Double Dimmer Help Req

[GregStarz]

Hi guys,

Sorry for another post on this, I have looked through the other replies but i can't seem to find the answer I need.

Anyway.... I have recently changed all the light fitting's in my house from Gold to Chrome (wooo) but I am having major issues with the double dimmer that light a light in the lounge and the outside light (outside the front door)

I completed the straight swap, but I cant seem to get the outside light to dim or turn off, it's permantley on, the lounge light dims fine. I have attached some diagrams below, does anyone have any ideas it appears that I should have a cable in the L1 or L2 section which is why it isn't dimming but I don't know what

Thanks guys.

Untitled

• GregStarz
• 1 Jan 2010
• 1

 

[ColJack]

need another pic of the other side..

it looks from this angle that the 2 wires to the left hand dimmer go into the same hole..

 

[Spark123]

Difficult to tell - on the left hand dimmer looking at the pic are the two wires in the same terminal?
You should also have the circuit protective conductor (earth wire) attached to the earth terminal on the dimmer.

 

[GregStarz]

Here is another pic guys of the other side.

Im unsure on what the yellow cable is to be honest but I did a straight swap
Does this help anymore?

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• GregStarz
• 1 Jan 2010
• 1

 

[Johnmelad502]

Here is another pic guys of the other side.

Im unsure on what the yellow cable is to be honest but I did a straight swap
Does this help anymore?

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• GregStarz
• 1 Jan 2010
• 1

The yellow is the switched live and is in the wrong place as is the strap. Move the strap to the C on the second switch not L1

 

[ColJack]

what picture you looking at?

there is no C and the strap isn't in the L1..

anyway, yes the strap is in the wrong hole.. you need to work out what wire does what.. you've obviously messed up there somewhere..

one of the reds will be a feed, one will be a switch to one light, and the yellow will be a switch to the other..

as there is a yellow there, then there should also be a blue wire..
get us a photo of the back of the backbox if there are wires in there... in fact go wild, get us a few photo's from different angles so we can work out what goes where..

 

[Spark123]

On the bottom switch in your 2nd pic you have connected to two wires together in the same hole, one of them (the link wire from the other dimmer) should be in the common (squigly line with arrow through) and the other red should be in L1.
And don't forget to earth the face plate.

 

[GregStarz]

Here is another pic guys of the other side.

Im unsure on what the yellow cable is to be honest but I did a straight swap
Does this help anymore?

Untitled

• GregStarz
• 1 Jan 2010
• 1

The yellow is the switched live and is in the wrong place as is the strap. Move the strap to the C on the second switch not L1

What do you mean strap? When you say C do you mean the section that is showing the arrows?

 

[333rocky333]

L2 is the Feed cable and a strapper to the other L2

squiggle with the arrow through it is the variable output.
One switchline to each of these only.

The switch with yellow in is right.
Assuming thats the live in L2 with the other red.

The other dimmer just needs that short link moving over to L2 and leave the lone red in the squiggly arrow

 

[Johnmelad502]

L2 is the Feed cable and a strapper to the other L2

squiggle with the arrow through it is the variable output.
One switchline to each of these only.

The switch with yellow in is right.
Assuming the live is in L2 with the other.

The other dimmer just needs that short link moving over to L2 and leave the lone red in the squiggly arrow

That's what I meant.

 

[333rocky333]

. Move the strap to the C on the second switch not L1

For some reason, Get dimmers show to use L2 for live (unless Two way)
Not that it matters.
There one way switches do not even have an L1, just L2 and the squiggly line output.

 

[GregStarz]

Thanks for all your help guys, Spark (Paul) has been a massive help and after going through many different tests it appears that one of my switches (that doesn't dim) is broken!

 

[ColJack]

no.. it's not broken.. you have 2 wires in the same hole... it's not going to dim is it if they are in the same hole.. you might as well put them in a terminal block..

 

[Spark123]

Yep there was, but also one of the dimmer switches is broken i.e. he managed to get one side to work with the yellow switch live, but not the other with the red switch live.
Swopping the yellow/red switch lives over caused the other light only to work.

 

[ColJack]

he doesn't say that anywhere and he hasn't confirmed that he's split the 2 reds in the one hole so that one goes in L2 and one in the ~... so without confirmation or a picture to prove that he has I'm sticking with my story..