Mains light switch to dimmer

starwarsclark · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 3:28 pm Post Subject: Mains light switch to dimmer

Hi I hope someone can help me out please. I have had a conservatory built and the electrician has fitted a double light switch that I wish to replace with a single dimmer switch. Now the wiring appears to be connected to the mains not the lighting circuit and when I took off the original double switch I stupidly did not note where the cables connected. The cables I have are: 1 x brown that comes up the wall, 1 x blue that comes up the wall and then 1 x brown that goes to the light, 1 x blue that goes to the light and 1 x grey that has a brown sleeve on it. My dimmer switch only has 1 x live (funny looking symbol) and 1 x L2 on it. Can someone please help me out and advise me as to what gets connected where. Thanks Andy.

Lectrician · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 4:19 pm Post Subject:

What does the light switch? Two seperate things?

Is there a three core and earth going upto the light, or two seperate cables?

starwarsclark · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 4:24 pm Post Subject:

Lectrician wrote:

What does the light switch? Two seperate things?

Is there a three core and earth going upto the light, or two seperate cables?

Thanks for the reply. The light switch is a 2 way individual switch as I could have chosen to have a ceiling mounted fan and light and then turned them on and off individually - I hope that makes sense. Going up to the light itself is 1 x blue, 1 x grey (with brown sleeve) and 1 x brown. There is also earth up there as well. I have, or had connected a new light to the fitting and it was all working fine it just went wrong when it came to actually fitting a dimmer style switch to replace the 2 individual switch that was there. When the 2 individual switch was orginally fitted I could turn the light on or off with either of the switches if needed. Does that all make sense? I hope so as I have a dinner party tonight and would love to finish the light off before people turn up!

Lectrician · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 4:38 pm Post Subject:

Blues in a terminal block on their own (suspect one blue is actually a black with blue sleeve?)

Brown from below to COM, or the wiggle line.

The other two from the light (brown and sleeved grey) to the L1 terminal.

The brown and sleeved grey must be in the same terminal at the light, so need to be in the same terminal at the switch - a little odd, but fine to do.

starwarsclark · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:03 pm Post Subject:

Lectrician wrote:

Blues in a terminal block on their own (suspect one blue is actually a black with blue sleeve?)

Brown from below to COM, or the wiggle line.

The other two from the light (brown and sleeved grey) to the L1 terminal.

The brown and sleeved grey must be in the same terminal at the light, so need to be in the same terminal at the switch - a little odd, but fine to do.

Thank you - now tried the above but no joy still.
To confirm:
I have the brown from below is connected to COM or wiggle line.
I have joined the 2 blues togwther with a terminal block (1 from below is blue the one that goes to the light pendant is actually a black with a blue sleeve.)
I have connected the brown and grey that come from the light together in L2 on the dimmer switch as there is no L1 on the dimmer switch I have ( it only has the wiggle line and L2)
Finally I have connected the blue cable to one side of the pendant and then joined the brown and grey together in the other side of the pendant.

Still no joy though.

What am I doing wrong?

ColJack · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:18 pm Post Subject:

nothing, that should work.. turned the breaker back on?
is the dimmer the right sort for the light?
what type of light is it?

what's your location? if i hadn't already had a bottle of wine i could come round if you're near me...

Spark123 · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:24 pm Post Subject:

Just to check, did you connect, at any time, the blue wires to the dimmer switch? The wiring given by lectrician should have worked, unless you have blown the dimmer.

ColJack · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:26 pm Post Subject:

unless the dimmer needs a neutral.. some types do...

Spark123 · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:27 pm Post Subject:

Only has 2 connections

starwarsclark · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:37 pm Post Subject:

Sorry I have to turn the PC off to try the very kind suggestions all of the you are giving me. Still no joy though.
I will give up on the dimmer for the moment and go and use a normal 1 switch so could someone please confirm for me how to wire a normal 1 switch switch based upon the wires I have.

Thanks again for everyones help.

Spark123 · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:46 pm Post Subject:

Same way as above.

Lectrician wrote:

Blues in a terminal block on their own (suspect one blue is actually a black with blue sleeve?)

Brown from below to COM, or the wiggle line.

The other two from the light (brown and sleeved grey) to the L1 terminal.

The brown and sleeved grey must be in the same terminal at the light, so need to be in the same terminal at the switch - a little odd, but fine to do.

ColJack · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:47 pm Post Subject:

same as the dimmer..

blues in a block.
brown from below to COM or ~
brown and grey from light into L1...

starwarsclark · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 5:57 pm Post Subject:

You lot have been great but still no joy at my end. I am going to have to give up now as guests are due here in about 10 minutes and I haven't even changed yet! Will get back onto it tomorrow or just wait til Tuesday and ask the electrician that did the original wiring. Really frustrating this as it should not be hard. Thanks again you lot. Have a great weekend.

Lectrician · Posted: Sat May 05, 2007 6:42 pm Post Subject:

Squished a wire and blown a fuse?

Is there a fuse spur somewhere near to a socker? Can be common to find this in a conservatory extension (eaier to wire). This sounds likely as the cable comes from below, and you mention it isn't fed from the lighting circuit, but 'the mains'.

starwarsclark · Posted: Sun May 06, 2007 12:33 pm Post Subject:

Hooray sorted it out!
Turns out that there was a fuse further down the line, behind some furniture, so replaced that and got the original switch working. Connected the dimmer switch and nothing, so the dimmer switch was faulty as well. Bought a new one and away we go.

As I said yesterday you lot have been brilliant and saved me contacting the electrician, so thank you so much.

Cheers, Andy.