Replacing 2 Gang Switch with 2 Gang Dimmer SWITCH

[littlebob]

I currently have a 2 gang switch in my living room. 1 switch controls wall lights and the other the ceiling rose light. I wish to change this switch for a 2 gang dimmer. I have purchased a 2 gang 2 way dimmer and now find the wiring behind the original switch confusing. The switch box on the wall contains 2 separate cables, the 1st contains 3 wires, RED, BLACK and GREEN/YELLOW. the second only RED and GREEN/YELLOW. Looking at the back of the switch there are 2 separate switch blocks, both have 4 wire connecting points, 2 at the top and 2 at the bottom each numbered 1&2 Left and Right respectively. The RED from cable 1 is connected to the RH side block, bottom terminal LH side numbered 1. The BLACK is connected to LH side switch block and is located in terminal 2 on Top RH side. The GREEN/YELLOW is connected along with the GREEN /YELLOW from Cable 2 to the earth on the wall box. The remaining RED from cable 2 is connected to the RH side block in the top terminal position 2. There is also a small piece of RED wire which connects the 2 switch blocks, this is connected to the lower terminal position 1 of both the Right and left hand switch block.

How do I connect this lot to my new dimmer switch which contains 2 switch blocks each one containing 3 terminals identified as L1 L2 and ~ with and arrow through it. Can anyone help ? I have done a drawing of the 2 switches and wiring in Microsoft "Word" but I do not seem to be able to attach it to this document. Any ideas ??

 

[supersparks]

I currently have a 2 gang switch in my living room. 1 switch controls wall lights and the other the ceiling rose light. I wish to change this switch for a 2 gang dimmer. I have purchased a 2 gang 2 way dimmer and now find the wiring behind the original switch confusing. The switch box on the wall contains 2 separate cables, the 1st contains 3 wires, RED, BLACK and GREEN/YELLOW. the second only RED and GREEN/YELLOW. Looking at the back of the switch there are 2 separate switch blocks, both have 4 wire connecting points, 2 at the top and 2 at the bottom each numbered 1&2 Left and Right respectively. The RED from cable 1 is connected to the RH side block, bottom terminal LH side numbered 1. The BLACK is connected to LH side switch block and is located in terminal 2 on Top RH side. The GREEN/YELLOW is connected along with the GREEN /YELLOW from Cable 2 to the earth on the wall box. The remaining RED from cable 2 is connected to the RH side block in the top terminal position 2. There is also a small piece of RED wire which connects the 2 switch blocks, this is connected to the lower terminal position 1 of both the Right and left hand switch block.

How do I connect this lot to my new dimmer switch which contains 2 switch blocks each one containing 3 terminals identified as L1 L2 and ~ with and arrow through it. Can anyone help ? I have done a drawing of the 2 switches and wiring in Microsoft "Word" but I do not seem to be able to attach it to this document. Any ideas ??

basicly what has been done here is insteadof bringing two lives and two switched lives and two earths, they have brought down 1 live, two switched live and two earths so instead of bringing two lives the loop of red wire acts as the supply to the second lights connect the red that also has the loop of cable to common on one of the sides, connect the loop of red into the common on the other side of the switch, connect the first switched live (black with red sleeve usually) to L1 and then the other switched live to L1 on the other switch and also if theswitch plate is metal you must loop a short length of earth wire off the backbox to the earth terminal on the face plate
hope this helps


BR

 

[littlebob]

Thanks Supersparks, that sort of helps, would appreciate if you can confirm the "common" terminal you refer to is the ~ symbol with arrow through it on the dimmer switch . If so it would appear that I do not connect any wire to a L2 designated terminal. Is this so ?

Thanks Again

 

[supersparks]

Thanks Supersparks, that sort of helps, would appreciate if you can confirm the "common" terminal you refer to is the ~ symbol with arrow through it on the dimmer switch . If so it would appear that I do not connect any wire to a L2 designated terminal. Is this so ?

Thanks Again

nothin connects to L2
there are many different symbols for common and that is just one of the many

BR

 

[littlebob]

Supersparks, thanks very much Dimmer switch fitted and working perfectly.

Thanks again