changing a dimmer

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hi, I have recently purchased a house which has many electrical problems. One of which is a dimmer switch light which did wok but stopped recently so I decided to replace with a new normal one way switch. I remover the plate of the dimmer to find two red connected to the dimmer two blacks joined together and a yellow green wire (hanging). I replaced the two reds into a new one way switch one in the com and one in L1 should I of used the blacks. bye the way it still does not work.
 
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everthing should be put back as it was.

preumably the two blacks are in choc bloc?

(the two reds you did was fine)
 
What kind of other electrical problems? maybe the dimmer was fine, but something is wrong with the light fitting? Or have you been working on the lights elsewhere which disconnected power to this light?

What are these mysterious pair of blacks???
 
Damocles said:
What are these mysterious pair of blacks???

The neutral ;)

The earths 'hanging' doesn't sound good - they should be attached to the metal back box, or if it is plastic, to a terminal in the plastic box, or a second terminal block like the two neutrals.

Sound like you have a feed into the switch and then to the light.

Check for volts at the switch with a meter.
 
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Um yes I guess so. Bit of a dead end way to wire a lamp. But wouldn't want to jump to any conclusion in view of the 'many electrical problems'.

Might be we have the remains of something else or an explanation of why the light does not work.
 
Didn't mean to sound condescending :)

It is scary how many new houses seem to have problems recently!! (assuming he means NEW, and not new to him!)
 
And on reading the post again, i see no mention on the word new :oops:
 
I can be very defensive!

And you beat me to it with the new house bit. People answering have assumed the blacks are separate from the switch. Does sound that way. But sounds as though the switch has been put in right. And something isn't right. So there must be a mistake somewhere. Bulb gone?

No feedback yet on any of the suggestions.
 
Thanks for the replies,
The house was built in the 1930 ? so new to me.
The two blacks are in a block, and the BULB hasn't blown.
I replaced the light fitting just in case and then purchased a Non contact power detector to check and I have found out there is no power to the light, switch and to a nearby plug socket :?: .
Oh I better point out I am a female. With no previous houses only common sense and no money.
This house is a nightmare the family before me left a few major problems for me to sort out I am fine with most of the disasters but Lighting if one of my many setbacks.
It is in sort of metal casing(loose and broken) so I will ensure the earth is placed and covered in the correct place, but now I think I have another problem, could this be a live wire roaming around somewhere if so how am i going to find it without ripping the house to bits not that in the last few months i have thought if that. please help me :cry:
 
are you saying that this light goes to a socket and is plugged in? if not why mention the socket? also if not does the cable "go directly into the socket?"
 
In the socket there is only one set of wires but it is directly below the light socket and in the light socket there is two sets of wires as both were working in the summer and now both are not working as I said I am not a electrican but this house has many secrets and I have reason to believe they are links I know it should not be and no normal person would connect and socket with a light but what do you think ?
 
i think a picture would help, but it could also be a blown fuse.
posting picture information is in "forum information"
 
What size are the wires? I don't know how familiar you are with this stuff, but lighting should be 1 or 1.5mm^2 cable. Sockets most probably 2.5mm^2.

Sometimes people install a socket on the lighting circuit to run a table lamp. Usually they use a round pin one so there can be no mistake that it is not a normal socket.

Other times a light may be powered from the socket circuit. If so, a wall fitting with a plug type fuse is used to protect the smaller lighting wiring from the extra power available in a socket circuit. Such a fuse may also be used to protect a socket spurred off a ring main. Maybe there is a plate somewhere with a fuse in it which has blown?

what has a loose metal casing? the light switch? Do you mean set into the wall, or on the surface? metal boxes sunk into the wall are quite often loose if they have been badly into a plasterboard hollow wall. Which is not to excuse anything, just an observation.
 
thanks for your comments.
Sadly it isn't as easy as a blown fuse.

I have come to the conculsion I should of bought a different house.

I think this is a much deeper problem, I have found that there must be a break in a wire somewhere.

This is a part of the house which is a extension to the original house and the previous owners built it themselves. After a few painful hours today I have found that the plug and the light switch are connected (the same wire) so therefore the power supply which I now realise is in the roof of this extension which I can not gain access to is were the problem lies.
from the above I presume I had wired this switch correctly so once I find the dodgy wire I know it will work and thank you all for your help.
 

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