Removing 2nd switch from 2 way light (2024)

Hi all

I have 2 light switches controlling 1 light in my kitchen. I’m having a wall knocked down and the switch on that wall will not be needed.

Can anyone advise on how I should remove this switch?

Is it safe to put the light switch cable in a JB and leave safely in the ceiling void above? Or is this against the ‘safe zones’ regulations..?

Also if this is safe to do, could anyone advise how I should leave this cable connected up in the JB..? I assume it should be left connected (Common with L1 in a connector block) so the other light switch works.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks very much for the replies. I have taken a photo inside each switch to give a bit more clarity.

The switch with less wires is the one that will be staying, hopefully that’s not a problem!

Any further info on rewiring would be great.

Thanks

I'm open to correction by the pros here... but if the switch you are removing is the first one shown, the one with the red, blue, and yellow cores, then it's easy....

All you need to do is remove the red, blue and yellow cores fro the OTHER switch.

What you actually do with the now redundant cable I don't know... I presume it's not against the regs to leave it in the wall, dead at both ends....

I repeat, I'm DIY, so wait for the pros to confirm!

Regards,
Cando

seneca said:

Connect the single red (common) to one of the other pair, doesn't matter which pair, in your connector box and insulate the other pair, your other switch will then work.

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Thanks

So if I connect the Red (Common) to the black and blue pair, make safe the yellow and red pair of the 2nd switch, do I just need to remove the yellow wire from the first switch?

Can I then put all wires in a JB from the redundant switch and hide up in the ceiling void?

seneca said:

Yes but keep the yellow and red connected together. Use maintenance free connectors such as Wago's because they'll be inaccessible once under the floor/above the ceiling.

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Really appreciate the help!

Is the advice given by Seneca inadequate?

I have just drawn out what you’ve said and it does make sense but could you please clarify -

Rmove the earth from back box to switch plate and run a fly lead from switch earth terminal to back box sleeved green and yellow.

Many thanks

Rob-123 said:

I’ve got to say at first glance this has confused me, is the advice given by Seneca inadequate?

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That is how I would do it, just follow the procedures step by step, you are not joining 3 wires together just making straght through joints from light fitting to switch.

Deleted member 11267 said:

That is how I would do it, just follow the procedures step by step, you are not joining 3 wires together just making straght through joints from light fitting to switch.

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Thanks for the help When you say remove earth from backbox to switch plate - I’m assuming there should be one there but there isn’t. Do you just mean I should have one on the switch which will remain from backbox to earth terminal

Rob-123 said:

Thanks for the help When you say remove earth from backbox to switch plate - I’m assuming there should be one there but there isn’t. Do you just mean I should have one on the switch which will remain from backbox to earth terminal

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When it is a metal switch the earth wire should go to the switch, it is then good practice to run an earth wire from the switch to the back box, although it is not a regulation.
Some people keep on saying it is not needed but it is just laziness not to earth the back box.

I might be throwing in a curveball here but hope you can help with it.

If I go ahead and do as said above with the switch so there is one switch controlling one light, am I able to do the following:

Change the 1 gang switch to a 2 gang switch, wire 1 gang exactly as above, and add a second light in the ceiling (we would like the current light to be spotlights, and would like a hanging light above an island in the kitchen so we don’t always have to have the spotlights on). I assume that I would just wire the 2nd gang to the second light and take a feed to the 2nd common from the common on the first gang?

Hopefully that makes some sort of sense.

Rob-123 said:

I might be throwing in a curveball here but hope you can help with it.

If I go ahead and do as said above with the switch so there is one switch controlling one light, am I able to do the following:

Change the 1 gang switch to a 2 gang switch, wire 1 gang exactly as above, and add a second light in the ceiling (we would like the current light to be spotlights, and would like a hanging light above an island in the kitchen so we don’t always have to have the spotlights on). I assume that I would just wire the 2nd gang to the second light and take a feed to the 2nd common from the common on the first gang?

Hopefully that makes some sort of sense.

Click to expand...

The answer to that is, no.
You only have 2 cores from your light to the switch. Live and switched live.
Can you run a new cable from the switch to the light?