Having nightmare with twin switch for spot lights

Hi guys, I decided to fit a dimmer in place of a switch plate, here is the setup:


Bedroom has 12 spots, split into 6 onto each switch, so a double switch. There are two three core cables, Red, Black with Red sleeve and Earth.

I removed the red/black from the COM and the red from L1 on both sides, I reconnected to the dimmer and pop, the RCB goes.

I refit the old switch, pop it still goes.

I have fitted the Red to the COM and Black/Red to L1 on both sides, I can get one switch to work one row, the other switch blows the RCB again.

Any ideas? Obv I'm doing something wrong but bit frustrated as I am simply trying to get back to where I started.

Thanks all (go easy!)

Jim

 

Have you somehow grazed the insulation on the wire, so its touching the metal box.

 

Hi, its a dry lining box, I can't see any damage at all. Its all done up tight. As a sanity check, should it be Switch (red/black) to L1 or COM and is that the same on both sides?

 

All fixed, c**ked up the connections, after a pizza and cold drink, went back and spotted straight away, all sorted.

 

Come on ,own up what did you do wrong !!

 

Ok, so on the back of the old one, the L1, L2, COM are grouped above each other, on the dimmer they are a different way round, I must of cross them over to L1 and COM from the other pairs lol. Anyway, its all sorted now, rushing it after work, should have waited till weekend.... At least I fitted all 12 LEDS now, just need sunglasses till I can get the dimmer on.

 

Are the Leds and the Dimmer compatible

 

Yes they do work!

 

In that case you've got too many and wasted money.

 

Really? So what i just leave the fittings with no bulbs in or maybe mix leds with normal bulbs. Duh!

 

Could do I suppose.

That would not solve the problem, normal bulds are just as bright and consume much more energy.

 

I am going to refit the dimmer this weekend, just to check, I take the cable from COM and L1 and replicate this to the dimmer?

 

Doesn't matter how you connected the conductors - they are all live/switched live, no neutrals, so whilst you could easily connect them in ways which didn't work, I can't see how you could have created a fault which would trip a breaker.

BTW - ignore any pointless prat who pops up complaining about live/neutral terminology.

 

Ta for that, the fault I managed to create myself was the fact there are two feeds for each 6 lights. Both using same coloured cables, Red, Black/Red and Earth. So I managed to to mix the L1 with a Com from the other feed. I only noticed when I pulled the two lots of three core out further and spotted it.

Anyways, they are working now, pretty sure the switched feed is in COM and the Live in L1.

 

Ah - sorry. Somewhat ironically give my warning about terminology complaints I was using "fault" in the sense of abnormal currents, not "mistake".

Are the two sets of lights on different circuits and different RCDs or RCBOs?