Modern residential buildings are characterized by the presence of long flights of stairs and the same corridors inside the apartment, which are not very convenient in terms of lighting control. In order to solve this problem, manufacturers of installation products have developed modern switch models, called walk-through switches. They allow you to turn on and off the lighting in a common corridor or in an apartment from two places at once. The common models from the Legrand company (Cariva, Etika and the like), valued by most domestic users for their reliability and attractive design, fall into this category.
Scopes of two-keyboard switches
To solve the problem of long corridors, the company developed not only walk-through, but also the so-called "cross" two-key models that are part of a three-point light control system. Before connecting switches from this type of Legrand, you will need to understand their device and the wiring diagram. Both pass-through and cross models from the Cariva, Life, etc. series have several groups of switched contacts, through which it is possible to realize the desired function.
When a key is pressed, each of the two mechanisms included in the set of switches closes one of the connecting lines, simultaneously breaking the other. The specified operating procedure allows for separate control of the lighting device using two different switches spaced a considerable distance.
The most obvious example of their application is the installation of one of the switches in the entrance lobby at the entrance, and the second - on each staircase.
At the entrance to the building, the user switches on the lighting at all sites with one key, and when approaching his apartment, turns it off.
Backlit two-gang switch
The connection of the two-key switch Legrand in the simplest case is made according to the classical scheme. In the lower part of its housing there is an input working contact, to which a phase wire is supplied. At the same time, two conductors “move away” from above - each to its own illuminator or group of bulbs.
Often, these wires are laid to the junction box, from where they are bred to the desired loads. In some cases, preformed groups of illuminators are used as such loads.
Features of connecting backlight
The backlight available in some models from Legrand is usually connected in parallel with an open contact, which causes it to glow after the lighting device is turned off. The only drawback of this inclusion is the not very pleasant blinking of energy-saving lamps, which occurs due to the ingress of a small part of the voltage on them. With incandescent lamps and their halogen analogues, this effect is not observed.
As a backlight, products from Legrand use a semiconductor LED or a neon bulb. Outwardly, they practically do not differ, but they pass currents of various sizes through themselves. For LEDs, they are about 2 mA, and for neon bulbs - about 0.1 mA.
The procedure for dismantling the backlight
To disable the backlight that interferes with users’s built-in keyboard device:
- Turn off the opening machine on the apartment panel.
- Remove the case and the decorative cover of the switch and provide access to the LED (neonka).
- Take a screwdriver and loosen the screw fastening of the wires connecting the light bulb to the two contacts of the switch.
- Remove it together with the terminating resistor.
After all these operations, the LED lighting device controlled by the switch will stop flashing in the off position.
Installation procedure for conventional Legrand models
Before installing the Legrand switch in the usual version, you should prepare the simplest tool: a screwdriver, side cutters and a sharp knife.
Installation procedure for two-key models:
- The introductory machine is turned off.
- Conductors brought to the product are prepared for connection - the insulation at their ends is stripped.
- The keys and the decorative cover are dismantled from the device.
- Next, you can connect the stripped ends of the conductors to its terminals, and then return the decorative frame and keys to their place.
When installing double switches from Legrand, special attention is paid to the wiring of the outgoing wires. Each of them is designed to connect a separate load located within the premises served. When installing the product, it is necessary to take into account the marking on its body, indicating the connection points of the lead-in and lead-out single cable cores.
The nuances of connecting switches from Legrand
When considering the installation features of two-key switches from Legrand, special attention is paid to the following important details:
- according to the instructions for passage models like Quteo, Etika and others, when installing them, junction boxes of open or closed type are used;
- to connect the wires they use special clamps of the “nut” type or they are fastened by means of screws included in the set of each product;
- Before mounting the circuit breaker in an open design, a plastic or wooden substrate is prepared for it, on which it is convenient to mount the case.
If necessary, remove the backlight from the switch to do it better before installing it.
Before mounting the on-off switches from the Ethics series and the like, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare for work operations. This will require:
- remove the decorative frame and keys from the case - they have special grooves;
- insert a screwdriver with a thin sting into the groove, and then press firmly in the desired direction;
- remove the product frame in the same way.
Upon completion of all preparatory operations, the switch is completely ready for installation.
Direct installation
The installation of through-passage products is recommended in the following order:
- Before installing each of the switches, power is removed from the line - the input circuit breaker is turned off.
- The case of the first switch is located in the mounting box and is securely fixed in it.
- Already laid conductors are connected to its contacts on both sides, which are connected according to the attached instructions.
- The same operations are done with the second switch.
Most models of circuit breakers from Legrand in the accompanying documentation must have an electrical circuit.
At the final stage of installation work, a decorative frame and a double key are returned to already installed devices.
The two-key Legrand switch is no different from a conventional keyboard device. Well-known models of this device Life, Quteo or Valenon integrate with household wiring in exactly the same way as domestic products. Problems associated with the features of their installation are easily resolved after reading the instructions for use.
