2 gang two-way switching on dimmers

[Mike2007]

I replaced said two 2 gang two-way switches (operating 3 lights) for a friend and found the light that can operated by both switches does not dim properly. It tends to go dim in increments not slowly?
Have not re-checked soundness of wires in terminals yet but wondered if there is any other reason for this?
Lamps are not fluorescent or halogen.

 

[breezer]

what said switch?

if both are dimmers (one at each end) it wont work since you can t do that witj "normal dimmers"

 

[Mike2007]

Are you saying that one coil can only work for 1 lamp, not two acting on it?

 

[breezer]

coil?

i am saying

if both are dimmers (one at each end) it wont work since you can t do that witj "normal dimmers"

 

[Mike2007]

Sorry meant variable resistor, but same enquiry? Please explain to me rather than a no type answer? Knowledge is wonderful thing and I am keen to learn.

Thanks

 

[Space cat]

'Normal' type dimmers are not variable resistors as you seem to think. They use an electronic switch called a triac which can be switched on by applying a low voltage to its gate terminal. It will then remain on until the current flowing through it drops to zero - as it does at the end of each half cycle. The dimmer circuit delays the gate voltage so that the load does not get any power until part way through each half cycle. Does that make sense?

So what happens if you put two dimmers in series? Each one sees the odd looking waveform coming from the other and tries to act on it. I've never tried this but there's a positive feedback loop in there so I would expect some strange results.

But maybe you don't have two dimmers in series at all. In that case it might just be that your dimmer is faulty. If it was mine I would test it on a simple lighting circuit before I went looking for more obscure faults.

 

[breezer]

Sorry meant variable resistor, but same enquiry? Please explain to me rather than a no type answer? Knowledge is wonderful thing and I am keen to learn.

Thanks

mike, it is you that are typing in riddles, I can only reply to that which you type.

You mention coil, then variable resistor and said switch.

you know what you mean, but as i am not there, i dont. and space cat is telling you the truth

why dont we start from the top.

we know you have 2 switches

we know not mcuch else.

one may be a dimmer or both are dimmers

do you now see what i mean

 

[Mike2007]

Sorry breezer for leaving gaps in my information!
Two "conventional" two-way dimmers can not work on the same light, right?

Ok, can one of the two-gang two-way dimmers be replaced with an ultra modern type dimmer and that would work? Or is just a no no, conventional switch or nothing on one end.

 

[RF Lighting]

You could either just have a dimmer at one end of the room, and a standard switch at the other end, or you could ditch both switches that you currently have, and install a master / slave dimmer pair.


2 gang master dimmer

2 gang slave dimmer

Remote control if you fancy one of them aswell.

 

[breezer]

Sorry breezer for leaving gaps in my information!
Two "conventional" two-way dimmers can not work on the same light, right?

yes, the above staement is true

see RF Lighting's links

 

[Mike2007]

You could either just have a dimmer at one end of the room, and a standard switch at the other end, or you could ditch both switches that you currently have, and install a master / slave dimmer pair.


2 gang master dimmer

2 gang slave dimmer

Remote control if you fancy one of them aswell.

They seem good value, looks like a better option.

 

[breezer]

its the only option that works

 

[Steve]

I have a varilight remote control switch (as RF's links), it is great.

You dont need to buy their remote either. It has the ability to learn any infra red remote signal, so a spare button on the tv or sky or video remote. I use blue on the sky remote.

Only the master dimmer can be remote controlled. The slaves dont have an eye.

 

[Space cat]

Do you remember when you changed TV channels by getting up, walking across the room and pressing a button? I'm not advocating a return to those so called good old days but there is a downside to the proliferation of remotes. More than once I've tried to turn on the TV with a cordless phone. Time I wasn't here ---