new light switch! help Ask questions and find answers to many subjects relating to electrics and electrical work

[Newbee]

Hi Guys, I have a dimmer switch in the living room which I am trying to replace, as far as I know it never worked.
I removed the dimmer and it had 3 red wires connected to L2 and one wire to 'variable load', there was another red wire which was loose and has a 2mm tail, I couldn't find where it might have been attached to as there were no connections that had a brocken off tail although it might have been bundled with the 3 red ones into L2 and might explain why the switch did not work in the first place
I'm trying to re-wire this to a 10 amp single 2 way switch as a replacment and the connections are L1, L2 & COM can I use this? and how do I wire it up. I removed a single fitting with spots and replaced it with a single again with 5 lights 200watt max, I had to refit the old switch as the bathroom and the two bedroom lights wouldn't work.
Any help here would be very helpfull, her in doors has gusets coming and we know what women are like when it comes to thing being spick an span! or should I say long term projects finnished!

Cheers

[BLAKEY1963]

[quote="Newbee"]Hi Guys, I have a dimmer switch in the living room which I am trying to replace, as far as I know it never worked.
I removed the dimmer and it had 3 red wires connected to L2 and one wire to 'variable load', there was another red wire which was loose and has a 2mm tail, I couldn't find where it might have been attached to as there were no connections that had a brocken off tail although it might have been bundled with the 3 red ones into L2 and might explain why the switch did not work in the first place
I'm trying to re-wire this to a 10 amp single 2 way switch as a replacment and the connections are L1, L2 & COM can I use this? and how do I wire it up. I removed a single fitting with spots and replaced it with a single again with 5 lights 200watt max, I had to refit the old switch as the bathroom and the two bedroom lights wouldn't work.
Any help here would be very helpfull, her in doors has gusets coming and we know what women are like when it comes to thing being spick an span! or should I say long term projects finnished!

Cheers[/quote]

NEWBEE
THE ONE WIRE CONNECTED TO VARIBLE LOAD IS MOST
PROBALY YOUR SWITCH WIRE.
I AM ASSUMING YOU ONLY HAVE ONE SWITCH IN THE LIVING
ROOM AND NOT 2.
IF THIS IS THE CASE THEN YOUR SWITCH WIRE WILL GO TO
L2 ON TWO WAY SWITCH , AND YOUR 3 WIRES WILL GO INTO
TERMINAL MARKED C ( COMMON ). U CAN USE 2 WAY SWITCH.
THIS OTHER RED WIRE LOOSE WITH 2 MM2 TAIL. IF U HAVE LOST A SECOND LIGHT IN LIVING ROOM IT COULD BE ANOTHER SWITCH WIRE. IF NOT THEN HUNT ABOUT AND IF U HAVE LOST A LIGHT IN ANOTHER ROOM THEN IT IS MOST LIKELY TO B A FEED, AND WAS
PROBALY CONNECTED TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER 3 FEED WIRES.

BLAKEY1963

[Newbee]

Thanks, that the light up and running except 3 of the 5 bulbs blew! so its coff to Asda for more. The single red wire I found when I took off the old switch I think was for a second light that used to be in the living room.

Thanks again