Wiring a one way switch. This is a typical wiring setup for a 3 way light switch with black white red and ground wires.

Changing A Light Fitting Light Fitting
Wiring a light switch red and black uk. The l2 terminal is unused. This was the neutral wire. Prior to 2006 different colours of cables were used in uk domestic electrical wiring and appliances for the neutral and live wires. A three way switch is different. This was the live wire. The other outlet powered by the black wire which always has power is always on.
In this diagram power enters the fixture box. The old colours were. 3 way switch wire diagram power to light fixture. This is an updated version of the first arrangement. This 3 way light switch wiring diagram shows how to do the light switch wiring and the light when the power is coming to the light fixture. What were the old uk electrical wiring colours.
The black hot wire connects to the far right switchs common terminal. A two way light switch can also be used in in place of a one way light switch in this instance the red wire from the feed cable is connected to the common c terminal and the red wire going to the light is connected to the l1 terminal. Because the electrical code as of the 2011 nec update requires a neutral wire in most new switch boxes a 3 wire cable runs between the light and switch. In the split tab configuration the two halves of the outlet are separated and the red wire goes to a wall switch. The common is for the live wire that supplies the input voltage to the switch. The red and black are used for hot and the white neutral wire at the switch box allows for powering a timer remote control or other programmable switch.
A one way light switch has two terminals which is a common marked as com or c. This type of switch has two brass screws usually. Then turn on the light switch with all power off to the lighting circuits there is no power to the switch. The other terminal is marked as l1 and is the output to the light fixture. Although still used today the earth wire used to be pure green. Before this change old wiring colours in the uk for 2 core wire were red live black neutral and earths are either bare or yellow and green whereas with 3 core cable live red blue neutral additional yellow and earth either bare or yellow and green.
Hold the red and black terminals of your circuit tester to a red and a black wire that appear in the same cable. Using the diagram above this would mean either cable 1 2 or 3. If it doesnt work switch the lower wires. A metal light switch must be earthed as seen below. This type of switch lets you turn the light off or on from more than one place in the room. When you see a red wire in an outlet box its usually because the outlet is a switched outlet.
Wiring a three way switch.