front room has one light switch with two switches one for front room one for hall way,,,,and have another single switch just for front room,,,,replaced single switch with 250w dimmer,,,dimmer was working but when you use the other double light switch it trips fuse box,,,,,dimmer switch has wiring that is small black which seems to be acting as the earth, then it has a yellow cable (got red sleeve on it),blue cable (got red sleeve on it) and a red cable,,,have used red as live and blue cable to go to dimmer switch,,,,like said dimmer works just the other switch is tripping fuse box,,,,what have i done wrong
2007-06-16 04:48:28 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
just had a look at 2 way switch it has three wires going into it the dimmer switch i have brought has only got two wire terminals
2007-06-16 05:10:16 · update #1
is the house haunted ?
if so i would recomend you get it exorcised
2007-06-16 04:52:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
I suggest that you replace the dimmer with the old switch again and make sure that it all works.
It sounds like the dimmer switch is mis-wired and when you use the switch the power is shorting to earth.
When you get the old switch working, make sure that you note how the wires are connected to the switch - the dimmer should be wired the same way - but be careful, the orientation of the connections may be different - ie L1 / L2 / common / earth - good luck.
2007-06-16 04:59:45 · answer #2 · answered by Robert W 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
You do indeed have a 1-way dimmer switch and you need a 2-way.
Connect the yellow/blue/red to the Common/L1/L2 in the same order as it's partner switch in the hall.
Is your black wire covered in black or is it tarnished copper?
Scrape it & see. Bare wire should be the earth & sleeved in green/yellow
Looking at the PARTNER switch.
It will either have the power coming in on Common OR
it will have power coming in on L1 and out on L2.
(1) is conventional 2-way switching
(2) is conversion.
Good luck.
2007-06-16 05:55:08 · answer #3 · answered by Girlie Electrics 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
From the way you describe it, the light switches are wired for 2-way working. Your dimmer needs to be a 2-way dimmer. Make a note of how the existing switch is wired (look at the wiring to the other 2-way switch) and check that the dimmer has the same number of connections as the switch it replaces.
Hope this helps.
2007-06-16 05:09:48 · answer #4 · answered by Michael B 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋
You have a dead short. Something is not hooked up properly.
2007-06-16 05:13:01 · answer #5 · answered by tom g 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
OK, I was left in the dust. Sorry.
2007-06-16 04:54:14 · answer #6 · answered by Cam1051Sec 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋