Dimmers burning out

[Desie]

I have a dimmer on a two way switching format with a rocker at the other end. One of the dimmer channels has burnt out. A friend has suggested that this is a problem with two way dimmer systems that the charge is always running across the coil and therefore burns out quickly. Can anyone tell me if this is the case and if there is a solution to it? (apart from not using dimmers!!)

If this is the case then why do we get 2 way dimmers?

btw the dimmer is not overloaded so that shouldn;t be the cause of the burn out.

Thanks guys

 

[Spark123]

More likely a lamp failed causing a large current to flow and has blown the triac.

 

[breezer]

Desie your friend is wrong, its also possible and more likely the dimmer is not suited for its load (wrong / too many lamps)

 

[Desie]

Breezer

The dimmer isn't overloaded. 2 x 50w halogens on a 400w channel.

What my friend said to me made sense sort of but I can't reconcile that against the fact that the dimmer was made to be 2 way. Can you give me any technical info as to how the 2 way bit of the dimmer works to avoid charge being always tyhrough the coil? Or doesn't it matter?

 

[breezer]

Can you give me any technical info as to how the 2 way bit of the dimmer works to avoid charge being always tyhrough the coil? Or doesn't it matter?

thats the bit they got wrong, when you turn a dimmer or switch off it breaks the circuit, so no current flows anywhere

 

[Desie]

Sorry Breezer. Maybe I'm not understanding the logic of two way switching.

When you have a switch with a common, L1/L2 3 core and L1/L2 two core coming into it for the two way switching to work isn't there always a live charge flowing one way across the switch to feed the 3 core at the other end?
Hence charge across the coil?

Or is there a bridge bypassing it?

Sorry if I sound stupid!!