i tried to fit a two way dimmer in my sons house, i was carefull to write down the colour of the wires, but when i fitted the switch the kitchen light works fine but the living room light switches both kitchen and living room lights on. There are two 3 core wires coming through coloured red, blue, yellow there is red to the live connection and the blue and yellow go into the two remaining connectors which are numbered one and two, i may have these mixed up, so much for trying to save him some money.
two way dimmer
- Thread starter wardys
- Start date
S
sparkyspike
Is the switch a two-way, two-gang? Is there another switch for the lounge and another for the kitchen?
Not careful enough, eh?
How are the old switch terminals labelled, and what are the new ones?
Yo.
The problem is though that 2-way dimmers don't use a 3-core strapper - or at least some don't...
I was thinking a 2 way dimmer switch and a normal switch at the other end, on 2nd thoughts, if the cables were taken out thinking all the 3 wires at the top were one switch and all the wires at the bottom were the other switch instead of in the triangle formation then put back into the new switch thinking there are now two completely separate switches then odd things will happen!
Is it a pair of dimmers you're talking about (master and slave) or just one 2-way dimmer with a 2-way switch at the other end?
Which room is the dimmer controlling, kitchen or living room?
Is the other room (without dimmer) a 2-way circuit too (2 x 2-way switches)?
Which room is the dimmer controlling, kitchen or living room?
Is the other room (without dimmer) a 2-way circuit too (2 x 2-way switches)?
S
sparkyspike
It's possible you have read the terminals wrong. Two way lightswitches have the terminals arranged in triangles. Dimmers are in a straight line. So you've probably got the two commons (live connection as you call it) crossed over. This would give you the symptoms you have. Look at the old switch, this time reading the three terminals as top left, bottom left, bottom left middle for one switch, and the other three for the other switch.
Just one possibiity...
Just one possibiity...
Yes there is a seperate switch in the living room and kitchen, the old switch i think had com one and com two and the new switch as L1 L2 and a connection i assume is the live, i took the wires out of the old switch keeping 3 wires red blue yellow at the top and the bottom three red blue yellow at the bottom, thanks Paul.
S
sparkyspike
The COM connection is not always permanent live. I bet you've got the two COM wires the wrong way round. Check your new dimmer - the three wires in one dimmer should all go into the same sheath. Likewise for the other dimmer next to it - all three cores going into one sheath.
wardys - will your son be happy with the fact that he'll be able to turn the light on and off from two locations but only dim it from one? i.e. if he turns it on with the switch and it's not at the brightness he wants he'll have to walk over to the dimmer anyway....
What was the resolution?
There was two lots of wire red blue yellow earth one of the wires from one of the 3 core were crossed over, so i had red blue yellow on one switch the same on the other but the blue wire was crossed over. A friend of mine works with a electrician and he told me to uncross the wires and have the same three wires of one core to one side of the switch and the same on the other switch and job done, but thanks for all your efforts. Paul.
S
sparkyspike
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