Varilight Dimmer

gav43 · 27 Feb 2004

i purchased a varilight multi-way touch dimmer to replace a switch in my lounge the dimmer has 3 terminals ( ~/ . S . live) the existing switch has Common with 1 red wire connected... L1 with a red and a blue.... L2 with a red and a yellow.... would i be right in thinking that common go's to live... L1 go's to ~/... and L2 go's to S ??.............please help ...there is 2 switches to control one ceiling light !!

Big_Spark · 27 Feb 2004

Gave, sorry mate, never heard of these particular electronic dimmers, have you not got the paperwork that came with the dimmer that must tell you how to connect it?

gav43 · 27 Feb 2004

visit here for dimmer model

FWL_Engineer i added you to MSN contacts

i just need to know where the wires i have go !!

Thanks !!

journeyman · 28 Feb 2004

You have to buy a slave switch as well.

Wiring dagram is here

Switch send goes to "live", either the red and blue or the red and yellow.

The Red on its own goes to "S"

Switch return goes to the "~/", either the red and blue or the red and yellow.

You will have to work out which is switch send and which is switch return.

It may work with switch send and return reversed, but you will have to ask the manufacturer about this.

You will have to replace the other switch with a slave.

connect the red to "S"

conect the "live" and "~/" to the same colours at the other end.

If you are not sure then get an electrician.

breezer · 28 Feb 2004

gav43 the switch you now have will NOT work with another ordainairy switch you said there is 2 switches to control one ceiling light the switch you have is a master / slave switch and will only work with its "mate" not an ordainairy switch in the other switch position. (you only mentioned changing the one) there have also been some "bad news" regarding that switch on previous posts on this forum. (not all bad)

the idea of the switch you have is to enable it to work with another "mate" so that each switch can dim the light independtanly, either get a slave switch or or a normal dimmer

gav43 · 28 Feb 2004

journeyman · 28 Feb 2004

Gav43, as Breezer has said,; you must use this switch with a Varilight slave.
You can not use a two rocker switch or another two way dimmer as the slave. If you have only bought the master, then you can not wire it up to work with the other switch in the room.

Either buy an ordinary two way dimmer, or get the slave.

Looking at your digram you can use the following rules.

S = Comm
L1 = Live
L2 = ~/

The slave replaces the rocker switch at the other end. It will have the same terminals as the master.

The two red wires that go to the rose should be identiified. One will be permamently live. This should go to "Live"

The other will connect to the lampholder. This should connect to "~/"

I have these dimmers and have had no problems with them at all. Though I only have them in a one way circuit. The only issue with them is that they loose the remote memory if the power fails, but reprogramming only takes about 30 seconds.

They will also lock up sometimes, if there is a surge or brown out. You have to switch off the power to reset them.

Kimba · 28 Feb 2004

The later model ones have a capacitor fitted that keeps the remote memory for around an hour or two. Have these switchs throughout my flat, and have two which are slave/master connected. It's not a straight forward swap over from convential two way single pole switchs to these, as they use a communication single rather than just a two way circuit, but looks like that has already been explained.

gav43 · 28 Feb 2004

SO I NEED TO BUY ONE OF THESE ?? these

AND FIT TO THE OTHER SWITCH WITH THE 3 WIRES IN ? SO I HAVE ONE REMOTE DIMMER AND A TOUCH DIMMER AND NOT A ROCKER SWITCH !

journeyman · 28 Feb 2004

gav43 said:
SO I NEED TO BUY ONE OF THESE ?? these

AND FIT TO THE OTHER SWITCH WITH THE 3 WIRES IN ? SO I HAVE ONE REMOTE DIMMER AND A TOUCH DIMMER AND NOT A ROCKER SWITCH !

That is correct.

gav43 · 28 Feb 2004

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR INPUT,GOT ANOTHER DIMMER CHANGED A FEW WIRES AROUND ALL WORKING FINE !........................ THANKS AGAIN .......... GAV....

ban-all-sheds · 29 Feb 2004

Incredible.

Just think how much time you would have saved if you'd bothered to read the instructions that came with the dimmer, or the technical details on the TLC website that you asked people here to read for you, or the descriptive blurb on the website about the dimmer.

Big_Spark · 29 Feb 2004

ban-all-sheds said:
Incredible.

Just think how much time you would have saved if you'd bothered to read the instructions that came with the dimmer, or the technical details on the TLC website that you asked people here to read for you, or the descriptive blurb on the website about the dimmer.

hehehe

gav43 · 29 Feb 2004

There's always one t*ss*r !! im no electrician thats what a forum is for isnt it ?? to help people like me ! .................. If you didnt charge extortionate prices we would be able to have a electrician in to do the work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And i have all the time in the world.....!!

breezer · 29 Feb 2004

You are missing the point, it is annoying that although you know where the instructions are, you still have to ask how to do something. How do you think most people learn? its by reading the instructions. If you do not understand them, or want clarification that is fine, you should have said so in the first place.

Also when given advice just because you do not agree with it, please bear in mind that no one gets paid to reply on these forums.

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Varilight Dimmer

Big_Spark

breezer

Big_Spark

breezer

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