Black Live wires

[Sahmurai]

Hi guys,

Just registered to obtain some help. Must begin by saying that I have found your website to be gr8. I have no real clue about electrics, but I am willing to learn.
I originally had a one gang one way light switch in my room. I have inserted 12 240 watt downlights from a 3 gang 2 way light dimmer switch (bedroom).
I have your notes regarding two way wiring (which are gr8). My lights all work fine on the one light switch. My problem is connecting to the other switch ( 2 way 3 gang dimmer).

Originally, I had 2 red wires and one black. A red was connected to (no label on switch - power input though) and the other red was connected to the common. 2 sets of wires. 1 red 1 black and one earth on each. One set had a main live connected to the switch which had no label. The red from the other set was connected to the common and went to the light bulb. both black and earth are connected to each other.

What I have noticed is that the black ones have a current when I switch the lights on.

So the question i am asking is, how do I connect this set up 2 way? I understand the yellow with original feed in l1 and the red wire to lights connected to red in common, I am not sure about the blue to black in L2. What is the function of L2?
Sorry for going on aliitle (hahaha). Just thought I should provide as much detail as possible.

Many thanks in advance and look forward to your reply.


Regards

Sahmurai

 

[breezer]

even if you do connect it, it wouldn't work, you can't have 2 ordainairy dimmers operating the same light, which it would appear you are trying to do.
_-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

oh and its not our website (yet)

 

[Sahmurai]

Hi and thanks Breezer.

What a derr brain I know. So what do i need to do? Can I just purchase some different dimmer switches? Or have I just wasted alot of time feeding the extra wires through?

If i can change the switches, there is still the problem of the black turning live How can that then be connected? Maybe one at a time hey!

Thanks and look 4ward to your reply.

Regards

Sahmurai

 

[breezer]

i take it you do want two dimmer switches controling the same light?

in that case you want one of these

but follow the insctuctions VERY CAREFULY (you actually want one master and one slave)

 

[yankey-sparky]

Oooh, multi-location remote control dimmer switches! I didn't know such things existed. I'm pleased to discover they're available in the US as well.

Well, I'm off to go shopping.

 

[Sahmurai]

Hi breezer. Thanks for the info. Do you not think this is too complicated for a beginner for myself? WOuld it just be easier to change one set of dimmers to a none dimmer three gang or something similar? Is this possible even?

 

[breezer]

yes, as i mentioned you can not have 2 ordainairy dimmers controlling the same light

 

[Sahmurai]

Thanks. So how would I resolve the connection problem (black turns to live). Sorry to be a pain.

 

[breezer]

they are probably switch wires.

lets start again

what wiresdo you have at the switch you want to change back to an ordainairy switch and what are they connected to now?

 

[Sahmurai]

I have a yellow, blue, red and one earth. I will now put a normal (non dimmer) 3 gang switch here.

At the original switch end (where I have the dimmer), I have 2 sets of wires (plus the two way set mentioned above). One red to the switch (constant live) and the red from the other set in the common. Both the earth and black wires are joined together. I know I have to join the yellow to l1 (constant red) and red from 2 way wiring to the red in the common. I get stuck on the blue one as the notes I have read connect the blue one to the black wires and put in l2. This just blew my switches.

 

[breezer]

i am assuming the dimmer switch is working?

so at the non dimmer red into common blue into l1 yellow into l2

 

[Sahmurai]

No, I have red into common, yellow in l1 and blue in l2. Is this my problem?


So how should it be a dimmer end?

 

[breezer]

swapping blue and yellow (L1 and L2) make no difference

you need to wire the 2nd swicth the same as the first one (refering to the 3 core)

on the first switch you do have two wires is L1 and L2 dont you and only one in L1 (red, i believe)

 

[daviegarden]

First of all, it's obvious you know nothing about safe working. On no account should you be working with live circuits, one wrong move and you are dead. Do a drawing of what you've got at the switches and what you want to put in and send it into this site or take digital pictures of the stuff and post it on the site and I'll sort out your connections.

 

[securespark]

Mr Garden


Have a careful read of these posts. There is no suggestion that safe working practices are not being adhered to.

If you want to offer advice this is not the way to do it. You will just end up getting people's backs up.