Remote dimmer with only 2-core link

[sammoseley]

Hi, does anyone know if you can get remote dimmers that can be wired 2-way with only a 2-wire link between the 2 switches. I think "varilight" ones discussed on this forum need 3 wires so aren't an option, any advice much appreciated
cheers Sam

 

[andy]

2 way switchin requires 3 cores. it cannot be done with 2

 

[plugwash]

2 way swtiching can be done with only two cores between if the mains feed and the wire to the light come to opposite switches

can you give us details of exactly how your current setup is wired (including any wires that appear to be spare)

 

[breezer]

that is as is, but as the poster said the varilight one needs 3 wires

 

[plugwash]

im not entirely convinced it does

if you have a setup where at one of the switches a live has been borrowed from another switch in the box AND you have a full twin and earth (probablly with one core unused) from the second switch to the light you could fit one of the remote dimmers.

 

[sammoseley]

Existing setup is,

Switch 1 (non dimmer):

Live in
2 cores out to other switch

Switch 2 (dimmer):
Live out to lights
2 cores from other switch

so each switch has 3 connections but there are only 2 wires between them. It would be great if varilight could work with this but I'm pretty sure it doesn't looking at other posts. so wondered if there was any alternative...sadly adding another wire isn't an option...cheers Sam

 

[sammoseley]

sorry plugwash meant to say theres no option of borrowing a live from another switch in the box, and theres no earths anywhere so physically no spare wires

 

[andy]

and theres no earths anywhere

i hope you only have class 2 switchs (or even lights)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

sorry plugwash meant to say theres no option of borrowing a live from another switch in the box, and theres no earths anywhere so physically no spare wires

Thank heavens for that!

No earth is not good, but it's not catastrophic.

Unlike your idea, definitely implied by what you wrote, that if there was an earth, then you would have 3 cores that you could use for master/slave dimmers......