HELP !! Mad dimmer switch.

[Bash`er]

Thanks for your help breezer.

On second inspection, there is an earth, but it is attached to the wall inside. Not directly to the brass plate. Is this correct?

Regards,

Bash`er

 

[breezer]

yes, but is there a terminal on the brass plate itself?

 

[johna1]

I too purchased a homebase double dimmer switch with crap instructions and now I am in all sorts of trouble.

The existing two way switch did operate two wall lights and two ceiling lights.

The wiring into the box is as follows: -

black in connected via a block to a blue and back out
earth secured by a screw to the casing
three reds in one of them covered in a yellow sleeve.

I have tried various permetations none of which are 100% effective.

PS the house is a new Bryant Home

Any suggestions?

 

[il78]

You need to find out which conductor is your permanent live (buy a tester / volt pen etc)

I can only presume that the 3 wires are :2xswitch wires /1x permanent live.

Switch wires (one to your wall lights other one to your ceiling light not live until switched)

The black & blue conductors, leave in the connector block (do not connect into dimmer)

Once you have found your permanent live it needs to be "bridged" over (ie, on your dimmer it should read C/L1/L2 or similar x2 / 2gang switch)

So connect permanent live to C, then a short piece of cable to other C, then 2 switch wires left over......connect one in to L1 and same on other side.

Its easier to do than write down..........

 

[breezer]

you can actually do it without buying a "tester"

Below only concerns the reds, leave the others as they are
all bare ends should befitted with a choc bloc while testing NO EXCEPTIONS

try any two in C & L1 (one in each)
change one with one that you didn't use first time

do this untill you find which combination does NOTHING at all

the wire you have left is the live feed (mark this as live feed.)

Put the live feed into a C teminal (you now know which one it is)


put each other wire into L1 (one in each L1)

Now connect a new piece of 1mm twin and earth (the one that fell out when you took the wires from the old switch is fine) from the common with no wire to the common with a wire

all should now be working

just out of interest is the live feed the one with the yellow?

(also for next time make a note of my signature)

 

[Async]

I bought the same dimmers (plastic) My problem is that they flicker when turned on full, is there any way of getting rid of this??? I have one either side of the bed 1 gang 2 way, and a 2way 2 gang as main controller.

 

[breezer]

what happens if you change the lamp for say a 40 watt one. only a suggestion, as it would seem these dimmers are a pain in the wherever

 

[Async]

I was thinking it might be the bulbs! I am not at home at the moment,so I cant check them. So would the bulbs be a good idea???

 

[breezer]

to be honest i havent a clue, you see a lot of things on this forum about these "master / slave " dimmer switches and they all have problems, but i am thinkig that perhaps the load is too much for the dimmers to cope with.

Has it always done this, or started recently if recently what has changed?

also try it with one lamp and see what happens

 

[Extrasolar]

If you have 2 reds then it will not matter much . The reason your cable has two reds is the electcian who installed it used the correct cable.

The regs changed, previously a cable with red and black (with red sleaving / tape over the black) could be used now you should use twin red, as the electrcian did

I'm not a qualified electrician.

I am gradually re-wiring the house (from old RUBBER cable ). I have so far re-wired the upstairs lighting (about 6 months ago). I used red and black cable for the switch with red tape around the black. Should I replace this with twin red and should I use twin red when re-wiring the downstairs lighting?

 

[harryadani]

is there not a small terminal on the back of the switch itself (physically attached to the brass, nothing to do with the switch/) if so after you turn the mains off connect a 1mm wire between this and the metal back box that the switch fits into. there should also be another earth wire at this point which is the incoming earth.

The earth wire should be covered in green sleaving

Breezer i completley understand you on the l1 l2 and common instructions but not on the earth, i have a metal dimmer switch so do i have to connect the earth to it some how, i no where to connect the earth but the earth wire is currenlty running from the back box up into the wall above the switch. Do i need to put an extra earth wire in from the back box or switch it from the back box to the metal switch?
cheers

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Do i need to put an extra earth wire in from the back box or switch it from the back box to the metal switch?
cheers

1) Both - the cpc in the circuit cable should go to the earth terminal on the switch AND then you should run a flylead from there to the back box.

2) Expect to get a slap from the Moderators for replying to a 5-year old thread...

 

[twyfordliam]

If that was me i would firstly turn off at mains MCB then remove the cover and see what you have got. You should if u are in the uk should have a red and black wire and a CPC wire (earth) black should go to L1 this wire should be marked with brown or red insulation tape to identify it as a line cable! This is if you have a 1 way switch. The red cable should go to COMMON or L2! And the CPC wire to back box ect. The same applies for a dimmer switch. But if you are installing a 2 way switch there are three line wires instead do the same for this type of dimmer same goes for intermidiate switches. Since 2006 the new harmonisation of wire has taken place accourding to the old BS regulations this means more things get a bit complicated (but i understand it and i am only 16 doing a electrical installation course) the fuse ratings and coulours are as follows:

Red = Brown (line)
Black = Blue (Neutral)

SWITCHES

Red = Brown (L1)
Yellow = Black (L2) OR (COMMON)
Blue = Grey (L3) (IF L2 SAYS COMMON THIS IS L2)

Yellow/green = yellow/green (earth)

Fuse sizes:

Lighing circuits = 6 AMP MCB (IF A REWIRABLE FUSE 5 AMP)

Ring radial circuit = 32 AMP MCB (IF REWIRABLE FUSE 30 AMP)

Shower units/garage extensions = 46 AMP MCB (IF REWIRABLE FUSE 45 AMP)

 

[Taylortwocities]

If it was me I would not waste my time replying to a topic that was STARTED IN 2003 and was last responded to nearly two years ago!

Here, have a spanking

 

[1john]

i also wouldnt you poor and incorrect terminology which could confuse people (maybe in another 7 years)