Hi all..there is great content on this forum but I still can't figure out how to resolve my situation.
I have a 2 gang light switch, a standard on/off (not dimmer) with each switch operating it's own light in the living room. I have installed spot lights and wanted dimmers so bought a 2 gang dimmer and want to replace the 2 gang switch.
I removed the light switch and saw that it has the following terminals behind it:
L1(com) L3 L2
L3 L2 L1(com)
Out of the wall is 3 cables, each with 3 wires being 1 brown, 1 blue, 1 earth. The light switch above was wired as this:
L1(separate brown wire) L3(not used) L2(brown wire from 1 cable)
L3(not used) L2(brown wire from 1 cable) L1(brown wire from 1 cable and separate brown wire)
The separate brown wire is just a small strip of brown wire that connects the two L1(com) terminals together. Therefore, there are two brown wires in the bottom right L1(com) terminal, one from the cable and one strip that connects to the other L1(com) terminal.
Each of the blue wires from the 3 cables is inserted together in a terminal block. Note, it is inserted together in one slot in the terminal block. The same is with the 3 earth wires, all inserted together in one slot in the terminal block.
The dimmer is different, has 2 blocks at the back of the switch and each block has 3 terminals L1, L2, and curly line with arrow through it (I believe it is a switch terminal, but no idea!). The dimmer is also plastic and not metal, I don't think it needs earthing as there is no earthing terminal on the dimmer itself.
My question is therefore, how do I wire the new dimmer switch with the existing wiring??
I should mention that this is not my first time, I have installed a 1 gang dimmer in my room which replaced a standard 1 gang switch. But that was easy as there was only one cable in the wall with 1 Earth, 1 Live, and 1 Neutral!
I have tried to make this as detailed as possible so that we get the full picture in one go. I hope it is detailed enough but any questions please let me know.
All your help is much appreciated!!
I have a 2 gang light switch, a standard on/off (not dimmer) with each switch operating it's own light in the living room. I have installed spot lights and wanted dimmers so bought a 2 gang dimmer and want to replace the 2 gang switch.
I removed the light switch and saw that it has the following terminals behind it:
L1(com) L3 L2
L3 L2 L1(com)
Out of the wall is 3 cables, each with 3 wires being 1 brown, 1 blue, 1 earth. The light switch above was wired as this:
L1(separate brown wire) L3(not used) L2(brown wire from 1 cable)
L3(not used) L2(brown wire from 1 cable) L1(brown wire from 1 cable and separate brown wire)
The separate brown wire is just a small strip of brown wire that connects the two L1(com) terminals together. Therefore, there are two brown wires in the bottom right L1(com) terminal, one from the cable and one strip that connects to the other L1(com) terminal.
Each of the blue wires from the 3 cables is inserted together in a terminal block. Note, it is inserted together in one slot in the terminal block. The same is with the 3 earth wires, all inserted together in one slot in the terminal block.
The dimmer is different, has 2 blocks at the back of the switch and each block has 3 terminals L1, L2, and curly line with arrow through it (I believe it is a switch terminal, but no idea!). The dimmer is also plastic and not metal, I don't think it needs earthing as there is no earthing terminal on the dimmer itself.
My question is therefore, how do I wire the new dimmer switch with the existing wiring??
I should mention that this is not my first time, I have installed a 1 gang dimmer in my room which replaced a standard 1 gang switch. But that was easy as there was only one cable in the wall with 1 Earth, 1 Live, and 1 Neutral!
I have tried to make this as detailed as possible so that we get the full picture in one go. I hope it is detailed enough but any questions please let me know.
All your help is much appreciated!!
