Changing dimmer switch to non dimmable.

[Brian C.]

Hi All,
I am hoping to be able to change a brass 2 gang 1 way dimmer switch with an ordinary 2 gang plastic switch (non dimmable)

The switch controls 2 ceiling lights in the same room.

I have a new 2 way 2 gang switch. Can I use this 1 way? If so how do I wire it?

The old one is wired as follows:

Brown & red connected to a symbol showing an arrow pointing up at 45 degrees with a line going through it.

L1 blue with red band

L2 yellow with red band.

C Brown bridged to the above symbol.

Pictures enclosed, hopefully.

 

[Brian C.]

Sorry no pictures showing, they can be viewed by clicking my user name.

 

[mikeyd]

Put the red in one of the L1 terminals, and the brown links from there to the other L1. Put the blue in one L2 terminal and the yellow into the other L2 terminal and try it. if you then find either switch is working 'upside down' move the wire from L2 to L3.

 

[sparkwright]

Put the red to one of the L1 terminals.

Put the brown link between the two L1 terminals.

Put the blue in one of the L2 terminals.

Put the yellow in the remaining L2 terminal.

Leave the L3 terminals empty.

Make sure if, for example, the yellow wire currently goes to the lefthand switch, make sure it's on the left for the new switch. Same goes with the blue.

I mention this to avoid the switches being reversed, you don't want to turn a switch on, and the other light comes on instead.

If you see what I mean.

 

[Brian C.]

Thank you sparkwright & mikeyd for your replies.

Best wait to tomorrow before I try it so I can see what I am doing.

Brian.

 

[SimonH2]

When posting, underneath the text is a link "Show My Images", click on that and you'll see your album(s) from where you can click an image which adds the link to your posting. Apart form that, above every image in your album are two links - just copy the "DIYnot BBCode" link into your post and the image will appear.

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• Brian C.
• 6 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• Brian C.
• 6 Dec 2013
• 1

Untitled

• Brian C.
• 6 Dec 2013
• 1

Looking at that last one, I find myself wondering what the f**k Crabtree were thinking when they designed that switch. Why on earth have they confusingly departed from industry standard switch markings that have been used by pretty well every manufacturers (including themselves) for donkeys years. On every other switch I've ever worked with, their terminals marked L1, L2 and L3 would be marked* C, L1, and L2. Before I saw that photo, I was going to say that you treat the twiddly line with arrow through it as C and just move the wires to like marked terminals - but that would have assumed the "standard" switch markings.

How is anyone supposed to cope when manufacturers do crazy stuff like this.

* Making assumptions that the terminal layout is as per other switches !

 

[Brian C.]

Hi All,

Thanks again for all the replies, just to say that the new switch is up & running.

Nothing to it, once you know what your doing.


Brian.