50W Halogen low voltage ceiling lights & conventional di

[trolleyr]

Hi, I have just installed 5 x 50W low voltage Halogen bathroom (IP65) lights into the ceiling. They have plenty of void space and the transformers that step down the mains are located at least 6" away. So far all works well - nice and bright. They are wired in series.

The problem:

I have installed a conventional mains (240v) chrome single pole dimmer switch ( L1, L2 & C). The power comes in (1.0mm cable - twin & earth), and the load (to the lights) is the same.

I have connected the 2 Lives together using a 5amp terminal block and the two Neutrals are connected to C & L1.

Q) The push on/off works - the lights can be either on or off. However, when the lights are on and the dimmer push switch is rotated the lights don't dim!!!

Do I need a low voltage dimmer switch? If so, any recommendations on make/model to get my problem resolved.

Many thanks.

 

[breezer]

firstly you have a one gang 2 way dimmer (but thats fine, so far)

next
it sounds like the transformers you have are non dimabale (most but not all are, sounds like yours are not)

so you need to get dimable elctronic transformers, or even better a toroidal transformer

also you may need to get a differnt dimmer aswell as some do not like transformers, but the transformers you have are your first port of call to check

 

[felix]

I have connected the 2 Lives together using a 5amp terminal block and the two Neutrals are connected to C & L1.

That's a very unusual way of doing things! I can see two problems:

1) You are switching the neutral wire. Now this in itself should not stop your dimmer from working - and, as you've already found out, it doesn't stop the light from going on and off - but it's not safe. The light fitting will still be live when you switch off. With a standard switch you would connect the two lives to C and L1 and join the neutrals in the connector block. But yours isn't a standard switch and so ---

2) It looks like you have left the dimmer right out of the circuit. Look for a fourth terminal. It might have some wavy lines next to it. This is one side of the dimmer section. The other side is most likely joined internally to C. If you can find such a terminal connect the lamp live to it and the supply live to L1. The two neutrals still go in the connector block.

NB: Don't forget the earths.

They are wired in series.

I hope you mean parallel!!!

All that stuff Breezer wrote is also correct. Even if you get it all wired up correctly it might not work.

And finally ---

Halogen lamps are not meant to be dimmed at all.

 

[Spark123]

Did you buy dimmable transformers?
Are these installed in a bathroom?