Hi, I am a rank amateur at electrics, let's be honest. But thought I could manage to replace a couple of traditional switches with remote control dimmer switches. I mean, how hard can it be? I live in a brand new house so I assumed that the wiring would be simple to understand. I have read the instructions and had a go with some unusual results and I am still mystified. I would really really appreciate any help you could give me as I suspect that this is a simple job once I crack the logic.
I thought the bedroom would be quite straightforward - replacing a single light switch with a 1 way remote control dimmer. However, on removing the existing switch, I am confronted with different names on the back of the existing switch to those on the new switch. I find 3 grey sheathed cables - each with a blue, brown and earth wire. All 3 blues are terminated in a connecting block. All 3 earths are also terminated into a connecting block. Of the brown wires, 2 are wired together into 'Common' and the other is wired into 'L1'. The dimmer switch has Load (~/), Slave (S) and Live (downward arrow). What is meant to go where on the new dimmer? I tried the 2 combinations of Load and Live last night and one way the light continually gradually brightened and dimmed alternately without any human intervention. The other way seemed to work until I screwed the face plate back and then started behaving similarly.
The downstairs job I thought would be a bit trickier as it is a 2 way. I now know, having read other posts on this (and contrary to the advice from B&Q) that I need a specialist slave switch and not just a standard switch to accompany the master. The living room has the following behind the face plate - 4 grey sheathed wires. 3 of these have the standard blue, brown and earth, and 1 has grey, black, brown and earth. 3 of these grey sheathed cables appear to be doing nothing with the 3 blues and 3 browns all wired together respectively in a connecting block, and all the earths (including the one from the 4th grey cable) are wired together in a connecting block . The final grey cable has the black wire going to L1, the grey wire to L2 and the brown wire to Common. Again, what needs to go where on the new dimmer switch?
The dining room is the slave I am guessing as it just has a single cable with grey, black, brown and earth - configured in same way as the living room. I'll figure this one out once I sus the living room wiring out and buy the necessary slave.
I would really really appreciate any help with this - I've got a brand new house with light switches hanging off here there and everywhere and I'd hate a little job like this to beat me.
I thought the bedroom would be quite straightforward - replacing a single light switch with a 1 way remote control dimmer. However, on removing the existing switch, I am confronted with different names on the back of the existing switch to those on the new switch. I find 3 grey sheathed cables - each with a blue, brown and earth wire. All 3 blues are terminated in a connecting block. All 3 earths are also terminated into a connecting block. Of the brown wires, 2 are wired together into 'Common' and the other is wired into 'L1'. The dimmer switch has Load (~/), Slave (S) and Live (downward arrow). What is meant to go where on the new dimmer? I tried the 2 combinations of Load and Live last night and one way the light continually gradually brightened and dimmed alternately without any human intervention. The other way seemed to work until I screwed the face plate back and then started behaving similarly.
The downstairs job I thought would be a bit trickier as it is a 2 way. I now know, having read other posts on this (and contrary to the advice from B&Q) that I need a specialist slave switch and not just a standard switch to accompany the master. The living room has the following behind the face plate - 4 grey sheathed wires. 3 of these have the standard blue, brown and earth, and 1 has grey, black, brown and earth. 3 of these grey sheathed cables appear to be doing nothing with the 3 blues and 3 browns all wired together respectively in a connecting block, and all the earths (including the one from the 4th grey cable) are wired together in a connecting block . The final grey cable has the black wire going to L1, the grey wire to L2 and the brown wire to Common. Again, what needs to go where on the new dimmer switch?
The dining room is the slave I am guessing as it just has a single cable with grey, black, brown and earth - configured in same way as the living room. I'll figure this one out once I sus the living room wiring out and buy the necessary slave.
I would really really appreciate any help with this - I've got a brand new house with light switches hanging off here there and everywhere and I'd hate a little job like this to beat me.
