2-way dimmer with retractive switch problem

[jpowell79]

Having a mare trying to fit a 2-gang, 2-way Schneider dimmer switch!

It doesn't seem to make any difference which way I wire it up, it still doesn't work right!

I've got it by the entrance to the living room. It's 2-gang so one of the gangs is just brown (live) and blue (neutral) which goes to the first light in the room. This works fine so can be ignored.

The second gang on the dimmer has a 3-core and earth cable (brown, black, grey, earth) going directly to a retractive switch right at the back of the dining room near the patio doors.

From that retractive switch I then have the lighting cable (brown and blue) going to the ceiling pendant.

The models I have are:

Dimmer

Retractive switch

In terms of cabling I have the following:

Dimmer: brown in live, grey in RS, black in neutral.

Retractive switch: brown in COM, black in 1-way, grey in 2-way.... i then have brown in COM and blue in 1-way going off to the pendant.

When I switch the power back on, the dimmer appears to work. I can dim the light near the patio door and switch it on and off.

But the retractive switch doesn't seem to work. If the light is already off, it just seems to kill the power completely to the dimmer. The light is only on when I'm holding the retractive switch down. As soon as I let go it stays off.

If the light is already on (switched on with the dimmer) then pressing the retractive switch turns off the light but that's it?

I've spent 45 minutes swapping cables round to different configurations but no matter what I try I can't seem to get it to work!

My understanding is that if the lights are off and I press the retractive switch the lights come on. If I press it again, the lights go off... is that correct?

I've never had a retractive switch before (Schneider dimmer switch installation guide insists on it?) so not even sure if my expectations are correct?

This is driving me nuts!

Any help appreciated!

 

[yorkspark]

its wired wrong, looking at the instructions it says do not use l2 on retractive switch! hope its not fried it

you need brown t&e and brown 3core into the common of retractive switch and into L at dimmer end
black 3core into 1way at retractive and into rs at dimmer
grey of three core into squiggle on dimmer and into connector block at retractive switch along with the t&e blue

ensure the blue,black and grey have brown sleeving to indicate switch lives

 

[jpowell79]

Thanks... just tried that but the retractive switch doesn't do anything. The dimmer is working fine but nothing from the RS end.

This is how i wired it...

 

[yorkspark]

have you a multimeter to test between common and L1 for continuity when switch is pressed, this is done with power off

 

[winston1]

I've got it by the entrance to the living room. It's 2-gang so one of the gangs is just brown (live) and blue (neutral) which goes to the first light in the room. This works fine so can be ignored.



Dimmer: brown in live, grey in RS, black in neutral

That blue is NOT a neutral, it is a switched live and should be sleeved brown.

Likewise the black on the dimmer is NOT a neutral.

 

[333rocky333]

To be honest, there possibly the poorest installed switches , I have ever seen.
The cables need to be prepared and sleeved properly and using the supplied instructions, work out what you need and adapt the existing wires to suit.
If it was 2 normal 2 way switches before, then a Dimmer and Retractive switch will likely involve less wires to be used.

 

[FrodoOne]

I've never had a retractive switch before (Schneider dimmer switch installation guide insists on it?) so not even sure if my expectations are correct?

Any help appreciated!

Can you provide a link to the "Schneider dimmer switch installation guide", since I have not been able to locate it?

I have only been able to locate Schneider instructions for what may be a similar multi-way dimmer product made for Australian conditions. (https://updates.clipsal.com/ClipsalOnline/Files/Brochures/W0001763.pdf - page 20)

As I understand it, your "retractive switch" is equivalent to the "push button" used with the Australian product.
For this Clipsal/Schneider product, the "push button" only provides a short or long control signal to the actual "dimmer" and is not in the circuit for the "load".

 

[jpowell79]

If it was 2 normal 2 way switches before, then a Dimmer and Retractive switch will likely involve less wires to be used.

It wasn't a 2-way before. We are completely redecorating the downstairs so I thought now would be a good opportunity to run a 3-core and earth between the two switches as if always wanted to be able to control both lights from the door entrance.

Is there anyway the wiring could be wrong at the pendant? I wouldn't have thought so as that hasn't changed so is just the same 1.5mm t@e going to the 1-gang switch by the patio door?

A mate from work is lending me his multi-meter so I can get a reading as I cannot find my own one for love nor money, but I tried the switch on another socket and the light comes on while I hold my finger down then goes off as soon as I let go of the switch so I guess it works ok?

I thought the "cleverness" of this is the RS section of the dimmer itself, in that it gets the response from the restrictive switch and closes the circuit?

 

[jpowell79]

Can you provide a link to the "Schneider dimmer switch installation guide", since I have not been able to locate it?

I have only been able to locate Schneider instructions for what may be a similar multi-way dimmer product made for Australian conditions. (https://updates.clipsal.com/ClipsalOnline/Files/Brochures/W0001763.pdf - page 20)

As I understand it, your "retractive switch" is equivalent to the "push button" used with the Australian product.
For this Clipsal/Schneider product, the "push button" only provides a short or long control signal to the actual "dimmer" and is not in the circuit for the "load".

This is the installation guide:

guide

Thanks everyone for your help so far, much appreciated

 

[ban-all-sheds]

What was the reason you did not wire up your switches according to the instructions?

 

[jpowell79]

What was the reason you did not wire up your switches according to the instructions?

I did wire it up according to the instructions right at the beginning and it didn't work, hence the reason I've been trying different configurations.

I've even tried swapping the switches round so that the retractive switch is by the door entrance and the dimmer is by the patio door (so that the cable from the pendant is going directly to the dimmer and the 3 core from the dimmer then goes to the retractive switch) but it still doesn't work

 

[winston1]

I did wire it up according to the instructions right at the beginning and it didn't work, hence the reason I've been trying different configurations.

I've even tried swapping the switches round so that the retractive switch is by the door entrance and the dimmer is by the patio door (so that the cable from the pendant is going directly to the dimmer and the 3 core from the dimmer then goes to the retractive switch) but it still doesn't work

According to the instructions you only need 2 core (+ earth) to th retractive switch with no connection to L2.

So clearly, in this case, BAS is right and you didn't wire it according to the instructions.

 

[jpowell79]

According to the instructions you only need 2 core (+ earth) to th retractive switch with no connection to L2.

So clearly, in this case, BAS is right and you didn't wire it according to the instructions.

Yes that's exactly what I did right at the very beginning. I only started trying to use L2 when i couldn't get it to work.

The only difference I can really see from York's suggestion and my very first attempt was that I had the grey and black cables the other way round on both ends.

Anyhow I think I might l know what the problem is now... I think the retractive switch I need is slightly different to the one I've bought. I've just ordered this one to see if it works....

New retractive switch

 

[winston1]

You clearly have no idea. Putting connections in L2 when the instructions say don't is not really very intelligent and, you never know, may damage something.
A retractive switch is just that and there is no reason why a different brand will make any difference. Have you thought about calling in an electrician?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I did wire it up according to the instructions right at the beginning

In terms of cabling I have the following:

Dimmer: brown in live, grey in RS, black in neutral.

Retractive switch: brown in COM, black in 1-way, grey in 2-way.... i then have brown in COM and blue in 1-way going off to the pendant.

and it didn't work, hence the reason I've been trying different configurations.

Electrical work by trial-and-error guessing is not a good idea.