replacing existing switch with dimmer - confused about cabli

[nmit]

Hi.

I recently moved house and thought I would replace the light switch in one room with a dimmer switch. I have done this in a previous house and it was straightforward so didn't anticipate any problems.

However, when I opened the existing connection - I'm a little confused about the cabling and hoped someone could explain?

I was expecting to see one red wire (L1) and one black wire (L2) which I would just replace into my new dimmer switch.

Instead I see 2 red wires connected. The terminals are labelled "Top" and "1" and "2" and then at the bottom just "1" and "2"

One red cable is connected to "1" at the "Top" and the other red cable is connected to "1" at the bottom.

(There are black cables but these are not terminated on the existing switch. And there is a green/yellow earth at the back)

My confusion is - which red cable do I connect to which terminal on my new dimmer switch?

Can anyone help? (I thought it best not to do anything further until I'd checked with the experts!)

Thanks.

[securespark]

Are there just two wires connected to the switch?

If so, connect as advised in your dimmer's instructions.

__________________
As George Michael once said, "..if you're gonna do it, do it right, right?"

[nmit]

securespark wrote:

Are there just two wires connected to the switch? If so, connect as advised in your dimmer's instructions.

Yes, only 2 wires connected to the existing switch - both are coloured red, one connected to terminal marked "1" at the "Top" (nothing connected in terminal "2") and the other red wire connected to the terminal marked "1" at the bottom (nothing connected in the terminal marked "2")

The dimmer's instructions don't account for a set-up like that which is what is confusing me. It simply says connect the red to L1 and the black to L2.

So, with my set-up, how do I know which red wire goes where?

[RF Lighting]

It doesn't really matter, but probably "top 1" to the terminal marked with 'com' or a symbol of a squiggly line with an arrow through it on the dimmer

Bottom "1" to 'L1' on the dimmer.

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I downlights

[nmit]

Thanks very much, that seems to have worked a treat! (I was just a bit nervous about doing anything before I'd checked it out as the cables weren't as I had anticipated to start with!)