Connecting multiple lamps to a single switch: the guide

Connect all lamps in parallel (in derivation): each luminaire receives the same 230 V voltage and remains independent. Switch off the power at the consumer unit, connect the live wires together and then the neutral wires together with Wago terminals, and run a single wire back to the switch. A lighting circuit accepts up to 8 light points.

Once the principle is clear, the real choice comes down to the luminaires: their socket, their wattage, their look. You will find everything you need to equip each light point in our lighting collection, from the most understated model to the most decorative.

How do you wire several lamps to one switch?

Wire the lamps in parallel: the live wires meet at one terminal, the neutral wires at another, and a single wire runs to the switch. Each lamp keeps its full voltage and stays lit even if a neighbouring one blows. Series wiring, by contrast, makes the light vary and switches everything off as soon as one bulb fails.

Unlike parallel wiring, wiring lamps in series connects the luminaires one after another. This configuration, also called series lighting wiring, shares the voltage between the points: the light dims and everything switches off if a bulb blows. For specific installations, wiring spotlights in series meets particular needs, rarely the lighting of an entire room.

The parallel wiring diagram

The wiring diagram for several lamps comes down to two continuous lines: a live line and a neutral line, onto which each lamp is grafted. This is known as looping. The control remains single: the switch cuts the live wire before it reaches the group of luminaires.

Live, neutral and switched live

Three wires carry distinct roles, identified by standardised colours:

• Live: comes from the consumer unit, in red, brown or black.
• Neutral: always blue, it goes directly to each lamp.
• Switched live: orange, purple or black, it runs from the switch to the luminaires.
• Earth: green and yellow, present on class I metal luminaires.

Wago connectors or terminal blocks?

Wago automatic terminals clip on without tools and accept several wires on the same connection, which simplifies looping. Screw terminal blocks cost less but work loose with heat. To connect several lamps at one point, a lever terminal remains the safest choice.

Once the wiring is ready, all that is left is to choose the models: our pendant light collection connects easily to this type of installation.

Unsure about a model before installing it? The selection is reviewed by buyers, whose feedback can be consulted on the shop's Google listing.

How many lamps can be wired to a single switch?

Eight light points at most on the same lighting circuit, according to the NF C 15-100 standard. This limit applies to 1.5 mm² wires protected by a 10 or 16 A circuit breaker. Beyond that, create a second circuit from the consumer unit rather than overloading the existing line.

Wire cross-section

A lighting circuit is wired in 1.5 mm². This cross-section supports the 8 regulatory light points without overheating. 2.5 mm² remains reserved for sockets: using it for lighting does not raise the ceiling of 8 lamps, which is set by the number of points and not by the available amperage.

Combined wattage and the LED case

Add up the wattage of each bulb to stay below the circuit breaker's limit. LED changes the equation: an LED pendant light uses five to ten times less than an old halogen, which leaves a comfortable margin on a loaded circuit.

On a survey of 109 pendant lights in our catalogue as of 23 September 2026, 40 % have an E27 socket, 30 % an E14 and 82 % LED technology: as many models that lighten the load on the line. For ceiling lighting spread across several sources, a led ceiling light is installed on this same derivation principle.

The socket determines the bulb to screw in. Take the time to choose your bulbs carefully before multiplying light points, as this avoids unpleasant format surprises.

Before any handling, switch off the relevant circuit breaker and check for the absence of voltage with a tester: this is the prerequisite for wiring a luminaire safely.

Unsure about the wire cross-section or the number of light points on your circuit? It is better to have your installation checked than to discover the problem once the switch is back on.

How do you wire several lamps to a single power supply?

Use a junction box: the single supply enters it, then you loop as many outgoing feeds as there are lamps, always in parallel. Live wires on one connector, neutral wires on another, earth wires gathered if needed. Each luminaire receives its voltage from the same source, without extending a wire from one to the next.

The wiring detail, step by step, is covered in our guide to wiring several lamps to a single power supply.

Diagram for 2 lamps or 3 lamps

For wiring 2 lamps to 1 switch, the box receives two parallel outgoing feeds. For a wiring diagram of 3 lamps to 1 switch, simply add a third loop on the same terminals. The principle does not change with the number: only the box fills up.

A recessed box behind the fixing point makes access easier when you want to install a ceiling light without dismantling the rest.

One supply, several rooms

Parallel looping applies everywhere in the home. Above a worktop, a kitchen pendant light aligned on a single supply lights the space without multiplying wall controls.

How do you wire a single lamp to a switch?

With one-way switching: the live wire runs from the consumer unit to the switch, comes out as a switched live to the luminaire, and the neutral goes directly to the lamp. Three terminals, a single control point. This is the basic installation, the one you then complete to add other lamps in derivation.

The one-way switching installation

One-way switching controls one or more luminaires from a single place. The switch cuts only the live wire, never the neutral. To connect a lamp to the ceiling, this diagram remains the starting point before any looping.

The difference from two-way switching

Two-way switching controls the same lamp from two switches, for example at both ends of a corridor. It requires a traveller wire between the two points. The numbers 1 and 2 engraved on a switch mark precisely these traveller terminals.

Once the circuit is validated, the mechanical installation matters just as much: hanging a chandelier that is heavy requires a fixing suited to the weight and the type of ceiling.

Before closing up, recheck every connection and the absence of voltage. A clean wiring job is checked in a few simple steps.