4 Gang 2 Way Dimmer Switching

[5cotty2003]

I have a situation that I just cannot seem to resolve, maybe someone has the answer?

I am just renovating a new house and I am trying to install the following in my living room:

Gang 1 = 5 x 50w downlights (each on a separate 60w transformer).
Gang 2 = 5 x 50w downlights (each on a separate 60w transformer).
Gang 3 = 5 x 50w downlights (each on a separate 60w transformer).
Gang 4 = 1 x flourescent tube for light feature in glass block wall.

There are two entrances to the room and I would like to run each set of lights off a dimmer switch. I understand that I will require two 4 gang 2 way dimmer switches 9one from each end of the room) but someone has told me that I will only be able to dim from one end. Is this true? I am looking for brushed chrome dimmers if anyone could point me in the right direction.

Cheers

 

[breezer]

what you have been told is true (sort of) ordainairy dimmer switches will not work together, i.e one at each end of room, so your friend is right on that point.

How ever you can get master / slave dimmers which can be dimmed / brightend from either end of room.

Now the bad news

The dimmers i am thinking of are only available in 2 gang (not 4 as you want)

Also it is best if you down rate dimmers so you may be looking at 600w dimmers.

Also you can not dim a standard flourescent light (not without a bunch of electronics)

 

[5cotty2003]

Thanks for the advice.

I've been looking extensively on the net since my last posting and have discovered the IQ Master & Slave Dimmers (infra red). I notice that there is an IQ Master 2 gang 2 way 400w dimmer so I was thinking about buying 2 of these with respective slaves and a remote and obviously installing several 20w spots instead of flourescent tubes for my lighting feature.

The description simply states 400w and despite about an hour and a halfs worth of searching I cannot determine whether these 400w IQ Dimmers are...

i) 400w in total (i.e.) 200w per gang, or
ii) 400w per gang.

Naturally using 5 x 60w tranfsormers per gang I will require at least 300w per gang so need to be sure before ordering. I notice also that the slave dimmers have no wattage in their description - is wattage not important for the slaves?

1 final question (sorry)... am I right in thinking that I can use a higher wattage dimmer than necessary i.e. a 400w to run 300w of 'dimmable' transformers?

Cheers

 

[ban-all-sheds]

On TLC's website it says

250w double dimmer will handle 100w of GU lamps ( per gang )

which kinda implies that the published ratings are per gang.

Check with your supplier though..

 

[5cotty2003]

Just getting around to fitting the aforementioned dimmers. I have 4 sets of lights to wire, each using a separate gang... so I have purchased the following:

2 x 2 Gang Varilight IQ Dimmers
2 x 2 Gang Varilight IQ Slaves

After reading the instructions I am still a little apprehansive about wiring them up without a little further advice. I will be using 4-core cable so I believe that I will need to run a separate 4-core from each gang of the master to the slave i.e I will need 4 x 4-cores running from each location for the four dimmers.

Am I right in thinking that this is all that will be wired to the switches i.e. I do not need to run a separate live into each switch aswell? I pretty sure that I don't. From what I understand each 4-core will be interupted between the master and the slave by a junction box to connect to the light fittings and I will be using the yellow wire to connect direct from the master to the slave via the junction box or a chock block withing the junction box?

Thanks in advance....

 

[breezer]

try a seacrh, those dimmers hve been covered so much they almost dont exist

 

[5cotty2003]

I've been looking through the forums and cannot find what I am looking for and the instructions with the product are a little vague when it comes to joining cables in a junction box.

I think this is how I will wire up the master and slave dimmers using 4-core cable. Please can the sparkies amongst you let me know if this is correct or let me know where I have gone wrong...

Terminal 1 = Yellow wires for both master and slave.
Terminal 2 = Black wires for both master and slave become switch wires also connect live (red) wire from light fitting.
Terminal 3 = 3 x Lives - master, slave & 'Live In'.
Terminal 4 = 4 x Earths - master, slave, lamp and 'Live In' together.
Terminal 5 = Remaining 2 Blacks from light fitting and 'Live In'.

I trust that this way I will not need to run a separate twin & earth to the master switch?????

Cheers,

 

[ban-all-sheds]

After reading the instructions I am still a little apprehansive about wiring them up without a little further advice. I will be using 4-core cable so I believe that I will need to run a separate 4-core from each gang of the master to the slave i.e I will need 4 x 4-cores running from each location for the four dimmers.

Am I right in thinking that this is all that will be wired to the switches i.e. I do not need to run a separate live into each switch aswell? I pretty sure that I don't. From what I understand each 4-core will be interupted between the master and the slave by a junction box to connect to the light fittings and I will be using the yellow wire to connect direct from the master to the slave via the junction box or a chock block withing the junction box?

Thanks in advance....

As you can see from this:

you do not need to run a separate live into each switch as well. I also can't see anything which means that "each 4-core will be interupted between the master and the slave by a junction box to connect to the light fittings".

 

[5cotty2003]

In simple terms what I am trying to establish is...

Do I only need one 3-core to be in the wall chasing down to each gang in the switch. This 3-core would connect the master to the slave dimmer BUT obviously between the master and the slave surely I need to fit a junction box so that I can connect the lights to the switch?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Looks to me from that diagram as though the switched live comes directly off the first slave, and it will go to whereever the switched live currently goes - you don't need anything different to what you already have.