2 Gang Double Switch Problem

[Juney]

I have a 2 gang dimmer switch which work both lights in the room ok (a main and a side light) The other switch has never worked properly only switching the main light on, but won’t switch off the light when dimmer is on, it just gives the full power to it. In the switch there are 3 wires, a red, a yellow with red sleeve, and a blue. Does this mean that the switch has never worked 2 lights? How do I wire the switch, so that it switches off when the dimmer is on? Any help appreciated, thanks

 

[dinger809]

That does sound like a two way wired switch. My advice is the get an electrician to look at it and see what the issue is, as it may need a bit of investigation and some wiring at the switches altered

 

[littlespark]

Can you get pics of the wiring behind the switch? Is that all there is? Red/yellow/blue?
Also in the pic, the terminals of the switches and what is connected where.

Is there a short link between the two switches?

Can you confirm this is the only switch for the room? (Ie it’s not a 2 way circuit)

What is it you are trying to achieve with the switches?
Ie one switch for the ceiling light, one for the wall, or just one switch for both lights?

 

[Juney]

Thank you so much for your reply. I will take pictures of each switch. One is a two gang dimmer which I have wired and seems to be working fine. It works the main ceiling light, and a wall light. The other 2 gang switch has never worked properly since we moved in. If the main ceiling light is on at the dimmer, the other switch will not switch it off. You could switch the main light on from there, but you cannot switch it off if dimmer is on. I will take some pics and get back to you, and thanks for your help

 

[Juney]

Dimmer at different angles so you can see where each wire goes. The single picture is the switch at the other side of the room. I don’t think it can work both lights as there are not enough wires, but if the main light could be turned off when leaving the room at that side, it would be good. Otherwise we will have to keep walking over and switching off!

 

[Juney]

Maybe I have got something wrong in the dimmer. Let me know if you need better pictures, and thanks

 

[telectrix]

nbot sure but think maybe 1 or 2 of the reds in pic 3 should be in L1 instead of common.

 

[multimick]

picture 4 switch ,blue and red need separating

 

[westward10]

Those connections in the bottom pic must be incorrect.

 

[Wilko]

Those connections in the bottom pic must be incorrect.

A swag from me would be (bottom pic) to move red to L1 and yellow sleeved red to L3. But I would test before changing anything. I have seen a number of these setups that have been "adapted" over time to account for failures in the switches. At least there are some pics now to refer back to .

 

[dinger809]

I think here is an error in both switches.
The red and blue in pic 4 definitely need separating, but in the other pics, it appears that the non dimming switch has both sleeves blues going into it, when one should be going into the dimmer. It appears there are two, two-way switches there, but seem to have got muddled up

 

[Juney]

nbot sure but think maybe 1 or 2 of the reds in pic 3 should be in L1 instead of common.

Do you mean one of the two reds, or one or both of them? I will try tomorrow in the daylight, thanks

 

[telectrix]

without belling the cables it'strial and error.

1. it works
2. it don't work
3. bang.

 

[Juney]

I think here is an error in both switches.
The red and blue in pic 4 definitely need separating, but in the other pics, it appears that the non dimming switch has both sleeves blues going into it, when one should be going into the dimmer. It appears there are two, two-way switches there, but seem to have got muddled up

Both of the connectors in the first 3 pics are dimmers. It a double dimmer switch. At the moment it works and dims both lights. So you think the two blues going in together shouldn’t be? Any idea where I should move one of them to? Sorry to be a pain.

 

[Juney]

without belling the cables it'strial and error.

1. it works
2. it don't work
3. bang.

I’ve had a few trials and errors, but no bangs as yet lol

 

[littlespark]

you wont get a bang. Theres no neutrals at the switches... just don't attach any cables to the earth.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I thought the symbol with the sine wave and the arrow is for the dimmed output?
Also, I’m counting 2 of each colour at the 2 gang dimmer switch, which suggests two 3 core cables?

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

I suspect it’s actually 2 way 3 wire, considering there are 5 cores at the dimmer.

I would test to see which is the switch line but suspect it’s the blue currently in the left dimmer in L2.

If it was 3 wire then the red link would need to go into L1 in the dimmer - not the common, and the plate switch would be blue into L1, red into common, yellow into L2.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

It’s not 5 cores, it’s six.

 

[Marcus Vaughan]

It’s not 5 cores, it’s six.

I count 5 in that left dimmer?

The other dimmer is just one way (I think).