Help Needed on Dimmer Switch Installation

[NicktheIrish]

Hi,

I have bought a new 1 gang 2 way dimmer switch from focus DIY. As with all of these switches from Focus, Wickes etc the actual instructions bear absolutely no relevance to the switch itself !! more of a general overview for some of their products that have possibly been discontinued two years ago. Anyway enough of my griping - I wonder if anyone can help with both my questions. I have tried to search the forum before posting but am not quite sure if I am getting the right answers !!

I am installing the dimmer in my hallway. It forms part of two switches that are currently there. the initial switch (by the door) is taken straight from the fuse box and has the standard connectsion for L1 L2 etc. I have replaced this and all works tickety boo (even though the wiring was very vey old colours) - yippee !!

The hard part comes with the dimmer switch located further down the hallway feeding from the initial door way switch.

Within the wall unit there are two wires - one has only a red wire (live) coming from it. The other has two wires - one red and the other black.

Within the dimmer there are three parallel connections 1 is ~ with arrow (is this called common ??) and L1 and L2.

Can someone advise which wire goes into which connection.

Also I think I have cocked up with my purchase as I actually have ten 50W spots and the dimmer I have bought is only for 400W - so I think I will need to get a higher wattage (if thats the correct term !!)

Hopefully someone can come back with a clear explanation of how these work (ie L1 L2 what they are etc) as I have been doing a lot of wiring work recently and am really enjoying it. That said, I want to make sure that what I am doing is not going to blow me or my girlfriend up - she would never forgive me (definitely on the latter ,but not sure on the fomer ) ))

Help much appreciated.

 

[breezer]

2 things

why dim hall lights?
i suggest as you have so many use lower wattage lamps



yes you have the wrong dimmer


and if they are halogens you need a 1000w dimmer (no, its not a joke)

 

[Steve]

For the light output of 10 no. 50 watt lamps, you can use 5 of these 9 watt lamps, and it wont need dimmers:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...hts_Index/Downlights_Energy_Saving/index.html

 

[Taylortwocities]

If you need to ask what L1 and L2 are for the you should not be doing any wiring work, no matter how much enjoyment you get from it (just my opinion).

TTC

 

[ColJack]

thanks for that link.. i will be getting some of those post haste for my mom and dad who have 3 downlighters over the kitchen sink at the front of the house and leave these on most nights....

 

[NicktheIrish]

Two things on this - and to be honest am slightly disappointed on replies

First - reason for so many hall lights and the reason that they are 50W is that we have a 42 foot long hall, live in a basement flat with no outside lighting in that area.

Second the reason for the dimmer is to try and cut down on both electricity and also attempt to be somewhat green in our outlook.

We tried a myriad of ways to get round this by using energy efficient bulbs etc but none worked to the effect we needed.

They are not halogen lights.

And yes I don't know what L1 and L2 are but I'm kinda quick to learn - I have been putting together PCs for the past twenty years which I taught myself in - we all need to learn somehow and I thought this might be the forum to ask within - maybe I was wrong which is a shame.

 

[C&GStudent]

Two things on this - and to be honest am slightly disappointed on replies

First - reason for so many hall lights and the reason that they are 50W is that we have a 42 foot long hall, live in a basement flat with no outside lighting in that area.

Second the reason for the dimmer is to try and cut down on both electricity and also attempt to be somewhat green in our outlook.

We tried a myriad of ways to get round this by using energy efficient bulbs etc but none worked to the effect we needed.

They are not halogen lights.

And yes I don't know what L1 and L2 are but I'm kinda quick to learn - I have been putting together PCs for the past twenty years which I taught myself in - we all need to learn somehow and I thought this might be the forum to ask within - maybe I was wrong which is a shame.

Why are you disappointed nick?

Just put in the 9W lamps suggested above.

They will be far more efficient with the same light output. Then just wire up the switch as it was and forget the dimmer. You bought the wrong one anyway!

Oh, and building PC's can't end in fire, loss of life, or a jail sentence!

 

[ColJack]

standard dimmers do not make a light any more efficient..
the excess power is disipated by the dimmer which defeats the object..

just put lower wattage bulbs in, or the energy saving ones shown here

 

[bernardgreen]

standard dimmers do not make a light any more efficient.. the excess power is disipated by the dimmer which defeats the objectre

The dimmer does reduce power used by controlling the power allowed to reach the lamp. The lamp isn't more efficient, just less electrical power is used.

Only a watt or two of power is disapated in the dimmer at any setting. If the excess power was disapated the dimmer running a 100 watt bulb at half brightness would be getting quite hot. Like the old resistive stage lighting dimmers where the lighting technician kept his meat pies warm.

 

[Steve]

Two things on this - and to be honest am slightly disappointed on replies

First - reason for so many hall lights and the reason that they are 50W is that we have a 42 foot long hall, live in a basement flat with no outside lighting in that area.

Second the reason for the dimmer is to try and cut down on both electricity and also attempt to be somewhat green in our outlook.

We tried a myriad of ways to get round this by using energy efficient bulbs etc but none worked to the effect we needed.

They are not halogen lights.

And yes I don't know what L1 and L2 are but I'm kinda quick to learn - I have been putting together PCs for the past twenty years which I taught myself in - we all need to learn somehow and I thought this might be the forum to ask within - maybe I was wrong which is a shame.

Ok, if the lights will be on for long periods (dark hallway), the lights i showed you above are more than ideal. At 9 watts each, you cant go wrong, and they give off a far better light than halogen lamps. We have them in our bathroom and they are excellent, the room is so much brighter than with the 50w halogens we had.

I respect you for trying to be green, but dimmers are far from green!

"i have 10 50w spots" indicates halogens to me??? Or are you referring to my lamp? Halogen is a dying breed anyway, once filament lamps get banned! Go on, get some 9 wat lamps!!! You know it makes sense!!

 

[tim west]

I agree with Bernard on the dimmer, those quoting that a dimmer somehow is dissipating the energy are wrong and don't understand the principle of phase angle dimming, the dimmer does indeed reduce the available power to the load.