Dimmer Switch Installation

[SoulkillaH]

Hello Guys!

I need a little bit of help with a dimmer switch.

One of the tenants of the landlord which i work for him took out the switch and installed by himself a dimmer switch. The job was a total failure. headbang .

The landlord asked me to have a look and maybe to wire the dimmer correctly.

I took out the dimmer and i found there 3x 3 core cables.(brown,blue,green/yellow.).I checked and i found just one out of three brown alive.

The guy which messed with the switch told me when he connected the brown and blue from the same cable he had 9 bulbs out of 12 working.I checked and he was right.After that i checked the next cable and i found the brown alive.

i connected myself brown and blue from same cable and another 2 bulbs start working(11 bulbs now working).Checked the last one and brown was alive.connected and the last bulb start working.

I disconnected the circuit and i isolated all the wire and i want to ask you guys what should i do to install the dimmer in the correct way?

The dimmer is a 3gangs dimmer each 250w.

Please ,if this make sense to you,help me with a advice.

Sorry for my English

If you need more details i will post it .

Thank you!!

.

 

[m4tty]

Sounds a right lash up lol. What type of lights are this dimmer controlling??

Cheers

 

[electrocuted]

First identify Line ,switched live and neutral if in the switch ,then make sure it's not 2way lighting.

Once you have all the wires identified it's straightforward.

neutrals all together in a connector.

Line to common on each dimmer.

finally switched lives to respective lights.

hope this helps.

 

[Lurch]

Sounds like, from the description you have, that you just need to connect the 3 pairs across the 3 dimmers. The fact you have 1 brown live at a time sounds odd, have you checked the blue wires to see if they are live, could just be blue and brown reversed in a junction box somewhere.

I say reversed, nothing wrong with feeding the blue, it's just non-conventional.

 

[SoulkillaH]

Sounds like, from the description you have, that you just need to connect the 3 pairs across the 3 dimmers. The fact you have 1 brown live at a time sounds odd, have you checked the blue wires to see if they are live, could just be blue and brown reversed in a junction box somewhere.I say reversed, nothing wrong with feeding the blue, it's just non-conventional.

What do you mean by "pairs"?? headbangheadbang

 

[Lurch]

What do you mean by "pairs"?? headbangheadbang

Pair, as in a brown and blue from the same 3 core cable.

 

[SoulkillaH]

Pair, as in a brown and blue from the same 3 core cable.

I did this .When i switched on the first gang 9 bulbs went on(9x50w)

What i am 100% sure, is just one live cable(brown).

I am pretty sure is not a 2way lighting.

When i pair the brown and blue, the brown from next cable is coming alive.

 

[SoulkillaH]

First identify Line ,switched live and neutral if in the switch ,then make sure it's not 2way lighting.Once you have all the wires identified it's straightforward.

neutrals all together in a connector.

Line to common on each dimmer.

finally switched lives to respective lights.

hope this helps.

I will make sure Monday morning is not 2way lighting.

Thank you!!

 

[Lurch]

Somewhere, there is a junction box and some very odd wiring I think.

Was there a 3 gang switch there operating the same lights before the tenant fitted the dimmer?

 

[batty]

If you have 9 lights on a 250 watt dimmer it will knacker it, sounds like wires have been mixed and should probably only be 3 on each dimmer.

 

[SoulkillaH]

Somewhere, there is a junction box and some very odd wiring I think.Was there a 3 gang switch there operating the same lights before the tenant fitted the dimmer?

Thank you!

Before was a switch.Monday ,first thing i will check exactly the wiring there. I was thinking is a very odd wiring from the beginning.

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

Thank you!Before was a switch.Monday ,first thing i will check exactly the wiring there. I was thinking is a very odd wiring from the beginning.

From above and earlier posts, are you saying ...

• There are 12 x 50watt lamps?
  
• Originally there was a single switch working all 12 lamps?
  
• A dimmer was then tried but didn't work?
  

My initial concern is as Batty said.. What is the power rating of the dimmer?

Typically they are 250watt / 300watt / 400watt!

BUT 12x50watt = 600watts

Another quick though on your three cables...

The three cables in your switch aren't

Permanent supply (L&N) IN

Permanent supply (L&N) OUT to next room

switched supply to lights?

Are all of the other rooms lights still working with your switch OFF!

 

[SoulkillaH]

I ll try to answer your questions:

1) Yes,12 spotlights x 50 watts

2)Before,it was a 2 gang switch(i will check one more time with the guy)

3)A dimmer was installed(3gangs x 250w) it works for a short period of time(was a totally wrong installation).

All the other rooms lights are working.

I will double check with the tenant if is a 2way lighting.

I repeat what i know 100% sure:

I have a live wire just in one cable(brown).I connected the live brown in pair with the blue from same cable and the brown of the second cable went alive and 9 bulbs went on.

I connected the second brown which come alive with the brown and the third brown come alive and 2more bulbs on

third brown connected with blue and the last bulb went on

I will check everything one more time to be 110 % sure of everything and i will post the updates.

Thank you!! Guinness