DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

Can anyone help, i will try to explain the best i can without sounding confusing. Basically i have 2 ceiling lights one at either side of my living room. On one side of my room is a 1 gang 2 way switch which controls one light and on the other side of the room is a 2 gang 2 way switch. One switch controls the light on the other side of the room and the other switch controls the light linked to the 1 gang 2 way switch (make sense). So in other words i can enter my room turn on one light on and walk across the room and turn it off again via the 2 gang 2 way switch.

I want to change the switches with dimmers but for some reason it does not like the light linked to the 1 gang 2 way switch and will not turn light on or off but works perfectly with the light connected directly to the 2 gang 2 way switch. I think it has someone to do with the two seperate switches linked to one light. How can i take out that loop so one switch alone will control one light on one side of the room and one switch on the other side of the room control the other light? Thanks for your help

you'll find only one dimmer will work but if you replaced and re-fitted one of the original switches it will work fine, 2 dimmers on a two way operation don't work. :(
If you was wanting remove the two way operatiion you will need to disconnect the three core cable (strappers) that cross between the two switch plates these are old colours red/blue/yellow or new colours brown/black/grey.
I wouldn't remove them as one day you may decide to reconnect for two way operation. But do leave them safely tucked away in a connection block.
KB

Thanks kbrownie. I have had a look at the wiring and it consists of red and black. Is it a matter of testing the cable to work out which ones are the loop and then just disconnect them. In the 1 gang 2 way switch red cable is live with two other red cables and 1 black which are low voltage and in the 2 gang 2 way switch a black cable is live with 2 red cables that are low voltage. Will the loop just be between the two switches or the lights as well?

Thanks again

pc6844, sorry so late back. I missed your post.
It's a tricky one, because all sorts of combinations as some electrician do it differently.
Normally the two should be linked between the switch plates.
So I'd assume that your a red pair are the cables that operate the one way function and the black and a red pair offers the two way function
You need to find the live feed to the switches and determine which are the strappers best way is continuity test on strappers.

The live red gos to L/com and the other red goes to L1 or L2 works both ways.
KB