect the chandelier or other lamps after the installation of the ceiling without dismantling it. This means that the connection should 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 loosen over time and need to be tightened.

In the article of the site "Connecting wires broken in the wall" in detail in the photographs, methods of connecting aluminum and copper wires to each other are considered, just suitable for the case of lengthening wires to connect a chandelier or other lamps. For a reliable connection when building aluminum wires with copper ones, I recommend reading the article "How to connect aluminum wires". To lengthen the wires for connecting the chandelier to the suspended ceiling, one of the methods described in the article is suitable, threaded or one-piece with a rivet.

Wire cross-section for connecting the chandelier

If the chandelier has six hundred-watt incandescent bulbs designed for a supply voltage of 220 V, then the consumption current will not exceed 3 A. Such a current will withstand a copper conductor with a cross section of 0.5 mm 2, 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 bulbs for a voltage of 220 V, you don't have to think about the cross section of the wire. When connecting a chandelier with LED lamps, you also don't have to worry about the wire cross-section.

When you connect a chandelier or lamps with 12 V halogen bulbs, the current consumption becomes much higher, and the wire cross-section 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 ten times less than that of incandescent lamps.

Light switches are one of the most common wiring products. Each apartment, house, office has at least a few pieces. To save space and reduce the amount of work, the switches can be not with one button, but with two or even three. But doubles are still more popular. Therefore, we will continue to talk about double (with two buttons) switches. They are also called two-button, two-button, double, etc. The connection of a double switch is quite within the power of a novice electrician. Even without special skills, you can cope with this on your own.

If you need to connect two bulbs or two groups of lamps, while it is necessary that they turn on independently of each other, a two-button switch is required. They are very easy to distinguish - two buttons are installed in one housing. By the way, the presence or absence of backlighting does not affect the connection in any way. Neither schemes nor principles change.

The circuit of a two-button switch is simple: these are two normally open contacts, each of which is controlled by its own button. This means that in the initial state, no current flows through the switch, since the contacts are open. By pressing the key, we close the contacts, the lamps light up. This is how any switch works. The two-key one differs only in that it has two groups of contacts.

If you look at the device of a two-button switch, we see that it has one input and two outputs. A phase is connected to the input of the switch, and the wires that go to the lamps / chandelier are connected to the output.

Safety precautions - be careful

Connecting a double switch on your own is not difficult. You can cope even without special knowledge and skills. But you have to be extremely careful - it's still electricity. We follow safety precautions without fail. Things to remember:

The easiest way to check is to use an indicator screwdriver. If you touch it on a live wire, the signal light on it will light up. This is how the phase is defined. If the bulb is off, it is zero or the wires coming from the bulbs / chandelier. Only after understanding all the wires, you can start connecting the two-button switch.

Wiring diagrams for a two-button switch

When connecting the switch, remember that a phase is supplied to its input, which comes from the shield. This is the basic rule. Only in this way will the connection be correct. The phase is taken in a junction box, which is usually located above the switch (sometimes, with lower wiring, under it) in the junction box.

Please note that work is carried out with the voltage off. If there is a machine through which the lighting is powered, turn it off. If the wiring is old, unscrew the plugs. Before work, make sure that there is no voltage on the wires (touch all with an indicator screwdriver).

To two light bulbs

Most often, two loads are connected to a two-button switch - one light bulb or a group of lamps. In any case, the scheme will be the same.

A phase wire is connected to the input of the switch. The contact in the upper part of the switch is loosened (turn the bolt a couple of turns counterclockwise), a wire stripped from insulation is brought along the plate (stripped 4-6 mm), the fastening screw is tightened. Apply firm force when tightening the bolt. You can check if the wire is properly fixed by pulling it well a couple of times. If you can't get it, everything is fine.

In the same way, two wires are connected, which were sewn from light bulbs / chandeliers. The contacts to which you need to connect are at the bottom. The principle is the same - loosen the screw, insert the wire, tighten, pull.

Where to connect which wire (to the right or left contact) is not important. It depends only on which key which light will turn on. You can then swap them if you want.

After the connection is completed, we install the keys, turn on the power, check the operation of the switch. If done correctly, there shouldn't be any problems.

In addition to just switches with two buttons, there are blocks with a socket. In this case, the connection of the double switch does not change, but zero and ground must be added to the outlet.

So, we supply a phase to the switch block, from the output of the switches, the phase goes to the light bulbs. We bring the phase to the socket block (you can take it from the entrance to the switch block), we put "zero" on the second contact - from the corresponding bus on the dashboard. We connect the ground to a special ground contact.

What to do if there are more wires

In the above circuit for connecting a double switch, three wires are needed - a phase from a switch cabinet and two wires from light bulbs. But sometimes four or more come. What to do then?

Find a phase and mark it. It is advisable to bend it so as not to touch it in the future.
Find the two wires that go to the light bulbs. This can be done using the dial mode.
The remaining wire is most likely ground. According to the new standard, it is necessary even when connecting bulbs. If you have an earth wire on the chandelier / bulbs and it is connected to the switch, then we simply twist both conductors. If the light bulbs or chandelier do not have an "earth" wire, we simply insulate the wire and leave it. You don't need to cut it off - maybe later buy a chandelier with an "earth" wire.

There is a weak point in the specified algorithm - we assumed that the remaining wire is ground. Logically, this is correct. Unfortunately, there are exceptions. Therefore, before manipulation, it is worth deciding whether there is really "earth" in front of you. To do this, you can measure the voltage with a multimeter (set the measurement limit to 1000 V - just in case, then you can reduce it). With one probe we touch the phase probe, with the second - to the nameless one. If it shows 220 V or a figure close to this, you have “zero” in front of you, not “ground”. If the reading is lower than 220V, this is ground.

With this "measuring device" you can determine "zero" or "ground" your unknown wire

If you don't have a multimeter, you can use a light bulb to which you connect two wires (you can take a table lamp, wind two wires around the plug). Take single-core wires, rigid, of sufficient diameter. Their ends need to be cleaned, but you will only hold on to the insulation. With one end we touch the phase wire, with the other - to the "unknown". Lights up - this is "zero", does not light up and the machine is knocked out - this is "zero". This method is dangerous to health, therefore we act very carefully.

If the connection is wrong

If you decide to change the old switch for a new one, and not a phase is connected to the old one, but zero, this is wrong and you need to urgently fix everything. The bulbs will work, but with this connection, they are always energized. In this case, even replacing a burned-out lamp is a deadly event. It is not joke. This is true. Therefore, if the switch is incorrectly connected (if zero comes to it), everything must be corrected. There are two options here:

If you are making a do-it-yourself double switch connection for the first time, it is better to double-check your actions several times and work very carefully.

Switch installation

Finally, let's talk about how to mount the switches. It doesn't matter how many keys they are. The sequence of work is the same:

From the junction box vertically down (or up with the bottom wiring) is lowered.
At the selected height, a hole is made in the wall for a socket outlet. Usually they use a drill bit - a crown.
A socket is installed in the hole. The voids between the socket and the wall are filled with mortar, preferably with good adhesion to concrete and plastic.
A corrugated hose of small diameter is laid from the junction box to the entrance to the socket outlet. Wires are then passed into it. With this method of laying, it is always possible to replace damaged wiring.
The switch is disassembled (the keys, the decorative frame are removed), the wires are connected.
They are installed in a socket box, fixed with spacer petals by tightening the fixing bolts.
Set the frame, then the keys.

This completes the installation and connection of the double switch. You can check the work.