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I'm looking for a some assistance in fitting a new electric dimmer light switch. I'm in the UK if that makes a difference.

I am trying to replace my existing two-gang light switch with a LightWaveRF two gang dimmer but am not sure where to start as the instructions are telling me to look out for colored cables that aren't present in the existing switch.

Here's my original light switch setup:

grey wire - brown sleeve was in the top right, brown wire in top left grey wire - brown sleeve was in the top right, brown wire in top left

enter image description here

Here's the LightwaveRF:

enter image description here

I have tried many combinations without any luck, all outcomes results in one flickering light?

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    By flickering light, are you referring to a florescent (CFL) or LED bulb? Those dimmers are clearly marked for incandescent lamps which means they'll send some voltage over the line when the switch is off, which will result in flickering on other bulb types.
    – BMitch
    Commented Sep 2, 2013 at 13:16
  • Hmmm they are both energy saving bulbs, sorry for the dumb question; but would that make a difference? The 'none-2-way switch' does work with this bulb, but the other side doesn't.
    – james
    Commented Sep 2, 2013 at 13:30
  • Energy saving bulbs != incandescent. Yes, it does make a difference. You need a switch that's designed for these bulbs. For electronic switches and those that are doing something when the light is off (night light switch, remote controlled switches, etc) the best option is to have a switch designed with a dedicated neutral so no power is run through the light when the switch is turned off.
    – BMitch
    Commented Sep 2, 2013 at 13:43
  • OKAY. Thanks for your comment. Would buying a specific dimmer light bulb work say: "Diall Energy Saving 20W Spiral Dimmable B22" from B&Q, or would 'best option is to have a switch designed with a dedicated neutral so no power is run through the light when the switch is turned off' be best? how would one do the latter?
    – james
    Commented Sep 2, 2013 at 13:47
  • See also: Why does using a dimmer with this ceiling fan and lights cause energy saving bulbs to flicker?, How do I put a fluorescent light on a motion sensor?, and Can I use a motion sensor to control fluorescent lights that are plugged into an outlet?
    – BMitch
    Commented Sep 2, 2013 at 13:49

1 Answer 1

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As mentioned in the linked questions (see the above comments) switches that are designed to only work with incandescent bulbs frequently send a low voltage through the bulb when the switch is in the off position. This is to power some component in the switch, like a night light, a motion sensor, or the receiver for a remote control. With newer energy saving bulbs like CFL's and LED's, this low voltage will cause the light to flicker, while it would have gone unnoticed with an incandescent.

The solution is to get a switch that's designed to work with energy efficient bulbs. This switch is either a standard manual switch, or it can have a dedicated neutral connection to send power over for the switch's components. To wire a switch with a dedicated neutral, either the power source needs to go through the switch's junction box, so you can pigtail off the neutral, or if the power source comes from the light fixture, you need a 3 wire connection from the fixture to the switch (hot, switched, neutral).

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  • In some cases you can 'solve' the problem by putting a low wattage true incandescent into the fixture, along with the CFL's.
    – Bryce
    Commented Jan 31, 2014 at 3:48

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