Looping lighting feeds at switches

on the minority occasion I loop in at switches I use the switch terminal as the L junction rather than a separate chock blok or wago yes

Loop connections to be made at switch terminals directly. Shouldn't end up with overcrowding so long as loops are planned properly and it's much better than having to hunt down a dodgy connection in a buried junction box under some floor or other.

I mainly only use ‘looping’ in a 2 plate system… commercial, industrial, and some council properties.

Looping the live wires in choc block or wagos may be required if larger than normal conductors are used.

Multiple 2.5mm wires wont fit in the terminals of some switches. 2.5mm is not often used for lighting but may be specified on some contracts and might be required for reasons of voltage drop on exceptionally long circuits.

2.5mm is virtually a requirement for ELV lighting.

Use two way switches at one-way switched positions..

L feed in to terminal L1.

N feed in to terminal L2

Light load (switched L) connected to Common  terminal

Light N to terminal L2.

L loop to next switch position from L1.

N loop to next switch position from L2.

P.S. This may also reduce L.E.D. light flickering when they are turned off.

Z.

Well if the break before make time is sufficient then yes it would work. Never considered doing this meeself though

ebee: 
 

Well if the break before make time is sufficient then yes it would work. Never considered doing this meeself though

It is indeed important that the light switch is “break before make” but I have never seen one that is not. The TIME between breaking and making is not important.

I have wired lights like this to prevent flickering of CFL or LED lamps when turned off. 

There is a rather dodgy way of wiring two way light switches that has been prohibited for decades, but may still be encountered. At each of the two switch positions, neutral is connected to either L1 or L2 and live is connected to other terminal. The lamp is connected between the two common terminals. 

Works fine but is potentialy dangerous since when the lamp is turned off there is a 50% chance that both sides of the lamp are live at line voltage.

Popular for outdoor lights that are to be switched from the house and from an outbuilding. Saves cable since live and neutral are already both present at both switch locations, and only ONE extra wire is needed.

Also popular in Europe where combined lighting and socket outlet circuits are common. Again it saves on material. Live and neutral are likely already present at each switch location for an adjacent socket outlet.  Only two lengths of SINGLE wire are needed to add a light with switch control from two locations.

The entertainment value may be increased if the two light switches are on different circuits, preferably belonging to different customers in say a large house that has been divided into flats.

Even more complex and perhaps perplexing is when the two light switches are connected to different phases of a 127/220 volt system. There are then 3 possible outcomes.

Both sides of lamp connected to neutral=darkness.

One side of lamp to phase, other side to neutral=dimness, 127 volts on a presumably 220 volt lamp.

Each side of lamp connected to DIFFERENT phases=brightness.

Then update the supply into the building to 3 phase 4 wire at 220/380 volts.

The three options are now darkness, brightness, and excessive brightness and very short lamp life.

Lol… too much time on your hands ?

Best one I had was a 2 gang light switch which controlled a top floor light over the main staircase (hotel) and the mid floor landing. Each switch on the plate was fed via a different consumer unit on a different phase. No wonder it blew when the owner got the decorator to replace the existing switches with LAP flatplate ones whereby he managed to get the strappers crossed over!