Changing switch with 3 red wires for swapping dimmer with standard switch Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[shatnersbassoon]

Hi all

This single dimmer switch is in my living room:
https://goo.gl/photos/93wLJjeoLNxkNah2A

It controls two lights. I want to replace it with a single standard on/off switch. The new standard switch has 'common', '1 way' and '2 way' terminals.

Can anyone tell me what the correct wiring should be?

I'm presuming the two wires in 'com' on the old dimmer switch
should go into 'common' on the new switch and the wire in 'l2' should go into '1 way' on the new switch.

The new switch is plastic so I presume I don't need to do anything with the earth wire.

Any pointers much appreciated!

[ericmark]

You can put the second wire in either L1 or L2 it does not really matter, what it will do is change which way the switch goes for on and which way for off. In domestic premises we normally switch down for on and up for off and with writing correct way up on switch this would be using L1, however if you need to fit switch upside down because of cable length, then moving wire from L1 to L2 would mean switch is still down for on.

Large switches work the other way around, any isolator down is off so something falling on a switch will always switch it off. So really does not matter if switch does work wrong way around.

[shatnersbassoon]

Makes sense, tried it and it works fine.

Thanks Eric.