double dimmer 2 way

[mrliam]

I am trying to replace a double swut fell at the first hurdle...

In the socket I have 3 red 2 yellow 2 blue and a black one of the blue and black are joined together on a block with L written on it (may not mean anything)

on the double dimmer switch I have Com L2 and L1 only on the back of each switch

There appears to be 3 cables running into the switch back one with red, black and earth (which I assume is the power) and 2 with red, yellow and blue...

please help ......

 

[Steve]

open the other switch on this 2-way circuit and tell us what wires you find there and WHERE THEY ARE CONNECTED. This might give us some idea.

 

[mrliam]

ok

L1 = red
L2 = blue
com = yellow

 

[Steve]

right, That RYB at the second switch must correspond to one of the RYB cables at the first switch.

Are there any other switches that work with the first switch? I have to say, i'm having a hard time trying to figure this out.

And the terminal block the black and blue are in - is the L engraved on the block? Or is it hand written? Are you sure its an L?

One thing you must never assume is that red and black = "power". And never assume anything on 2-way switching circuits.

Do you have access to a multimeter (or at a push, a neon screwdriver)? It would be handy to know, when you turn power on, which cables are permenantly live (only do this with extreme care, preferably with all wires in terminal blocks)

 

[mrliam]

The black and blue are connected to a block and did not go anywhere else
___
black----------[ ]
blue-----------[___]

leaving me with a red from the black and earth set

and

a yellow blue and red from another cable

and a

yellow and red from the last cable -- the blue being connected to the black and going nowhere else.

My dad says that one red cable was linked i.e. it went from one terminal to another where as all the others ended at the terminal.. he forgot to make a note of where they came from..

cable 1

RED BLACK EARTH --- to box
[
cable 2 [
[
RED BLUE YELLOW

cable 3

RED BLUE YELLOW


The switch

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]][[[[]]
[ ] ]
[ com L2 L1 ] com L2 L1 ]
[ ] ]
[[[[[[[[[[[[[[]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

 

[Spark123]

How did the old switch control the lights, with the 2gang switch was there one which switched as a 2way and the other as a single way? I'm thinking as you say the black & blue are jointed they are neutrals, the red and yellow in this cable being the switched lives to two separate lights and the red in the 2core being permanent live.

 

[mrliam]

Thats right

One side of the kitchen has one switch controling the main light with just a red yellow and blue and the other side of the kitchen had a double switch controlling the main light and the under cupboard lights

 

[Spark123]

Try:
In switch 1:
Yellow from strapper 3C+E (strapper = the cable from the other switch, identifiable by the blue wire is NOT connected to black) to common
Red from strapper and red loop of wire (from switch 2) to L1,
Blue from strapper and red from the other 3C+E to L2

In switch 2:
Red from 2C+E and loop wire from switch 1 to Com
Yellow from 3C+E (last loose wire!!) to L2

 

[mrliam]

Nope didn't work

cam I just confirm

cable 1

RED ------- SW1 COM + Loop Wire
BLACK ----- Blue of Cable 2
EARTH ----- to box

cable 2

RED -------- SW1 L2
BLUE ------ Black of Cable 1
YELLOW ---- SW2 L2

cable 3 = strapper

RED --------- SW1 COM
BLUE -------- SW1 L2 + CAB2 Red
YELLOW ----- SW1 L1 + LOOP WIRE

which means nothing in SW2 L1 ??

Tried it but both lights came on flickering ???

 

[Spark123]

cable 1

RED ------- SW2 COM + LOOP WIRE
BLACK ----- Blue of Cable 2
EARTH ----- to box

cable 2

RED -------- SW1 L2
BLUE ------ Black of Cable 1
YELLOW ---- SW2 L1

cable 3 = strapper

RED --------- SW1 L1 + LOOP WIRE
BLUE -------- SW1 L2 + CAB2 RED
YELLOW ----- SW1 COM

Nothing in SW2 L2