Problems with lighting!

[andy8ball]

I have just recently had my ceiling pulled down and redone, and now I'm coming to fit the lighting and I have a jumble of cables coming out of the ceiling!

Hopefully there is an image attached which shows the diagram , but just in case...

1 light Switch (LS) and one Dimmer Switch (DS) and one hole in ceiling.

Yellow cable is connected from L2 (LS) to Live (DS)
Blue cable connected from L1 (LS) to squiggly line with arrow through (DS)
Red cable from COM (LS) to hole in ceiling
Black cable from S (DS) to hole in ceiling

2 additional red cables in ceiling
2 additional black cables in ceiling

 

[ban-all-sheds]

See the For Reference topic for details of light-switch wiring and ceiling rose wiring....

 

[andy8ball]

Seen that and finally got the dimmer switch to work.

However when I use the light switch to turn off the light, when I use it to turn the light back on it resets itself to full off (so I have to use the dimmer switch to turn the light back on).

The dimmer switch is a touch sensitive one - will this affect the circuit?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I'd not be surprised.

Touch-dimmers are often made to work in a master/slave pair for 2-way control. Check with the manufacturer if what you are seeing is the expected behaviour when used with a normal switch.

Also, at first glance the way you described the dimmer/switch linking looks odd..

 

[andy8ball]

I switched the yellow and black wires around so black is now in Live and Yellow in S. This helped with the dimmer switch, but not with the poblem of the light switch not returning the light to whatever setting it was on before switch off.

 

[Lectrician]

Sounds like a core is missing......photos would help

 

[DIYnot]

Andy's photo:

Picture

 

[andy8ball]

One thing to note, I have changed the black and yellow cables over.

And both red cables are commoned together at the dimmer switch.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

One thing to note, I have changed the black and yellow cables over.

Yup - so now you have the equivalent of this:

And both red cables are commoned together at the dimmer switch.

Your drawing doesn't show any reds at the dimmer, let alone 2....

I switched the yellow and black wires around so black is now in Live and Yellow in S. This helped with the dimmer switch, but not with the poblem of the light switch not returning the light to whatever setting it was on before switch off.

Like I said - that may well be the expected behaviour for this dimmer - it doesn't have a physical potentiometer which stays in whatever position it's left in.