Replace a 2-way on/off switch with a 1-way dimmer

[kazanti]

In my room, I have a 2-way lighting circuit where two on/off swithes control the light on the ceiling.

I want to replace one of the two on/off switches with a dimmer... but my dimmer is 1-way. Don't tell me to buy a 2-way dimmer... since I have to use the specific one....

So... I remove one of the on/off switches. Behind the switch I found three wires connected on the switch... one goes to L1, another goes to L2 and a third one goes on C. There is also a fourth one which is the earch and is screwed on the metal case in the wall.

My dimmer switch has four terminals. Two on one side marked with a N and an INPUT arrow and two one the other side marked with a N and an OUTPUT arrow.

How can connect the cables on my 1-way dimmer to replace the on/off switch and how this will work together with the 2nd on/off switch?

rgrds
kazanti

 

[breezer]

it sound like you are getting confused with "way " and "gang"

thwe switch you describe seems to be a 2 gang switch you want two way

Gang is number of "buttons" way is number of switches that operate one light.

you must get a 1 gang 2 way switch for both switches to operate,

the existing switches are 1 gang 2 way, so you must change like for like

 

[kazanti]

Wrong...

I am talking about two 1-gang, 2-way on/off switches in the room.

My dimmer is 1-gang, 1-way. I want to replace one of the two on/off switches with the dimmer. I have to use the specific dimmer. It is part of the project.

The wires behind the on/off switch is as per my message. Four wires. One goes in L1, another in L2, one in C and the last one is screwed on the metal socket.

The dimmer has four terminals. On one side there are two terminals showing, the first one wavy arrow as input and one N. On the other side, there is an arrow as output and an N.

There question is how should we connect those wires on the dimmer to make it work?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Well - despite the many differences between one country and another when it comes to rules/regulations/codes, some things don't change, and one of those is that if it is a 1-way dimmer then IT WILL NOT WORK IN A 2-WAY SWITCHING CIRCUIT.

Period.

Full stop.

That's it.

End of story.

So it is of no significance that it is part of the project and you have to use it, you can't, unless the specification of the project includes the requirement that the lights stop working...

PS - is this the same 1-way dimmer switch that you were asking about in here ?

 

[smithman]

It sounds to me like you are takinga class and the teacher has given you a problem to solve. And you are using us to do your homework. It is simple, tell your teacher "IT WILL NOT WORK" The wiring must be changed also.

 

[supersparks]

>The wiring must be changed also

why?

 

[securespark]

I think what kazanti is saying is that he wants to replace the two way switches with one 1 way?

In which case he needs to blank off one position, but not before linking C & L1 together,insulating the remaining conductor, then fitting the one way dimmer to the other position.

But it sounds like the dimmer has a neutral connection (N on both sides of switch). I don't know why a lightswitch would have a neutral connection unless the dimmer required it, but why two? Could it be a double pole switch?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Or a dimmer that's designed to have Live and Neutral going in, and Live and Neutral coming out?

But it's all gone quiet over there....