Dimmer Nightmare

[Aeis]

Being a simple soul I thought replacing the the current 2 gang rocker switch with a 2 gang dimmer should be simple..... Doh......

I currently have a 2 gang 2 switch set up with a slight twist.

First set of switches control ceiling and wall lights. Second set controls the wall lights and the lights in the kitchen....... So the system isn't quite 2 gang 2 switching more like 1 and half.

I want to replace the switches that control the ceiling and wall lights only with a dimmer and have procured a dimmer switch with push on/off switch and rotation.

Wiring has me stumped as I assumed that it would be a simple case of replacing the facia plates in same wiring configuration as the rocker but when I do this nothing happens

Current wiring set up is top gang: Red wire into C and Red wire to L1 nothing in L2.

Bottom gang: 2 red wires in to C, Yellow Wire into L1 Blue wire in to L2.

There are also 3 black wires that are separately terminal blocked together away from the switch.

Am I missing something with the configuration? The instructions are pretty much useless.

regards

Adam.

 

[Spark123]

If I have this correct your wall lights are 2 way? Your kitchen light is fine?
How many wires and what colours are there in the ceiling/wall switch? What isn't working? The gangs are not normally wired top and bottom, they are usually left and right.
Can you post a photo of the wiring in the back of both of the switches? //www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=99672

 

[Aeis]

Yeah the wall lights are two way and when the dimmer facia is on the kitchen light s are fine but neither the ceiling or wall lights work.

The Wiring is upper bank Common has 2 red wires with Yellow L1 and Blue L2. Lower bank has red wire in Common and red wire in L1.

There are also 3 black wires which are terminal blocked together.

I'll work on pictures.

Thanks

 

[Taylortwocities]

Have a good look at the back of both switches.

They may look like they are in rows but they are usually in two sets one next to the other

like
a V and an upside down V



I love Sundays, there's always at least one of these!

 

[Space cat]

A double switch does not have top and bottom gangs. The switches are side by side.

First switch:

The C at the top with the red wire in it goes with L1 and L2 at the bottom with the yellow and blue wires. You should find that those three wires all belong to the same cable. The switch is part of a two-way switching circuit so it's for the wall lights. Am I right?

Second switch:

The C at the bottom with two red wires goes with the L1 at the top with one red wire. This one works on its own so its for the ceiling light(s). Correct? That separate block is full of neutrals. Follow them back and you'll find that each one belongs to a two core cable whose red core is somewhere in that second switch. Correct? What I can't tell you is which end of that switch feeds the light: C or L1.

The two switches are completely independent - they might even be on different supplies - so you have to keep them that way. The second switch can be replaced by any dimmer. The first one can only be replaced by a dimmer that incorporates a two way switch. You will need a dimmer with at least three terminals: L1, L2 and common dim. There might be four: L1, L2, COM and a separate dim. What have you got?

 

[Spark123]

Yeah the wall lights are two way and when the dimmer facia is on the kitchen light s are fine but neither the ceiling or wall lights work.

The Wiring is upper bank Common has 2 red wires with Yellow L1 and Blue L2. Lower bank has red wire in Common and red wire in L1.

There are also 3 black wires which are terminal blocked together.

I'll work on pictures.

Thanks

The 3 black wires sound like the neutrals and are fine as they are. I take it you have 3 twin and earth cables (red and black)? Also I take it you have a 3 core and earth cable (red, yellow, blue)? If you pop the other switch off and have a look in, can you tell us how the 3 core and earth is connected at that end? Photos would be better