I presently have a faulty two gang, two way light switch (photo: switch 1). As we never use the dimmers I have just replaced it with an ordinary two gang, two way switch (photo: switch 2). The trouble is I have about 10 wires going into the old one and a different simpler layout with three connections on the new one.

So, can anyone just tell me where & what I should be doing with the wires and how to wire them into the new one? Do I lose a few wires somewhere or what?? Help!

By the way, I am in UK so it's UK wiring.

Many thanks in advance.

In the old switches, were the terminals marked? The wires which are tied together effectively make that just one terminal so 10 wires were landing on 6 terminals. Without knowing where they come from or where they go it's nearly impossible to tell you. Did the new switch come with any instructions or implied application?

Barryman, what country are you in?

He advised UK in original post.

What you call 2-way switches, we in US call 3-way switches. Your way makes more sense but that's the way it is.

There are five ways to wire a set of 2-way (3-way) switches can be wired. I don't know your wire colors. Our neutrals are white, ground is bare or green. All other colors are hot. We are allowed to use the white as a hot at certain times. Wiring 2-way switches is one. We are supposed to mark it by coloring each end black.

I can't figure out how your present switches are wired from the colors.

See this post for drawings of the different ways a set of switches can be wired. You should be able to easily figure out whether the power is being fed to the switch or to the fixture and whether the travelers pass through the fixture box or go through the walls.

I don't show ground wires, they are not part of the circuity and make the drawings to messy.

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/electr...rk-685743.html