How to wire a 6-gang switch plate

Helpful video reference. Toolbox Talks for Electricians (Ben Poulter) published "How to Wire a 6 Gang Switch ⚡ | Lights + Fan Explained (UK Wiring Guide)" in January 2026. Ben Poulter is a UK electrician with 20 years of trade experience who covers practical wiring topics on the Toolbox Talks channel (@toolboxtalking).

1. Identify the circuits and plan the switch layout

Before removing the old plate, work out what each switch does. Label them if they are not already: "front room light", "hall pendant", "bathroom fan", and so on. Check whether any gangs are two-way switches that pair with a switch elsewhere, for example on a landing or at the bottom of the stairs. A two-way switch needs to be replaced with a two-way version of the new plate; a one-way gang can use a simpler switch module.

If the existing plate is a mix of one-way and two-way gangs, the new plate must match this. Most grid plate systems (MK Grid Plus, Schneider Lisse, Hager Sollysta) allow you to specify each module individually, so you can mix one-way, two-way, and fan isolator modules in a single plate.

2. Isolate all circuits feeding the plate

Go to the consumer unit and switch off every circuit that feeds the back box. If you are unsure which circuits feed a 6-gang plate, switch off all lighting circuits. Lock off the MCBs if the board has locking devices.

Return to the back box and use an approved voltage tester on each cable. Test each brown conductor against earth and against neutral. Do this before you unscrew the faceplate. A 6-gang plate in a hallway or landing can easily have two or three separate circuit feeds because it spans different lighting zones.

3. Photograph the existing wiring

Unscrew the faceplate and ease it away from the back box. Take several clear photographs from different angles, including close-ups of each module's terminal connections. If the existing wiring is messy or conductors are not consistently labelled, use short lengths of masking tape and a pen to mark each cable before disconnecting anything.

The photograph is your reference if you connect something in the wrong place. Do not rely on memory for a 6-gang plate.

4. Wire each one-way switch gang

A one-way switch has two terminals: Common (COM) and L1. The supply live (the live conductor coming from the lighting circuit MCB) connects to COM. The switched live (the conductor that goes to the lamp or fitting) connects to L1. When the switch is on, COM and L1 are connected and the load receives live. When off, the circuit is broken at the switch.

If multiple one-way gangs share the same live source, a short sleeved brown link wire (sometimes called a flying link) connects the COM terminal of one gang to the COM terminal of the next inside the back box. This avoids running a separate supply cable to each gang.

5. Wire any two-way switch gangs

A two-way switch has three terminals: COM, L1, and L2. The supply live enters at COM on the first switch and the switched live leaves from COM on the second switch. The L1 and L2 terminals on both switches are connected in pairs by strapping wires (two conductors running between the two switch positions).

If the 6-gang plate contains a two-way gang, one of the strapping wire pairs connects at L1 and the other at L2 on this plate. The other ends of the same two strapping wires connect to the two-way switch at the other position (the paired switch at the bottom of the stairs, for example).

6. Wire the fan isolator or fan/light combination gang

A bathroom extractor fan isolator is a three-pole switch that breaks live, neutral, and any timer or overrun conductor simultaneously, as required by BS 7671 for bathroom zones. The three poles connect to the three conductors of the fan supply cable: live, neutral, and fan overrun (if present). A simple on/off fan isolator without overrun has only live and neutral switching.

A combined fan and light gang is wired as two separate switching functions within the same module. The light section wires as a one-way switch (COM and L1). The fan section wires as a separate one-way switch with its own COM and L1. Both sections may share a common live link inside the module.

7. Refit and test each switch individually

Fold each cable carefully back into the back box, avoiding sharp bends at the terminations. Check that no insulation is trapped under the edge of the plate and no conductors are pinched. Refit the faceplate and tighten the fixing screws evenly.

At the consumer unit, restore power to one circuit at a time. Test each switch on that circuit before restoring the next. If restoring a circuit trips the RCD or MCB immediately, switch back off and recheck the wiring for that circuit before continuing.

When to call us

A straightforward like-for-like replacement of a 6-gang plate is a DIY job for an experienced homeowner who is confident testing dead. The moment the wiring does not match what you expected - extra cables, missing earth conductors, faded cable colours - it becomes a job for a qualified electrician. Richard covers Sandwich and east Kent for small switch and socket jobs.