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My sister-in-law has a light that used to be controlled by 2 conventional on/off switches.
It is now controlled by 2 dimmers, as follows:
If either switch is OFF the other operates as a normal dimmer - from OFF to FULL ON.
If either switch is FULL ON the other does nothing (doesn't swicth off or dim).
If either swicth is HALF ON (dimmmed) the other switch will make the light brighter (up to FULL ON) but won't dim it or turn it off.
How's that work then?
My guess is that each switch is chopping the wave form and the two outputs are wired together (i.e. swiches are in parsllel) and on to the lamp. This would only work if both switches chopped the same bit of the wave out when set to dimmed, and the inputs to them are pretty closely in-phase (I think!).
Tomorrow I'll have a look at the back of the switches...
It is now controlled by 2 dimmers, as follows:
If either switch is OFF the other operates as a normal dimmer - from OFF to FULL ON.
If either switch is FULL ON the other does nothing (doesn't swicth off or dim).
If either swicth is HALF ON (dimmmed) the other switch will make the light brighter (up to FULL ON) but won't dim it or turn it off.
How's that work then?
My guess is that each switch is chopping the wave form and the two outputs are wired together (i.e. swiches are in parsllel) and on to the lamp. This would only work if both switches chopped the same bit of the wave out when set to dimmed, and the inputs to them are pretty closely in-phase (I think!).
Tomorrow I'll have a look at the back of the switches...