More new light switch questions

[damurphster]

Following the stering advice yesterday (pointing out I had bought the wrong lightswitch) today i'm looking at the other switches.

This room has 3 lights, one I'm not going to use and will just cap off wires.

One is the main light and will have a dimmer by the door and an on/off on the other side of the room.

The last will just have one on/off (with the above one).

Again my problem is that the old switches wiring does not seem to match the new wiring, plus there seems to be something complicated about my dimmer......

My dimmer....

The connectors say 'L', 'Sw' and an 'wiggly arrow with a line going through it'. The instructions are obvious for one way connection but for two way I cannot get my head round the diagram.

Diagram....

http://www.getplc.com/Folders/connect\electronic & infrared dimmers.pdf

Current Switch (I have already capped off one of the previous two way switches)

So I am replacing this 3-dimmer bank with a double toggle switch (not yet bought)

And the rear of the current dimmer is also confusing (top one is going to be the other switch for the dimming light, middle a normal on/off, bottom capped off)....

There are two wires going into the L1 and L2.....

Help appreciated!!

 

[ColJack]

For 2 Way or Multi-Way installations, separate
momentary action “retractive” press switches are
required. ALL existing 2 way or intermediate
switches MUST be replaced.

so your nice new 2 way switch is again the wrong kind..
this time you need "retractive" switches.. or a momentary pushbutton..

and your dimmer needs to go at the end with the black and red wire .. ie the end that currently has 3 dimmers on it..

 

[damurphster]

That does not fill me with hope.

So the dimmer is OK??

But I need to replace the toggle switch with a 'retractive' switch.

From having a quick Google it seems I'm best ringing getplc and hoping they have a retractive switch to match my dimmer....fingers crossed.

Trying not to be annoyed at the specialist electrical shop that sold me all of these......

Thanks again.

 

[333rocky333]

Is there an Earth to that one.

 

[ColJack]

are you blind man?
it's quite clearly in the back of the box.. at the top right of it.. can't you see it?

 

[damurphster]

The earth wire is connected to the actual box in the wall.

I was under the impression that as I screw the front plate into the earthed box it should earthed fine.

Should I be moving all the earths from the wall box to the front plates?

Edit:

I assume there is no easy way round having to put the end with the dimmer at the moment - wrecks my 'cinema' button on my remote plan!!

 

[ColJack]

IR remotes reflect quite well.. I can point my telly remote pretty much anywhere and the tv gets it..

you need a fly lead earth from the backbox to the front plate.. that's why it's got a screw hole for the earth..

it's earthed with the screw in, but the most likely time for a live wire to come loose and touch the matal front plate is when you take the switch off to decorate behind and so on.. ( you should have the power off, but a lot of people don't bother.. )

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Looks like the previous owner didn't even bother to take the switches off the walls to paint...

A couple of things I'm not clear on...

1) If you have a retractive switch paired with the dimmer in a 2-way arrangement, and you turn the light on from the switch, does it comes on at whatever level the dimmer was set to previously, or does it cycle up and down for as long as you keep it pressed?

2) When you remove the superfluous light, you won't leave any cables in walls where they should not be, will you?

Finally - I love the greasy fingermarks you got on that switch just taking it out of the box to photograph it. Enjoy the constant cleaning...

 

[damurphster]

Looks like the previous owner didn't even bother to take the switches off the walls to paint...

A couple of things I'm not clear on...

1) If you have a retractive switch paired with the dimmer in a 2-way arrangement, and you turn the light on from the switch, does it comes on at whatever level the dimmer was set to previously, or does it cycle up and down for as long as you keep it pressed?

2) When you remove the superfluous light, you won't leave any cables in walls where they should not be, will you?

Finally - I love the greasy fingermarks you got on that switch just taking it out of the box to photograph it. Enjoy the constant cleaning...

I've not actually used the lights yet - no idea how it will work. I spent ages plotting and scheming this but it looks like it may not work out like I wanted!

I understand I should disconnect the removed light wiring from the source - (as opposed to sealing it up with choc bloc and leaving them behind the switch).

Where am I likely to find the source? I have good underfloor access which is where my ring main power is.