The rational arrangement of lighting control devices in an apartment or own home is one of the most important conditions for the comfort of living of the owners. It’s convenient when you don’t have to look for the switch again, rummaging around on the wall, and when you don’t need to take extra steps in the dark - it is located exactly where it’s needed. In the layout of many apartments there is a certain “crossing of paths”, that is, those points from where the further direction of movement is chosen. A classic example is a bathroom, toilet and corridor located nearby (there may be other combinations). What should I do - install a separate switch here for each room? It will probably turn out bulky and unattractive - almost half of the partition and half of the wall will be covered with these devices. It is probably more convenient to mount a compact three-key switch - its functionality is no less than three single-key ones.
How to connect a three-gang switch with a socket
And besides, it would not hurt to have an outlet in this place - as a rule, it is provided in standard house designs in the corridor. For these cases, manufacturers of electrical products offer special models - blocks that include a switch with the required number of keys plus a socket.
There is currently no shortage of such products available. But the question remains - how to mount such a unit? So let's figure out how to connect a three-key switch with and without a socket, without calling an electrician. Let’s start our consideration according to the principle “from simple to complex.” To begin with, we will analyze the issue separately for the three-key switch, and then we will talk about it, but in the same block with the socket.
Box in insulating plastic
The three-key switch looks like a box made of insulating material. Most often, its body is clad in plastic, which can get quite hot, but not ignite.
The box contains mechanical components that provide disconnection and connection of the electrical circuit. It also contains terminals for connecting the cable. It consists of one main wire and three cores after opening. They must connect to the lamps.
Decorative and functional facial details
The housing structure also contains fastening elements and a number of front parts. This is a plastic frame and three key inserts.
- The frame is necessary to cover the edges of the wall recess into which the switch is mounted.
- It also effectively protects the wallpaper from sweat and dirt, which are present to one degree or another on the hands.
- The wider the installed frame, the cleaner the wall around the switch will be after 1-2 years of operation.
- These parts are detached without much effort, after which they are just as quickly fixed on the spacer fasteners.
Original industrial design
A three-circuit light switch is better than analogues with fewer keys for a number of reasons. Firstly, such a device looks much more original, which is pleasing to the eye and brings zest to the interior, which is sorely lacking in the era of widespread minimalism and pragmatism.
You can be convinced of the unusual design of this device and its aesthetic superiority by studying a couple of dozen photos of three-key switches.
Manufacturing companies
Often the choice of a particular switch with a socket is determined by the attractiveness of the design. For example, the Spanish company produces antique-style models. German products are distinguished by modern, sophisticated design. French electrics are successfully integrated into the surrounding interior: both vertical and horizontal modifications are made. Perhaps the widest selection of products is presented. The product line of this Swiss company also includes products with LED backlighting.
Among Russian manufacturers, Kuntsevo-Electro can be distinguished. The company produces several models of three-key switches:
- BELLA BKVR-039 (there is a socket without a grounding contact);
- BELLA BKVR-212 (with indicator light);
- BELLA BKVR-036 (the model is equipped with a European socket and protective curtains).
These switches operate in 220 V networks with a current rating of 10 A. Models are also produced in Russia for a rated current of 16 A with grounding. For example, NPO Elektrotekhnika produces models BZVRzk-S and BZVRzksh-S.
Lighting control from one remote control
When laying apartment or office wiring to the installation site of such a switch, no technical or engineering difficulties will arise. To install the box, any ordinary wall recess is sufficient. As for other similar devices, for them it is necessary to make several recesses in the wall at once.
Most often, three-button circuit breakers are installed in buildings that have an atypical layout. Such devices are also used to illuminate long corridor spans, control the top and side light of several rooms at once from the same point.
What is required for installation
It will not be possible to carry out electrical installation without a minimum set of tools:
- To strip the insulation you will need a mechanic's knife;
- to shorten the conductors you will need wire cutters;
- to check the absence of voltage you will need an indicator screwdriver or a multimeter;
- for installation work - a set of screwdrivers.
If the connection in the junction box is made by twisting copper conductors, then it is advisable to solder the connection points. To do this you will need a soldering iron and consumables for it. Perhaps in the process of work the need for other tools will arise.
Preparatory work
Before starting installation, determine the location of the switches. If you plan to do hidden wiring, purchase built-in switches and socket boxes of appropriate sizes (plastic boxes in which the device will be installed). If the wiring is open, shims must be placed in the places where the devices are installed.
Serviceable switch
When choosing a three-circuit switch in a store, you should carefully inspect it. It would also be useful to read the electrical description and ask for a connection diagram.
It will not be difficult to distinguish a conscientiously manufactured three-button from a defective one based on a number of signs:
- The polishing of the decorative frame and keys must be without the slightest defect.
- The keys should switch without effort or jamming.
- Each key press should produce a soft click that is pleasant to the ear.
- All mechanisms and fastenings of the internal part must work flawlessly.
Self-connection
Installing a three-key switch with your own hands can be done even with a complete lack of experience in such work.
It is enough to strictly adhere to the step-by-step algorithm, and the result will be definitely positive.
The installation procedure is divided into the following stages:
- Connecting the wire to the switch;
- Switching conductors inside the box;
- Testing contacts and correcting errors.
Choosing an installation location
If we turn to the seventh edition of the Electrical Installation Rules, it turns out that there are no strict conditions for the installation of household switches. Clause 7.1.51 recommends installing switching devices at the entrance at a height of 1 meter from the handle side . The rules only determine the minimum distance to gas pipelines. It must be at least 50 cm. But there are two exceptions:
- in children's institutions, switches must be mounted at a height of 1.8 m - beyond the reach of children;
- It is prohibited to install switching equipment in wet rooms (baths, saunas, showers).
Otherwise, when choosing a place to install three-key devices, you can be guided by your own ideas about convenience and safety.
Cabling
On the eve of connection, it is necessary to study the corresponding diagram. This will prevent many annoying mistakes.
The box contains several wires, each of which is responsible for a strictly defined task:
- The three-core cable goes to the machine installed in the panel niche;
- The four-wire cable is routed to the three-button.
Simple connection diagram
The circuit of a three-key switch for three light bulbs assumes that switching will be carried out with a four-core or five-core wire with a diameter of one and a half to two millimeters. A chandelier with six or nine lamps is connected using exactly the same principle.
When using three different light sources, three different 3-core wires must be run. This method is used very widely, and therefore you can easily find a visual aid on this issue on the Internet.
Kinds
Do not rush to connect a three-key switch until you decide exactly what kind of device you want to see in your apartment. After all, these switching devices come in several types:
- Regular.
- Walkthroughs. They are used in long corridors or on different floors, when at the entrance (at the beginning of the corridor or on the first floor) the lighting is turned on by one switch, and when leaving (at the end of the corridor or on the second floor) another switch is turned off. That is, you don’t need to make your way in the dark and crawl along the wall with your hand to find the button of the switching device.
- With indication. Such light beacons have two options for indicating the status of the device. Or they glow when the lights are off and thereby indicate in a dark room where the switching device is located. Or, on the contrary, the beacons light up when the keys are turned on, thereby making it clear where exactly the light is currently turned on.
- Three-key switch with socket. They are most often used in rooms where a toilet, bathroom and corridor are located nearby.
Connecting wires with a switch
Often such a switch is combined with a socket, so many people ask how to connect a three-key switch in this combination.
To do this, you need to act according to the following plan:
- Take a copper wire and stretch it from the main panel. You should not stretch the wire from the box to the three-key switch.
- The copper wire runs down a groove made in the wall. This will allow you to pull it to the switch and outlet. The common cable is connected to the contact. This fact is motivated by the fact that the load on the sockets is usually much higher than the load on the switch.
- Using a jumper, you need to direct the phase to the upper terminal. Zero is output to the second contact.
The cable connection in the box is made in exactly the same way. The difference lies in the connection of the additional neutral core with the central point.
Area of application of the three-key player
The most obvious use of a 3-panel fixture is to control three lighting fixtures separately. Such a necessity in everyday life is rare. And in office or warehouse premises this is a very real situation.
But multi-arm chandeliers can be used in a house or apartment. Although they are real energy hogs (two 50-watt incandescent bulbs produce less luminous flux than one hundred-watt), such lighting devices are widely used for aesthetic reasons. The efficiency and comfort of operation of such lamps can be increased by using switches with several keys. By controlling not the chandelier as a whole, but individual lamps or groups of lamps, you can choose a convenient level of lighting and not waste electricity.
Switching conductors in a junction box
There are five wires in the box that should be neatly combined into clusters of wires.
- All zeros must converge at one point.
- Next, you need to connect the phase conductors, and then connect the conductors extending from the keys to the phases.
- When installing in this case, it makes sense to simplify your task by using Vago clamps.
- On the eve of the first switching on, you need to make sure that the three-key switch connection diagram is correct.
- Then the machine starts and the lights turn on.
Photo of connecting a three-key switch
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