3-point pass-through switch: principle of operation, switch connection diagram

The rise in electricity prices has made people think about the need to save. It is not very convenient to use simple switches for lighting stairs in apartment buildings and in private houses with several floors. This is due to the fact that you have to return to the place of installation of the device. To increase comfort in such places, a 3-point walk-through switch is often used.

How the device works

Outwardly, this device practically does not differ from the classic one. However, the wiring diagram of the 3-point pass-through switches is somewhat more complicated. The difference between them lies in the number of contacts. If an ordinary device has two of them, then a checkpoint has three. Moreover, two of them are common. It should be remembered that at least two such devices are used in all connection schemes.

The principle of operation of the through-type switch is quite simple - after pressing the key, the input contact closes with one of the outputs. Thus,

the through-type switch has two operating positions at once, and intermediate ones are absent. Since during operation of the device there is a simple switching of contacts, it can be attributed to a group of switches.

It is easier to work with products of well-known brands, since there is a connection diagram on their case. Cheap Chinese devices, from this point of view, are less attractive and when connecting them, you will have to ring the terminals. Some manufacturers may confuse the contacts during manufacture and the circuit will not work if connected incorrectly.

To ring the pass-through switch, you can use a dial or digital device. If digital is used, then it must be switched to the appropriate mode, which is used to determine the short-circuited sections of electrical circuits. When the terminals are closed, the electronic device will give a sound signal, and the pointer indicator should deflect all the way to the right.

The device, with which you can control lighting from three points, will make the system of street and indoor lighting practical. It can also be an excellent choice for owners of private multi-storey buildings. This option for controlling luminaires may well be used in rooms with several berths in order to turn off the light without getting out of bed.

Connection recommendations

On sale you can find switches with one and two keys. They differ in the number of contacts. To connect, you need the following devices and materials:

• Pass-through and cross-type switches.
• Wires.
• Lamps.

Connection of two switches

The circuit of the light switch from two places is quite simple, even a beginner can implement it. A phase must be applied to the output of one switch, and the input terminal of the second device is connected to the luminaire wire. The second contact of the chandelier must be connected to the neutral conductor. It remains only to connect the terminals N 1 and N 2 of the pass-through switches.

It should be remembered that in accordance with modern requirements, electrical wiring should be located 15 cm from the ceiling. The ends of the wires are led out into the junction boxes, and the conductors are connected to each other using blocks. Connecting straight-through switches to control luminaires from two places should not cause problems. But the circuit for connecting a switch from three places is already more complicated to implement, but it can also be dealt with by novice electricians.

Three-point control

In such a situation, the devices of the pass-through type will no longer be enough and you will have to purchase a cross-over one. It is equipped with two input-output terminals and allows you to switch 2 contacts at once. Although the circuit of a pass-through switch with three places is more complicated, in principle, its operation can be figured out quite quickly.

To implement such a scheme, several steps must be taken:

• The neutral conductor is connected to one of the terminals of the luminaire.
• The phase should be connected to the input contact of one of the feed-through switches.
• The free terminal of the chandelier is connected to the input of the second pass-through switch.
• The two outputs of the feed-through switch are connected to the 2 terminals of the cross-switch. The free contacts of the second pass-through switch are connected in the same way.

You can modify this schema as needed by adding new management points. To solve this problem, it is necessary to increase the number of cross-type switches, installing them between the checkpoints.

Installation of a two-key device

Pass-through two-button switches are used to control two lamps. This was made possible by increasing the number of contacts to 6. When working with these devices, the first thing to do is to define the common terminal. The two-key switch is called back in the same way as the one-key.

The phase must be connected to the output terminals of the switches, and their second output pins are connected to the wire of each lamp. The two outputs of the pass-through switches are interconnected. This circuit can be used to control lighting from two locations. If you need to add a third point, you will have to purchase a cross switch. Having carefully studied each of these schemes, you can quickly figure out how they work.

The use of two rocker switches is less practical and expensive. Most often, it is sufficient to connect a device with one key. Such connection schemes are quite simple, and even with minimal knowledge of electrical engineering, they can be quite easily implemented in practice.