Double dimmer switch with only one light.

[a_5mith]

Hi guys, i've lived in this house for a few years, and it's never really bothered me before, but in the living room, we have a dimmer switch with two dials, the one on the right controls the light, the one on the left does nothing, it never has. The right switch doesn't work anymore. ( Won't turn ) Anyway, I took the entire switch off the wall, ( after turning the electrics off ) and for some reason there seems to be some wiring going into both dimmer switches.

I'll try and describe it, didn't get a photo while i had the thing off, all positions are taken as if looking AT the back black part of the light switch. I think the bottom two were for the right dimmer, and the top two for the left.

It looked something like this...

Imageshack - lightdiagram

I'm assuming the top two were for the left switch, the bottom two for the right switch.

Will i need to get another twin dimmer switch, or could i get a single one/what would i do with the other wire...

No rush in replying, I have a lamp that works nicely, just something i thought i'd ask about.

Oh and sorry for the drawing... Art was never my strong point.

 

[monkeyelectric]

Hi guys, i've lived in this house for a few years, and it's never really bothered me before, but in the living room, we have a dimmer switch with two dials, the one on the right controls the light, the one on the left does nothing, it never has. The right switch doesn't work anymore. ( Won't turn ) Anyway, I took the entire switch off the wall, ( after turning the electrics off ) and for some reason there seems to be some wiring going into both dimmer switches.

I'll try and describe it, didn't get a photo while i had the thing off, all positions are taken as if looking AT the back black part of the light switch. I think the bottom two were for the right dimmer, and the top two for the left.

It looked something like this...

Imageshack - lightdiagram

I'm assuming the top two were for the left switch, the bottom two for the right switch.

Will i need to get another twin dimmer switch, or could i get a single one/what would i do with the other wire...

No rush in replying, I have a lamp that works nicely, just something i thought i'd ask about.

Oh and sorry for the drawing... Art was never my strong point.

Looks like in your drawing the one is just a live link wire and just provides power for each switch and the two reds, one must be power(the one attached to the link) and the other to the light so just use a 1G dimmer it will be fine

 

[a_5mith]

Cheers, should i just leave the other red one unplugged then when i fit the single? Maybe insulate it so it doesn't cause any issues?

 

[Eggster71]

Put a little choc block connector on the unused end, a 5A one shouldn't take up too much room and just wrapping a bit of tape round the end is a terrible bodge!

 

[monkeyelectric]

Cheers, should i just leave the other red one unplugged then when i fit the single? Maybe insulate it so it doesn't cause any issues?

It is only two reds you have coming into the switch is'nt it? as in your drawing it looks like that and the other one just links the two sides of the switch, would be handy to see a photo of it

 

[a_5mith]

Ill try and get one up later on today. Yes it's two red wires, then where one of the red wires goes in on the left, another red wire goes from that to the opposite side of the switch.


Would i be right in thinking when i rewire a new single one on, i can simply remove the red wire that connects both sides of the switch together? Also does it matter which way round the red wires go on the new switch, i know the obvious answer would be note down which one is which, but they both look quite identical.

Thanks for the help. Bodge also happens to be my middle name, should see my laptop...

 

[Eggster71]

If one is in a terminal marked com, common or has a squiggle then that should be a permanent live from the light. It's likely to be the one that is with the link across to the other dimmer. Mark it with tape or a pen and make sure it goes in the terminal marked commom/ com or a squiggle in the new dimmer. The other core will then go in L1.
This assumes it was connected correctly in the first place! Do you have an earth at the switch at all? If you don't then do NOT fit a metal switch! If you do, it should be connected to the terminal on the switchplate.

 

[a_5mith]

Do you have an earth at the switch at all? If you don't then do NOT fit a metal switch! If you do, it should be connected to the terminal on the switchplate.

There was a green and yellow cable attached behind the switch to the metal outer within the wall, yeh...