hi there,great forum, quick question, i`m changing a one way light switch for a metal dimmer switch, the light switch has to 2 wires, one red and one yellow but the dimmer switch has 3 possible routes, im nervous with electrics, any help would be appreciated.
light switch
- Thread starter odi945
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Although this is an easy job it sounds like you need to get in some outside help.
If the old one has one red and one yellow then where is the ground? It sounds like its been wired up incorrectly. I am not a sparkie but if I opened up a switch to find one earth and one live my first job would to call the spark in ASAP!
Unless I have miss read that.
The dimmer needs to be connected as follows:-
Red to the live L
Black to the neutral N
Yellow/Green to the earth E
If you're wiring is new then the black cable maybe blue and the red may be brown.
EDIT If you do have one red and one yellow connected it there DO NOT wire up your new metal socket the same way, you could end up getting a shock every time you touch it.
I repeat I am not a spark and I think you need to phone in for one but the sparks ion here should be able to advice further. So do take my advice with a pinch of salt BUT DO NOT do anything until the sparks have replied.
If the old one has one red and one yellow then where is the ground? It sounds like its been wired up incorrectly. I am not a sparkie but if I opened up a switch to find one earth and one live my first job would to call the spark in ASAP!
Unless I have miss read that.
The dimmer needs to be connected as follows:-
Red to the live L
Black to the neutral N
Yellow/Green to the earth E
If you're wiring is new then the black cable maybe blue and the red may be brown.
EDIT If you do have one red and one yellow connected it there DO NOT wire up your new metal socket the same way, you could end up getting a shock every time you touch it.
I repeat I am not a spark and I think you need to phone in for one but the sparks ion here should be able to advice further. So do take my advice with a pinch of salt BUT DO NOT do anything until the sparks have replied.
Don't follow the above advice, as this is not how dimmers work. There is no concept of live and neutral, per se, just live and switched live. The terminals will probably be labelled something along the lines of Common or C, and then L1 and L2.
If the labeling is as above then you can connect the two wires that used to go to the old switch to Common/C and L1. However, unless you also have an earth connection, you SHOULD NOT use a metal switch, as there is a very serious risk of electric shock.
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oops sorry about that 
ops , its a while since I last wired one. Having said that normal pole swithces don't have live or neutral do they as both are just live.
From what the OP says it sounds like only earth and live are connected and there is no neutral anywhere to be seen.
ops , its a while since I last wired one. Having said that normal pole swithces don't have live or neutral do they as both are just live.From what the OP says it sounds like only earth and live are connected and there is no neutral anywhere to be seen
.
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