Lighting circuits Observe the following circuit:

How do we wire the cables for the lighting circuits? The phase or live conductor is taken directly to the first switch and looped from switch to switch for the rest of the lighting circuit. The neutral conductor is taken directly to the luminaire and then looped to rest of the luminaires on the lighting circuit. Each switch wire runs from the switch to the relevant luminaire

There are different switching arrangements: One way switching for wiring with single core cable:

A one-way switching controls one light. One terminal of the switch receives the switch feed and the switch wire runs from the other terminal to the luminaire. The switch contact is held in place mechanically when operated allowing electricity to flow to the light. Two way switching Two way switching is used to switch lights on or off from two locations, for example at the bottom and at the top of a flight of stairs. The two-way switch circuit has the switch feed running to one two-way switch to the luminaire(s). Two wires known as strappers then link the two wires together. When the two two-way switches are connected each switch can either energise or deenergise the switch wire going to the light.

Intermediate switching Intermediate switching must be used when more than two switch locations are required, for example along a corridor. Intermediate switches are wired between the two-way switches with strapping wires so that the intermediate switch cross-connects them enabling the supply to be routed to any terminal, according to the switch contacts. The diagram shows intermediate switching arrangements for a long corridor, where the light is off.

Exercise 1:
Translate the words in red wire : Cable Lighting circuits : Circuitos de iluminacin.

Phase : Fase. Switch : Cambiar. Neutral conductor : Conductor neutro. Luminaire : Luminaria. Single core cable : Feed : Alimentar. Two way switching : Dos vas de conmutacin. Switch : Interruptor. On : Encendido. Off : Apagado. Bottom : Parte inferior. Top : Parte superior. Flight : Vuelo. Link : Enlace. Together : Juntos. Each : Cada. Intermediate switching : Conmutacin intermedia. Locations : Ubicacin. Enabling : Habilitacin. Supply : Fuente.

Exercise 2:
Write down the verbs in blue, and complete the table:

Present

Present (3rd person) Wires

Past

Past participle

Gerund

Wire

Wired

Wired

Wiring

Use

Uses

Used

Used

Using

Run
Take

Runs

Ran
Took

Run
Taken

Running

Takes

Taking

Loop

Loops

Looped

Looped

Looping

Receive

Receives

Received

Received

Receiving

Require

Requires

Required

Required

Requiring

Connect

Connects

Connected

Connected

Connecting

Must be use

Must be uses

Must be used

Must be used

Must be using

Hold

Holds

Held

Held

Holding

Exercise 3 Write down the words in green, a) What kind of words are these? b) Write down the meaning of these words using -y and without -y Write down a phrase using both meanings. For example: 1) usual: habitual It is not usual to talk English at home usually: habitualmente I usually take the train to Madrid at 15hores

2) Directly: directamente I'll go straight to playing football Direct: directo This week presents live theater kevin Mechanically: mecanicamente Pedro does everything mechanically like a robot Mechanical : mecanico

Exercise 4 Answer these questions: a) What kind of circuit is used to control onw light with one switch? How do we wire the cables for the lighting circuits? The phase or live conductor is taken directly to the first switch and looped from switch to switch for the rest of the lighting circuit. The neutral conductor is taken directly to the luminaire and then looped to rest of the luminaires on the lighting circuit. Each switch wire runs from the switch to the relevant luminaire b) For the one-way switching circuit, what does the first terminal of the switch receive One terminal of the switch receives the switch feed c) For the one-way switching circuit, where does the second terminal run to? luminaire d) What is the colour of the neutral wire? BLUE e) What is the colour of the phase wire? BROWN f) What does CPC mean? Cable of protection circuit

Tutorial: How 3-way and 4-way switch circuits work Controlling a light with two or more switches

This page describes how to use 3-way and 4-way switches to control lights from two or more locations. This is the first of several related pages explaining how to control lights with multiple switches. A light or lights can be controlled by more than one switch. The usual practice in home construction is to use 3-way switches. "3-way" is the electrician's designation for a single pole double throw switch. A 3-way switch is shown below.

Here is a typical circuit in its four possible states.:

The switches must create a complete circuit for current to flow and the bulb to light. When both switches are up, the circuit is complete (top right). When both switches are down, the circuit is complete (bottom right). If one switch is up and one is down, the current reaches a dead end, no current flows and the bulb is off (top left and bottom left). Note that the above color scheme does NOT reflect wire color. It is functional coloring intended to illustrate the voltage state of each wire segment. Red indicates a hot wire (120 volts ac). Green indicates a neutral wire at ground potential.

Blue indicates a wire that is floating. "Floating" here means isolated from hot and neutral by switches and/or light bulbs. For choosing wire color for your circuit, see later in this page..
Controlling a light with three or more switches

For more than two switches, one or more 4-way switches are added between the 3-way switches. A 4-way switch has two positions. In the first position, the contacts are connected straight through, so that the switch has no effect. In position two, the switch cross connects the contacts on the left with the contacts on the right, in an "X" connection. Slide your mouse over the image to see the switch change state. To view an animation showing how this works in a complete circuit, see How 4-way switches work -- an animation. This one-minute animation is the clearest illustration of the function of three- and fourway switch function. Below is one example of a four-switch light circuit. This circuit also shows rough-in boxes, wire nuts, and proper color code.

Note that the light can be placed anywhere in the return wire, shown above as white. It may be as shown at the end of the run, but it may be between any pair of switch boxes (as shown in a later figure), or even between the panel and the first switch box. You can use as many 4way switches as you like.
Color coding

For the official word, consult the National Electric code. Here I will try to describe a bit of what the color coding is about, and how wires should be colored in lighting circuits (and why). Common practice in wiring a multiswitch circuit is to use two-conductor (black and white) cable from panel to the first switch, and then threeconductor (black, red, white) cable between pairs of switches. White denotes neutral, a current carrying wire that is bonded to ground in the circuit breaker panel. Black and red are used for "hot" conductors 120 volts with respect to ground. The previous figure shows a circuit that follows this convention. The NEC allows certain exceptions to this in lighting circuits, so that standard two-conductor (black and white) and three-conductor (black, red, and white) can be used, and used efficiently. In particular, it is often convenient and efficient to place a light between two switches or between the panel and the first switch. In such cases, it is convenient and permissable to bring 120 volts to a switch via a white wire. If you place a light in such a location, please be aware of the confusion that can occur from this wire color. In the above picture, white is always neutral, while black or red may be hot. If the light is located between the middle two switches, then the white wire leading from the light to a switch is, in fact, sometimes hot. To avoid confusion and to conform to code, use a black marker to mark any "hot" white wire feeding a switch. Such color coding is shown in the following example:

Other variations

Here are another couple of variations of 3- and 4-way switch circuits. All the 4-way switches are optional. If you only need two switches, leave out both the 4-way switches. You can also add as many 4-way switches as you like in place of any one shown in the circuits that follow. Here is an example of a light in the middle of the run. Notice the pattern is very similar, but the color code is a little trickier. Two of the white wires must be remarked black where the feed the switches.

By marking the wire as above, you are informing anyone working in the box later that this is the wire that will deliver (occasionally) 120 volts to the switch. This will enable the worker to properly wire replacement switches. (For circuits with only two switches, just ignore the 4-way switches in the above figure.) Here is one more variation, with the cable from the panel going directly to the light box, which is in turn between some of the switches..

More variations of 3-way (two switch) circuits. More variations of 4-way (three or more switch) circuits.

Exercise 1:
Translate the words in red wire : Cable

3-way : 3 vias 4-way switches:interuptor 4 vias Locations:Lugares single pole: Unipolar circuit : Circuito states: Estados current : Corriente flow : flujo reaches : Alcanza dead: muerto bulb:bombilla end: final wire: alambre

hot wire: alambre caliente neutral wire: cable neutro ground potential: pontencial de tierra isolated: aislado between: Entre contacts: contacto switch cross: cambio de cruze Below : abajo rough-in boxes: en caja rugosa /aspera wire nuts: tuercas para cables above: arriba switch boxes: caja de interruptores National Electric code: codigo electrico nacional a bit of : un pedazo de multiswitch circuit :multicomutador circuito three-conductor :tres conductores circuit breaker : cortacircuito be aware : ser conciente leading: principal / conduce in fact de hecho avoid: evitar pattern: patron enable: habilitar light box: caja de luz

Exercise 2:
Write down the verbs in blue, and translate them. Tell what is the tense they are using (past? Present? Past participle?) Explaining: explicado - gerundio can be controlled : se puede controlar past participle shown muestra past participle must create debe crear presente intended destinado a past participle indicates indica presente 3 person added adicional past participle can be placed se puede colocar shown muestra I will try Voy a tratar de should be colored debera ser de color bonded unidos are used se utilizan shows espectculos is located se encuentra is shown se muestra you are informing se le informa

Exercise 3 Some adjectives compare by adding the words more and most. Use the word more with adjectives that compare two things.

Use the word most with adjectives that compare three or more things. Choose the correct words in parenthesis to complete each sentence. Write the words on the line. This is the __more delicious__ chicken I've ever eaten. (more delicious, most delicious) Winter is the ___most wonderful___ season of all. (more wonderful, most wonderful) Read this explanations:
http://www.shertonenglish.com/resources/es/adjectives/adjectives-comparativesuperlative.php

Look for the words in green, and complete the table

the clearest

La mas cara

trickie

Engaos

trickier

Mas cumplido

Write down a phrase for each word: