2 Gang Light Switch 1x2 Way 1x3 Way - Strawberry

Strawberry is a warm, deep red, and here it covers a flat screwless plate with a chrome insert framing the rockers. The front clips on and leaves no screw heads on show, so the wall reads as a plain square of colour rather than as a piece of hardware. One gang is wired as a two way, the other as an intermediate, which is what is wanted where a single lighting circuit is switched from more than a couple of points. Each rocker has a short, definite throw.

The intermediate gang is the reason to reach for a switch like this. It sits in the middle of a chain, so a stairwell lit from the hall, the half landing and the top of the stairs can be worked from any of those points, while the other gang looks after a separate light in the ordinary way. We keep it in mind for hallways, long landings and through rooms with a door at either end. It belongs indoors, on a domestic lighting circuit, and it suits anyone reworking a hall who would rather not add a second plate to the wall.

The plate and rockers are moulded ABS, double insulated, with the chrome insert giving the colour a hard edge to sit against. Keep it clean with a cloth wrung out in warm water and a drop of washing up liquid; cream cleaners and solvent wipes take the gloss off a moulded finish, and there is no bringing it back. At 88mm square it falls in line with the other plates along a run, which matters when a hallway carries several. It carries a ten year warranty. Used sparingly, a single plate in a room that is otherwise quiet, a red this strong does more work than a whole wall of it.

What does the intermediate gang actually do?

It is the middle switch in a circuit controlled from three or more positions, such as a stairwell switched at the hall, the half landing and the top. The other gang is a standard two way, for a light switched from two positions or, wired accordingly, from one.

What is the switch rated at?

Each rocker is rated 10AX and is intended for domestic lighting circuits.

How large is the plate, and how deep does it need to be?

The plate measures 88mm by 88mm and calls for a back box of 25mm depth.

Can it go in a bathroom or an outbuilding?

No. It is IP20 and made for dry indoor rooms, so keep it away from splashes, steam and anywhere unheated and damp.

Will the strawberry finish mark?

It is a moulded colour rather than a coating, so it wears well in daily use. Wipe fingerprints off with a barely damp cloth and avoid abrasive or solvent-based cleaners, which will dull the surface.