Dimmer Switch Wiring

[Rowan88]

Hi,

In my living room we have a twin dimmer switch (pop in for on/off and turn to dull/brighten). Each dial works two lights for a total of 4 in the room.

Two of them on the same dial stopped working today and we tried replacing the bulbs to no effect.

This is a picture of how it has been wired up.

http://i39.tinypic.com/kf3vb5.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/npgryu.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/20jr7v4.jpg

Two Earth wires are connected to the metal casing inside the socket.
One brown wire is connecting into the arrow icon in one side, and another brown wire goes from that same port to the arrow icon on the other side.
The other brown wire from the loft has been cut and just stuck inside the socket.
One blue wire is connecting to L2 on one side and the other is in L2 on the other side.

Is there anyway I can connect the two bulbs that aren't working to the same switch as the ones that do work so I can tell if its the dial that is broken (before I start checking transformers in the loft).

Thanks and all help is greatly appreciated,

 

[riveralt]

Pick the dimmer that is working and put the single brown into the C ≠ (I cannot find the symbol) and the two blues into the L1 on the same dimmer.
Remove the link brown.
Your blues are your switch live so should have a brown sleeve on them.

 

[Rowan88]

The three icons are L1, L2 and two arrows crossed over in a waving motion.

So you are saying I should have one brown wire going into the wavy arrows on the working side of the dimmer and have both blue wires going into L1?

Also why L1 if both are using L2 just now, is there a difference?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://i39.tinypic.com/kf3vb5.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/npgryu.jpg
http://i40.tinypic.com/20jr7v4.jpg[/QUOTE]
They even give you what you need to use if you can't cope with adding your own IMG /IMG tags...

 

[riveralt]

The three icons are L1, L2 and two arrows crossed over in a waving motion.

So you are saying I should have one brown wire going into the wavy arrows on the working side of the dimmer and have both blue wires going into L1?

Also why L1 if both are using L2 just now, is there a difference?

Yes - that will work. Use L2 is keep you happy.

Question is where is the other brown wire (not the link wire) going/connected to - cannot make it out on the photo?

 

[Rowan88]

In photo #2 it is sitting just inside the socket cover with the end snipped off.

Is there a difference between L1 and L2? Just because they're in L2 just now but you say L1?

Its just sitting in there not connected to anything.

 

[riveralt]

Use L1 or L2 for both blues whichever one pleases you.

 

[Rowan88]

Ok thanks will try now.

Bit of a stupid question but I only need to turn of the breaker for the light switches... i dont have to turn off sockets etc... just aslong as the lights go off im good to go?

 

[Rowan88]

Worked!

Thanks so much for the guidance guys.... It is normal for the dimmer to make a humming/buzzing sound yeah?! lol :S

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Buzzing?

As Tom Jones said, it's not unusual...

What's the total wattage of the 4 lights?

 

[Rowan88]

How can I find that out?

I have 40w in each just now.... so im assuming 4 x 40w = 160w and the light socket says MAX 250W so im safe?

 

[securespark]

Rowan is such a great name...






















My youngest son is called Rowan...

 

[333rocky333]

Also why L1 if both are using L2 just now, is there a difference?

The dimmers can also be used for two way so have L1 and L2 and both would be used , but in your case its one way so only one, either L1 or L2 is used.

If it had been a normal switch then it would make a difference the on/ off positions of the switch would be reversed.

Therefore as you have a push on/off it wouldnt notice

 

[333rocky333]

≠ (I cannot find the symbol)

Just wondering what does that symbol mean

 

[JohnW2]

≠ (I cannot find the symbol)

Just wondering what does that symbol mean

Do you mean the symbol on the dimmer (a "~" with a diagonal arrow across it)? If so, although I haven't seen it for years, I presume it means "variable AC voltage" - with a circle around it, it certainly used to be used as the symbol for a "variable AC voltage source".

The "~" is, of course, the standard symbol for AC. The diagonal arrow is the standard symbol convention (as seen with symbols for resistors, capacitors, inductors, batteries etc.) for converting a 'fixed' item to a 'variable' one.

I'm a lot less sure of what the thinking is in using this symbol on this dimmer - the implication almost seems to be that the L1/L2 are meant as the 'supply input' and that this third one (which would normally be called 'Com') is meant as the 'variable output' - but that would imply a 'polarisation' which I don't believe exists!

Kind Regards, John