- Joined
- 19 Apr 2005
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 0
- Country
Hi all,
I bought a Multiway Digital Dimmer at Homebase (2*250W) to replace a standard double light switch. The existing unit controls the lights in the dining room (DR) and living room (LR). There is an identical unit that controls the lights in both rooms, in the kitchen. In other words two two-way switches.
The unit I am replacing is wired as follows:
LR side: one yellow in COM, two reds in L1, one black and one blue in L2.
DR side: one yellow in COM, one red in L1, one blue in L2.
I have wired the new dimmer unit as follows:
LR side: yellow in L, two reds in SW, one black and one blue in ~ (using the same pairings as in the old unit)
DR side: yellow in L, red in SW, blue in ~
Now, here are the two problems:
1) Both DR and LR are weak and the lights flicker slightly (not very weak, but weaker). There is 150W in DR and 160W in LR. Is this because the dimmers are 250W each and I need at least twice the capacity of the lights in each dimmer? I read something about that in this forum, but I'd like to be sure.
2) The double switch that I have not touched (in the kitchen) still works fine (i.e. each switch controls each room the way it's supposed to). But the dimmer does nothing. The two lights on the dimmer are off too. Strangely, one side of the dimmer had its light on at some point (I reconnected the wires a few times in my attempts to make this work).
Did I fry the dimmer (both sides) because of the lights were too strong?
I'm thinking I should test the dimmer unit by connecting it to a simple one way switch in a room that only has a 60W light bulb. To do that, how do I wire it?
NOTE: I had originally done the following wiring to the new unit: yellows to ~, reds to L1 and black/blue to L2. But in that configuration, the lights in both rooms were always ON!
Thanks!!!
Vincent
I bought a Multiway Digital Dimmer at Homebase (2*250W) to replace a standard double light switch. The existing unit controls the lights in the dining room (DR) and living room (LR). There is an identical unit that controls the lights in both rooms, in the kitchen. In other words two two-way switches.
The unit I am replacing is wired as follows:
LR side: one yellow in COM, two reds in L1, one black and one blue in L2.
DR side: one yellow in COM, one red in L1, one blue in L2.
I have wired the new dimmer unit as follows:
LR side: yellow in L, two reds in SW, one black and one blue in ~ (using the same pairings as in the old unit)
DR side: yellow in L, red in SW, blue in ~
Now, here are the two problems:
1) Both DR and LR are weak and the lights flicker slightly (not very weak, but weaker). There is 150W in DR and 160W in LR. Is this because the dimmers are 250W each and I need at least twice the capacity of the lights in each dimmer? I read something about that in this forum, but I'd like to be sure.
2) The double switch that I have not touched (in the kitchen) still works fine (i.e. each switch controls each room the way it's supposed to). But the dimmer does nothing. The two lights on the dimmer are off too. Strangely, one side of the dimmer had its light on at some point (I reconnected the wires a few times in my attempts to make this work).
Did I fry the dimmer (both sides) because of the lights were too strong?
I'm thinking I should test the dimmer unit by connecting it to a simple one way switch in a room that only has a 60W light bulb. To do that, how do I wire it?
NOTE: I had originally done the following wiring to the new unit: yellows to ~, reds to L1 and black/blue to L2. But in that configuration, the lights in both rooms were always ON!
Thanks!!!
Vincent
