L1, L2 & (~) HELP!!

[JennyB]

The metal dimmer I have just bought has L1, L2 and (~). However, the current socket has Com and (~). I assume the (~) on each is the same, but do I put the remaining wire in L1 or L2? Thanks!

I have a black and a red wire. Plus the earth.

 

[plugwash]

earth to back box and then on to earth temrinal on accessory

you connect ot the ~ terminal and one of the other terminals it shouldn't matter which

 

[ryanj]

First, terminate the earth wire in the back of the mounting box and if the dimmer switch has a earth terminal, run a bare piece of wire sleeved with green & yellow sleeving from the back of the mounting box and the dimmer switch.

Secondly, push a red PVC sleeve over the black wire and attach it to the (~) terminal and finally attach the remaining wire to L1.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

you connect ot the ~ terminal and one of the other terminals it shouldn't matter which

That's almost certainly completely wrong.

I think it is far more likely that it's what is commonly, and misleadingly, known as a 2-way dimmer switch.

~ is for the live feed, L1 is the dimmed output, L2 is the undimmed output provided when the knob is turned round until it clicks to "off".

It doesn't matter, from the POV of safety, or making a difference to the way the dimmer works, which way round you connect the live and switched live cores in a 1-way application, but if you use ~ and L2 you'll have a rotary on-off switch, not a dimmer.....

but it was wrong..

 

[plugwash]

hmm i thought 2 way dimmers consisted of a non clicking dimmer connected inline with the common of a 2 way push switch (on pressing the knob)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well - I've only encountered the non-push type, but then with a push one, if you used COM or ~ and L2, you'd have a non-dimming push switch. You have to use L1 for the dimming function.

(Rotary type are better, as you're guaranteed a soft-start every time)

More wrongness

 

[securespark]

One way dimmers are rotary on/off/dim only

Two way dimmers are push on/off and rotary to dim.

So it does not matter whether you use L1 or L2 as the switched output because the on/off is a push action

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Ah - so the push action toggles COM (dimmed) between L1 and L2?

 

[plugwash]

afaict yes

 

[ban-all-sheds]

In that case apologies to you, and I'll go back and change what I wrote in case it misleads anybody who doesn't read this far.

And if I still have, and can find, the dimmer switches I used to have, which worked exactly as I described (now replaced cos they went all yellow), I will come back and re-instate what I wrote..

 

[securespark]

afaict yes

What does "afaict" mean??

 

[securespark]

Ban

Think I recall the dimmer to which you are referring:

Think they were Volex (I can hear booing coming from FWL's place), had a rotary dimming control on l/h/s and rocker on r/h/s of a single plate.

I believe the terminal layout gives you the option to have some lights running through the dimmer, and others an on/off function through the rocker.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No - they just had a knob, which did not also push in and out, and when turned to the "off" position (with respect to dimming), past the point when it clicked, it made a normal (non-dimmed) connection between COM and L2.

Ho hum...

 

[securespark]

That's a new one on me....who makes/made them?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

No idea