Help wiring a lightswitch - Two-dimmer switch controlling two light fittings in kitchen

[Richard Skelton]

I need help wiring a lightswitch because I can't get it to work.

I have attached photos of the switch and what I'm going to call the 'wall wires'. The switch is two dimmers, each one turns on and dims one of two light fittings in my kitchen. Two of the 'wall wires' are tagged with what look like the 'earth' colours and the 'live' colour, though I don't know if they are in fact earth and live. When I took the original switch off, there was also a linking wire which linked two terminals together.

I would greatly appreciate if someone could figure out from the photos what needs to go where as this is driving me crazy! You can probably tell by now I am not a qualified electrician.

Cheers

 

[Pete999]

I need help wiring a lightswitch because I can't get it to work.

I have attached photos of the switch and what I'm going to call the 'wall wires'. The switch is two dimmers, each one turns on and dims one of two light fittings in my kitchen. Two of the 'wall wires' are tagged with what look like the 'earth' colours and the 'live' colour, though I don't know if they are in fact earth and live. When I took the original switch off, there was also a linking wire which linked two terminals together.

I would greatly appreciate if someone could figure out from the photos what needs to go where as this is driving me crazy! You can probably tell by now I am not a qualified electrician.

Cheers

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The two red wires tapped together, were they joined together at the original switch position? we will need to know in order to answer your question.

 

[J.C.E]

was the original switch a 2gang or 1gang? -if it was a 2gang- was it acutally controlling 2 different zones or did only 1 switch do something?

if the orginal was only 1gang.....

stick the 2 cables with tape on them together in the middle terminal and the red cable with no tape on in L1

would also trim your finger nails!

 

[Pete999]

I need help wiring a lightswitch because I can't get it to work.

I have attached photos of the switch and what I'm going to call the 'wall wires'. The switch is two dimmers, each one turns on and dims one of two light fittings in my kitchen. Two of the 'wall wires' are tagged with what look like the 'earth' colours and the 'live' colour, though I don't know if they are in fact earth and live. When I took the original switch off, there was also a linking wire which linked two terminals together.

I would greatly appreciate if someone could figure out from the photos what needs to go where as this is driving me crazy! You can probably tell by now I am not a qualified electrician.

Cheers

View attachment 38463 View attachment 38464 View attachment 38465 View attachment 38466

If the wires that are tapped with red tape were in the same terminal then they wil be the L feed in and out, they will need to go 1 in each middle terminal WITH A LINK between the 2 center termials the other 2 reds 1 in each L1 job done, PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE ISOLATED THE ELECTRICAL SUPPLY BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY WORK. If you are unsure get an Electrician in 5 minutes should see the job done. A bit closer and I would of done it for a drink and fuel costs, good luck.

 

[KEV 1 N]

Once again someone has took something to bits without making a note of what went where......and now can't get it too work!

It will take a qualified electrician longer to verify the cables now you've took it apart, as opposed to just putting it back like for like.

 

[westward10]

You have three options to which is the live feed which needs the link to the other switch, which one who knows. One thing for sure is there is no loop out he has one live in and two switched feeds out, I doubt any of the reds were in the same terminal assuming the original was two gang. So was the original two gang?

 

[telectrix]

damn it. i ran out of popcorn.

 

[Pete999]

You have three options to which is the live feed which needs the link to the other switch, which one who knows. One thing for sure is there is no loop out he has one live in and two switched feeds out, I doubt any of the reds were in the same terminal assuming the original was two gang. So was the original two gang?

Looks like it if the pictures are anything to go by

 

[westward10]

If the original was two gang put a link across L1 and L1 then connect the live feed into either of these terminals which at a guess is the one with no tape on it. The other two go in the middle terminal of each switch. If the one with no tape on it is not the live feed then trial and error will solve it. This is assuming the original was a two gang switch.

 

[Richard Skelton]

was the original switch a 2gang or 1gang? -if it was a 2gang- was it acutally controlling 2 different zones or did only 1 switch do something?

if the orginal was only 1gang.....

stick the 2 cables with tape on them together in the middle terminal and the red cable with no tape on in L1

would also trim your finger nails!

They are my dad's fingernails, I take no responsibility for that!

The original switch was 2-gang (two dimmers). The kitchen has 4 light fittings, 1 dimmer controlled 2 of them, the other dimmer controlled the other 2.

 

[telectrix]

OK. basically, ignoring the gn/y (earths) and blacks (neutrals) as they a fine as in the photos.

1 red will be live feed.
1 red to light#1
1 red to light#2.

somehow you need to find out which is the feed. then that goes into C ( with the cross-like symbol )and links to the other C. then each remaining red goes into the L1 of each switch ( or L2, it don't matter which with a dimmer.

 

[Toneyz]

The two red wires tapped together, were they joined together at the original switch position? we will need to know in order to answer your question.

What two red wires tapped together ?, is there any writing on the tape ?. At a guess the live feed in MAY be the feed.

 

[MJPD29]

There's nothing better than watching a diy thread lol

 

[Richard Skelton]

Once again someone has took something to bits without making a note of what went where......and now can't get it too work!

It will take a qualified electrician longer to verify the cables now you've took it apart, as opposed to just putting it back like for like.

Thank you captain hindsight.

 

[Richard Skelton]

Thanks for all the replies guys, by following your advice and a bit of trial and error, I've got the lights working as they should. A bit worried about a buzzing sound in the room though. I'll probably end up getting an electrician round at some point, just to make sure.

 

[DPG]

Thanks for all the replies guys, by following your advice and a bit of trial and error, I've got the lights working as they should. A bit worried about a buzzing sound in the room though. I'll probably end up getting an electrician round at some point, just to make sure.

What sort of lamps are you dimming?

 

[telectrix]

dimmers are notorious for buzzing. once replaced one 3 times on a job, and that was with halogen GU10s, LEDs have their own problems with dimmers.