Adding additional wall light switches

[SFVdave]

My new Forester has the control panel located above the refrigerator. The DW can hardly reach the light switches for the only kitchen switch and living room. There is another living room switch in the entry step area. She definitely can't read the labels.
So, I would like to add a double switch on the wall about 2 feet away from the panel. Easy access to the location as the wiring gang runs down the wall in the space next to the fridge. Both living room switches are SPDT and the kitchen is SPST.
I do know that the 12v positive goes directly to the lights and this wiring is on the negative side to complete the circuit. I want to keep the control panel switches operative. It would be easy to make them non functional and just run the existing wires down.
For the kitchen, I can buy 2 SPDT switches and wire it so either can turn on and off. But the living room that already has that function will be confusing to add a third switch and to allow each to turn the lights on and off.
Without spending hours trying to figure how to wire it, any electricians out there that can give me some help.

[SFVdave]

Today I fished cord from the panel to the bathroom wall switch. I want to add a switch for the water pump next to the vanity sink. It goes right by where the double switch will be for the lights.
Now I need to get switches and wire for both.. Haven't figured out what I need yet.

1 DTDP for the living room
1 STSP for the water pump
1 STSP for Kitchen
36 feet of wire for water pump 14 or 16 awg
16 feet of 16 awg wire for both living room and kitchen lights

[ronfisherman]

Have you looked into putting a Remote Switch in.

[RoyB]

The hard part will most likely be getting behind the thin walls without tearing up much of it. Just can't crawl up into the attic and drop cables anywhere you need them...

Running raceways along the floors and walls for wiring just doesn't sound like a neat thing to do to me...

Roy Ken

[pauldub]

The 4-way switch that you'll need may also be described as DPDT.

[SFVdave]

Thanks Artum Snowbird

[Artum_Snowbird]

Well, I will see how this works. Presently, you have only the high kitchen switch. If you can get two three way switches, then you could use either switch to control the kitchen lights by using a piece of 3-wire between the two new switches. If you don't have 3-wire then use two pieces of 2-wire. The extra wire is needed to bring the switched leg back to the feed to the light.

For the living room it's pretty simple too. You need a four way switch between the two three way switches. The new switch is a four way and it's function is to either run power straight, or in an X through the switch. Disconnect the wire from the upper switch, and run it to the four way, then run a short length of 3 way from the new four way to the upper three way.

There are many sites to visually show you how this works, just google three way and four way light switches.