2 Gang 2 Way Light Switch - Copper

Two rockers on one square plate, copper across the face with chrome on the switches themselves. Nothing interrupts the front: there are no screw heads to catch the light, so the finish runs unbroken from edge to edge. Being two way, each rocker can work on its own in an ordinary room, or alongside another switch controlling the same lights from opposite ends of a hall or a landing. The plate is 88mm square and sits close to the wall, so it reads as part of the room rather than an object stuck onto it.

Copper suits rooms that already have some warm metal in them: brass or copper pendants, an aged mirror frame, kitchen handles with a little pink in the tone. We would fit it where the switch is seen every day and a plain white plate would let the room down, so hallways, sitting rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms. The gang count makes it useful where a room has separate lighting circuits arriving at one point, a main pendant and a run of wall lights, say, or a kitchen divided between ceiling light and worktop light. The rocker action is firm and quiet, easy to find in the dark with the back of a hand.

The plate is moulded polycarbonate with the copper finish carried over it and chrome on the rockers, which keeps the whole thing light in the hand. It is double insulated, and it belongs on household lighting circuits indoors rather than in outbuildings, porches or anywhere that gets damp. Cleaning asks very little: a dry duster most weeks, and fingerprints lifted with a barely damp cloth and dried off straight after. Keep metal polishes, creams and solvents away from the copper, as they will dull it. It carries a ten year warranty. Left plain and unfussy like this, it sits comfortably among other warm metal fittings and does not fight the lights it controls.

What does two way mean on this switch?

Each rocker can be used as a straightforward on/off switch for a light, or as one end of a two way arrangement so the same light can be operated from two positions, such as the bottom and top of a staircase.

What is it rated at?

It is a 10AX rocker switch, which covers normal domestic lighting circuits including pendants, wall lights and downlight runs.

How big is the plate?

The plate measures 88mm by 88mm, with a depth of 25mm behind the face.

Can it go in a bathroom?

No. It is IP20 rated for dry indoor rooms only, so it should be kept out of bathrooms, shower rooms and anywhere exposed to moisture.

What is the plate made of?

Moulded polycarbonate with a copper finish and chrome rockers. It weighs only 0.075kg, so it is easy to handle.

Will the copper finish tarnish?

It is a applied finish rather than bare metal, so it does not patinate. Just avoid polishes and solvents, which can mark or dull the surface.