Dimmer Help PLS

[Nick1420]

Hi

Have read the other topics but none had my problem. I wish to replace a one way wall light switch with a one way dimmer. What can be easier you say but my regular wall switch has 3 wires; red (live), brown (neutral) and earth (yellow/green - connected to the wall box) while the instructions with the new dimmer refers only to 2 live wires; a 'switched live' and a 'live'.

Inside the dimmer there are 3 terminals marked L1, L2, and the last is a switch symbol (a wavey line with an arrow through it). According to a pic in the instructions this last terminal is the 'switched live' terminal while 'live' wire is connected to L1. No neutral terminal at all. How is the dimmer supposed to be wired given the wires I've got?

All help much appreciated.

 

[Steve]

There isn't a neutral at the switch. You have live and switched live. No neutral. Neutral is NEVER switched with lights, and think for a minute about why there would be live and neutral to a simple single pole switch . . . . Think back to circuits at school. It wouldn't work.

Probably THE most common misunderstanding made by DIYers.

Connect the blue as switched live. Brown as live. The blue should have had a brown sleeve or tape on it.

EDIT: strange combination of wire colours. Is it wired in a conduit? Still probably safe to assume the above. red is live.