We have just wired a new 2 way, 2 gang, switch plate, which works, but for one side the 'on' position is up, and for the other it's down, which looks odd and is impractical. Is this a problem with the new switch itself, or something we've done wrong? (These switches are the only ones that control these 2 lights)
Electrical – Double light switch issue
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Related Solutions
This is the schematic for wiring a pair of 2 way light switches: That means that two switches control one light and either switch can turn the light on or off.
Typically the L1/L2 wires are both red, or one is black and the other red. In no case should either of those be white.
That is simply a mis-wired 3-way.
On each switch you'll have a "common" terminal and two others. Typically a black screw and two gold. You need to confirm that the "travelers" are on the gold screws. Look at this diagram to see what I mean.
In this case the black/red pair are the travelers, but could be any colors depending on how it's wired. Just keep in mind, the same two wires must be on the travelers.
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Best Answer
Flip one side from L1 to L2
Your switches are intended for both single-pole and multi-way (multi-location) applications; as a result, both the "up" and the "down" positions on the switch connect COM to another terminal (either L1 or L2, depending on which position we're talking about), instead of having only one position that connects the terminals together, with the other position leaving them open-circuited.
So, fixing this is simple: turn the breaker off at the distribution board, switch one of the wires on L1 to the L2 terminal for that switch (not the other switch's L2!), button the box up, turn the breaker back on at the distribution board, and enjoy your light switches!