Dimmer switch wiring on end of loop

[MrKing79]

Hi,

I am having a real problem with wiring a dimmer switch, I know from reading around and looking at other dimmers I have in the house that two wires go to the wavy line and one to L1 but I have tried all combinations (all three wires are red) and have no luck. This switch is the last one on the loop, does this makke a difference? Getting really frustrated now! Please help if you can.

Also should mention I changed the light fitting as well, there were only two wires and two terminals and I have just put one to each. One combination of wiring in the switch does make the light come on but cannot turn it off or dim it!?

Thanks

 

[bongos]

Is this dimmer on a two-way circuit? Three red cables at the switch may suggest it is (or was).

Also should mention I changed the light fitting as well, there were only two wires and two terminals and I have just put one to each. One combination of wiring in the switch does make the light come on but cannot turn it off or dim it!?

This description is a little confusing. How were the wires connected in the old switch? It sounds like you have a live, switched live and a third possibly redundant core. Is there an earth present at the light switch or the new fitting?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Use your multimeter to identify which one is the permanent live.

But...

I have tried all combinations (all three wires are red) and have no luck.

There are only 3 combinations.

One will work fine.

One will work fine but another light somewhere may be dimmed.

One will leave your light on all the time, and another light somewhere may be dimmed.

 

[MrKing79]

I think I need to make it a bit clearer, not electrically minded so may of confused things. The switch has an earth wire attached to the case. One combination of wires, two in wavy line and one in L1 means light on all the time and lights in kitchen and living room flash like a strobe light? All other ways of pairing up two and leaving one on its own mean light doesnt work?! Does this help?

Thank you for replying

 

[electronicsuk]

I think I need to make it a bit clearer, not electrically minded so may of confused things. The switch has an earth wire attached to the case. One combination of wires, two in wavy line and one in L1 means light on all the time and lights in kitchen and living room flash like a strobe light? All other ways of pairing up two and leaving one on its own mean light doesnt work?! Does this help?

Thank you for replying

Either that simply can't be true or the dimmer is b*ggered. In the configuration you describe above, the the two wires in the terminal with the ~ mark are live and switched live, and the one in L1 is probably a feed to your kitchen and living room lights.

It's also very likely that the lighting in this room is NOT on the end of the loop, but most of the connections have been made in a junction box somewhere that you can't see.

If you can identify which of the two cables in the ~ terminal is the permanent live feed, all you will need to do is leave it there and then swap round the wire currently in L1 with the remaining red wire in ~ (which will be switched live). If it works, you didn't try every combination. If it doesn't, the dimmer is probably knackered.

 

[ColJack]

stupid question, you did turn the dimmer on?
some are twist on, others are push on..

if you're close I can pop round to sort it for a tenner..
stourbridge.

 

[RF Lighting]

Are you using normal filament lamps?

 

[MrKing79]

stupid question, you did turn the dimmer on?
some are twist on, others are push on..

if you're close I can pop round to sort it for a tenner..
stourbridge.

Yeah I have but thank you

 

[MrKing79]

I think I need to make it a bit clearer, not electrically minded so may of confused things. The switch has an earth wire attached to the case. One combination of wires, two in wavy line and one in L1 means light on all the time and lights in kitchen and living room flash like a strobe light? All other ways of pairing up two and leaving one on its own mean light doesnt work?! Does this help?

Thank you for replying

Either that simply can't be true or the dimmer is b*ggered. In the configuration you describe above, the the two wires in the terminal with the ~ mark are live and switched live, and the one in L1 is probably a feed to your kitchen and living room lights.



It's also very likely that the lighting in this room is NOT on the end of the loop, but most of the connections have been made in a junction box somewhere that you can't see.

If you can identify which of the two cables in the ~ terminal is the permanent live feed, all you will need to do is leave it there and then swap round the wire currently in L1 with the remaining red wire in ~ (which will be switched live). If it works, you didn't try every combination. If it doesn't, the dimmer is probably knackered.

Hi, this is true, but if I do as you suggest then none of the lights come on! I know the wiring may seem to be a bit of a puzzle, its a 60s council building and electrics have caused us problems before.

 

[MrKing79]

Are you using normal filament lamps?

Yeah normal filament lamps. I think I will need a sparky for this one, I dont understand the original switch had a wavy line and L1 combined which had two wires in and an L2 with a single wire!

 

[MrKing79]

I know this going to probably sound really dumb but I dont have a multimeter but do have a screwdriver with a light in. If i touch this on the wires will it show me which one is live without frying me?

 

[ColJack]

NOOOOOOO!!!.. these things are good for one thing only, stiring the tea..

go out and spend a tenner on a multimeter if you're going to be messing with sockets and things..

 

[securespark]

Are you using normal filament lamps?

Yeah normal filament lamps. I think I will need a sparky for this one, I dont understand the original switch had a wavy line and L1 combined which had two wires in and an L2 with a single wire!

And normal filament lamps in the lights that "flashed like a strobe"? Or were they fluorescents?

You do need to identify the live feed. Buy a multimeter and check the voltage between the reds & the earth conductor. What are they?

Further thoughts:

One combination of wires, two in wavy line and one in L1 means light on all the time and lights in kitchen and living room flash like a strobe light?

That means you have the live feed and the switchwire to the light in that room in the same terminal (hence they are on all the time) and the feed out to the lounge & kitchen lights is on the dimmer output terminal. To make the lights flash suggests the dimmer is not compatible with the lamps in either or both the kitchen & lounge.

The dimmer may now be toasted. Replace it with a plateswitch. Once you have it working correctly with a plateswitch, you can then swap the switch. If it does not work with the dimmer, then you need to replace it.

 

[MrKing79]

And normal filament lamps in the lights that "flashed like a strobe"? Or were they fluorescents?


They were energy saving bulkbs if that makes a difference?

 

[securespark]

ARRRRGGHHHHH!!!

Normal energy saving lamps are not controllable by a standard dimmer, hence the reaction when you switched the dimmer on.

As I said, the dimmer may now be goosed.

What you need to work out is which wire the lounge/kitchen feed is. This goes in the wavy line terminal along with the live feed. That leaves the switchwire to the light in that room going to L1.