IN panel houses Three-key switches with a socket are widely used. They stand in the corridor and control the light in three rooms - the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. The socket here is provided for various household needs, for example, to turn on a vacuum cleaner, razor, hair dryer, etc. A lot of time has passed since they were installed and today they require replacement. Buying such three-key switches with a socket is not difficult, but not everyone can figure out its connection diagram. In this article, I analyze in detail the connection diagram for a three-key switch with a socket, with which you can do everything yourself.

Before starting all work, be sure to turn off the power to the apartment or this line. Safety comes first.

When dismantling the old unit, remember, or better yet, label all the wires that you will disconnect. This will allow you to quickly figure out which wire goes where. In a nutshell about wires - the meaning here is this:

• one two-wire wire comes from the distribution box to the switch block and is connected to the socket contacts;
• from this socket, from the “phase” contact, there is a jumper to the common contact of the switch block (this is the only black wire in the figure below);
• Three phase conductors go from other contacts of the switch block to the lamps.

I think these explanations are not enough, so I drew a diagram for connecting a three-key switch with a socket, where I described everything in detail. Here you pay attention to the drawn lines and don’t pay too much attention to the bunch of wires in the block, since this is an amateur project and the owners of the apartment have powered another outlet. See below...

In the photo above, a plastic box from a new three-key switch with a socket is already mounted into the wall. It fits exactly into the groove made from the old switch. It can be placed on plaster, or it can be attached with dowels. Here the choice is yours.

Here is a photo below without my art. This unit is located in the apartment of a retired family. The wiring here is old and they under no circumstances wanted to change it. Some of the wires were broken and they were extended through single terminal blocks. Next we see a yellow-green wire - this is the “neutral” conductor going to the socket mounted in the kitchen (this is an amateur activity of some electrician).

Below, the switches themselves are already in place. In fact, they do not need to be removed, since there is still access to the contact bolts.

I took them off just for fun...

Now we put the body in place. It is secured with three bolts.

We put the side key...

Now another side key...

At the final stage, set the middle key. That's all, the three-key switch with socket is ready for use. In order to disassemble it and get to the contacts, you need to perform the steps in the reverse order described here.

If these explanations are not enough for you, then read new material supplementing this article: Addition to the article "Connection diagram for a three-key switch with a socket". Here I am considering two different schemes connection of such a block and provide detailed explanations.

Let's smile:

Physics teacher - Vovochka:
- What happens if you insert a magnet into a coil and take it out again?
- Occurs in the circuit induced current.
- Right! What if it takes a long time?
- An electrician may be born.

Replacing a standard switch block

Many apartments still have old-style electrical switches combined with a socket. Such switches were mainly used to control the light in the kitchen, toilet and bathroom...

Offered range of replacement switch units according to standard sizes not large and limited to a few species.
It’s easier to replace a standard old box in the wall with a modern one, where you can put a separate switch and socket, or like in the photo, where there are two switches and a socket.

Remember! Working under voltage is dangerous to life! If you do not have the necessary qualifications, it is better to entrust the work to a specialist.

To replace the switch block you will need the following materials
1. Box for switches and sockets.
2. New switches and socket
3. Gypsum plaster or alabaster

Required Tools
1. Screwdrivers
2. Spatula
3. Hammer (preferably with a chiselling mode)
4. Container for diluting the solution
5. Phase probe

The box should not be very deep, so that the seat in the wall needs to be deepened as little as possible; when purchasing sockets, make sure that they will fit freely in the box and will not interfere with each other.

Before starting work, it is necessary to de-energize the entire block of switches by turning off the circuit breakers in the central panel, after which we dismantle the block by first removing the keys (on an old-style switch, they are removed by pulling the key towards you and then moving it upward), and then releasing the screws securing the wires .

We unscrew the socket itself and the switches, disconnect the wires, having previously remembered which wire should go where. Having taken out the switch block, we dismantle the metal box of the switch block.

After dismantling the old block with the box, we bend the wires to the side, mark the new seat, and using a hammer drill we very carefully extend the socket for the new box.

As mentioned earlier, it is better to use a hammer drill with a chiselling mode. If the hammer drill only allows you to drill, then you can gradually expand the space for the box by carefully drilling and chipping away the concrete in small fragments.

We must not forget that the block is usually located on a thin wall of a bathroom or toilet, so when lengthening and deepening the socket you need to be extremely careful so as not to break through the wall.

It is advisable to remove the wallpaper around the socket for the socket, as it may be necessary to putty the wall around the box.
After expanding and deepening the seat under the box, before cementing it is necessary to thoroughly sweep away the dust and moisten the nest in the wall; for this it is convenient to use a regular paint brush.

The wires are inserted into the box, and the box is installed in its place. Having diluted a little mortar (gypsum plaster or alabaster), we fill the cracks around the box with a spatula, try to keep the box upright, the box should not protrude from the wall and should stand straight.

Gypsum plaster sets more slowly than gypsum or alabaster pure form, after the solution has dried, you can install new switches and sockets in the box.

When performing work, do not forget to follow safety precautions when working with electricity; work only by turning off the power and checking the absence of a phase using a tester or a special probe.

Related materials:

The problem of a small bathroom is a common issue for many people who want to transform such a room into a multifunctional space...

Question from Vladimir:

Good afternoon Alexander!! Very interesting material and everything is intelligible. I ask for your advice, what to do when the phase is in two wires?? Today an old switch broke, almost the same as in your diagram, but there was no connection to the outlet. Kitchen, toilet, bath. There is a phase zero in the kitchen, separate toilet and bathroom. The house is old, Khrushchev. And the switch is many years old. So, I began to check, as usual, phase and zero. On the two upper switches (toilet, bathroom there is a three-wire wire and two phases and zero). I want to replace the switch with a three-key switch, but I can’t figure out how to connect them. If my explanation is not clear, I can send you a photo.

Answer:

I am writing this article some time after Vladimir’s issue was resolved. I was able to remotely understand how everything was connected to him and suggest how to replace the old switch block. I decided to publish the solution to this consultation, since I often receive questions about connecting such three-key switches and this information may be useful to someone.

I received a photo from Vladimir and then told him what and how to check, so that I myself could remotely understand his circuit. So, how it was with Vladimir and me!

The photo below shows his old switch block with a socket. This is a typical version of the Soviet switch, which still stands in thousands of apartments in our vast homeland.

Here without the lid...

And these are contacts with connected wires...

It turns out that Vladimir has the top two switches connected with a 3-wire wire, and the bottom with a 2-wire wire. The socket was not connected. After reading my article, Vladimir began searching using an indicator screwdriver phase wire Nick. It turned out that he had three of them, that is, the indicator on the screwdriver lights up from three wires. See the photo below - these are wires “1”, “2” and “6”.

In principle, this should not happen and we began to think about how everything is connected here.

If the top two switches and one bottom switch are connected by two different wires, then it will be correct if only two phase conductors come to them. One for contact “4” (see photo above) and a black jumper from it, the phase should be transferred to contact “3”. The second phase conductor must come to any contact “5” or “6” of the lower switch.

There seemed to be no questions about the lower switch, but there were questions about the two upper ones. How does this phase come to contacts “1” and “2”? Here, when closing the keys, the phases should meet on the contacts “3” and “4” connected by a jumper. How does lighting work then?

In fact, it turned out that the switches did not break the phase wire as expected, but the neutral wire. Then why does the screwdriver indicator light up and show the presence of phase on three wires “1”, “2” and “6”. After all, the phase goes directly to the lamps and has nothing to do with the switch.

By the way, Vladimir, I wanted to install such a 3-key switch in place of the large block. In order to realize this, he had to show ingenuity and skill, and he succeeded.

I write to Vladimir the following:

Vladimir, of course we will succeed.

Your switches break “zero”, not a phase. This is of course not correct, but many places do it this way. You can verify this as follows. When you turn on the light in any room, the phase on the contact of this switch should disappear, i.e. The light on the indicator screwdriver will not light up. You can also unscrew the light bulb from the socket and the “phase” on the switch contact will also disappear. Check it. If you turn on the lights everywhere or unscrew all the lamps, then there should be no phases on wires “1”, “2”, “6”. In this case, the connection diagram for the new 3-key switch will be as follows. We connect wire “4” or “5” to the common contact. This will be the total incoming “zero” to the switch block. Wires “1”, “2”, “6” “zero” will go to the lamps.

Why does the light in the switch glow if it breaks zero? It's simple. A “phase” has arrived at one contact of the lamp. Then it goes to the light bulb, passes through its filament and through another contact in the socket goes to the switch. If you unscrew the lamp, the circuit will open and there will be no phase on the switch. Try checking this option with an indicator screwdriver.

In the photo below, on the back of the new switch, I drew a diagram of it and labeled the contacts with the wire numbers from the old switch to explain which wire goes where.

In the end, everything worked out for Vladimir and he sent me the following letter:

Dear Alexander!! I would like to express my deep gratitude for your attention and responsiveness and say a simple human THANK YOU!! Everything worked out, I assembled everything as you advised. And now I hand over the work to the teacher. (My wife has already accepted my job). I am sending you a screenshot of my work. Thank you very much again. I am sure that you are doing a great job with your advice and consultations. When you are respected for good deeds, then everything will be fine in life. Good luck and all the best to you. Goodbye with respect Vladimir.

And I also want to say thank you to Vladimir for his kind words.

Good luck to everyone and remember that you will succeed! Thank you!

Conducting renovation work in the bathroom, many people pay great attention to the choice ceramic tiles, plumbing and design elements. Bathroom switches, sockets and other electrical wiring are often left without proper attention. This is a common mistake, since the bathroom is considered a room with an increased risk for electrical appliances and human health.

Requirements for electrical wiring in the bathroom

The bathroom, especially if it is combined with a toilet, is an area of ​​increased risk and danger for electrical appliances. The bathroom switch is subject to strict requirements, since this room simultaneously contains such risk factors as:

• high voltage in the network;
• increased humidity levels;
• sudden temperature changes.

Important! You should always remember that moisture is the best conductor electric current, so installing a switch in the bathroom is responsible event requiring compliance with all safety regulations.

Electrical wiring should be carried out after installing plumbing according to a pre-drawn plan. The best option is the placement of electrical points in special boxes that are walled into the wall. The cables are also embedded in the wall using corrugated channels, which allow you to replace the wiring if necessary without dismantling the decorative covering.

Advice! Before connecting a switch in the bathroom, we recommend that you listen to the advice of experts. They unanimously advise moving the switch outside the bathroom and connecting it into one unit with the switch for the toilet and kitchen, since in most apartments, the bathroom and kitchen are located next to each other.

Residual current device

Installation rules and wiring arrangements require that all electrical devices, sockets and lamps were connected to the general network through a residual current device or RCD. If water gets into a switch, outlet, or other electrical equipment, The RCD detects the loss of voltage and instantly turns on the light in the bathroom automatically. This is done so that electrical appliances, as a result of getting wet, do not harm a person with an electric shock.

Many people mistakenly believe that an emergency shutdown circuit breaker and an RCD are one and the same device. But this is far from true. Circuit breaker, which is popularly called “automatic” or “bag”, is designed to protect devices from short circuits. If the switch for the bathroom and toilet is connected through such a circuit breaker, then in the event of a short circuit, overheating or power surge, it automatically opens the circuit, preventing the electrical wiring from catching fire.

The RCD is designed to catch voltage leakage. In other words, it monitors the phase and phase voltage in real time. neutral wire. If the switch between the bathroom and the toilet begins to lose voltage as a result of moisture, the device will turn off the network.

Advice! There are special differential circuit breakers on sale that combine the functions of protection against power surges and short circuits and at the same time act as an RCD. This the best remedy protection against accidental electric shock due to moisture on the conductors of electrical appliances.

Rules for choosing bathroom switches

If you do not have a common bath-toilet-kitchen switch installed, but use a separate switch in the bathroom, then such a device must have a special degree of protection, which is marked “IP”. The IP marking range can be from IP-00 (unprotected from moisture) and IP-68 (maximum protection from moisture). In such designations, the first digit indicates the degree of protection against small dust particles, the second digit indicates the degree of protection against moisture.

If you have a bath-toilet-kitchen switch block installed outside the bathroom, then you can use switches with a degree of IP-00; if the device is installed directly indoors or outdoors, then the degree of protection should be as high as possible.

Important! Please note that bathroom switches must have covers that cover the contact holes from direct contact with liquid. The product must also have rubber seals at the cable entry points.