[eob]

Hello all,
just a quick question about availability of switches.
When we got the garage converted to a playroom/study, I got the sparky to put 5 downlighters in the overhang outside the window and above the front door.
He wired these and the 6 internal downlighters to a 2 gang dimmer switch.

All was well and tbh, the facility to dim the outside lights created quite a nice effect, but as is always the way with me , I wanted to replace the GU10 lamps with LED versions to reduce power consumption.

Now I was aware that you can't dim an LED lamp so I only bought one to try it and it worked okay as long as the dimmer was turned up full.
So I bought another 4 and they all worked well (very crisp white light actually) until I noticed that they were starting to flicker. Eventually they stopped working and I diagnosed that they had burned out the dimmer switch.

So, the real reason for this thread is does anyone know if I can purchase a 2 gang switch with one side a dimmer (internal lights) and one side an on/off switch (outside lights)?
Searches on t'internet have proved fruitless.

[Da_Rude_Baboon]

You can buy a dual gang back box, (i.e. it fits two single gang face plates instead of one dual) which would allow you to have one switch for the external lights and one dimmer for the internals.

[aberdeenpaul]

You could buy an MK grid faceplate (2 gang) with inserts for a switch and one side for a dimmer this would allow you to utilise the one back box and no rework on the wall required



http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...x/Grid_System/

[rssteve]

as paul have said use a grid system. The MK dimmers will probably need a 25mm back box at the minimum, if not a 35mm. Also check the rating of the dimmer module. Steve

[Groover]

As the others have said. You need the MK Grid Plus system switches, yokes and plates.
The single dimmer should be 2 way 220w part no. K4501 WHILV. Just ask for similar in a single switch. They aint cheap though

I use these with the MK Aspect face plates all over the house.

[eob]

Smashing,
thanks everybody, just what I was looking for. I see what you mean about not being cheap, but it'll be worth it to get what I want.

[Bacus]

i am interested in using LED GU10 bulbs in my lounge and i was told that you can not get a dimmer switch to control these bulbs, just have to make sure it runs the right wattage. Was i told wrong ?? Regards Bacus

[Bacus]

Found this artical......................
Modern dimmer switches use electronics to increase efficiency and safety. The alternating current (AC) of mains electricity has a varying polarity moving from a positive voltage to a negative voltage 50-60 times per second. The modern dimmer switch simply turns off the power to the lighting circuit every time the electricity supply changes polarity - with the time spent in the off-state controlled by the dimmer switch.

When the lights are very dim, the power to the lighting circuit is kept off for a (relatively) long time, and when the lights are bright, the power to the lighting circuit is on almost all the time. The human eye cannot detect the lights strobing on and off more than 100 times per second and so the lights appear to just change in brightness.

For more detailed information on dimmer switches click here to read the article How Dimmer Switches Work from the excellent howstuffworks.com website.


Dimmer Switches and 240V AC LED Bulbs
In short, the old-fashioned style of dimmer switch CAN be used with LED bulbs. The internal variable resistor in the dimmer switch simply reduces the amount of voltage available for the bulb which in turn reduces its brightness.
Note that LED bulbs are far more sensitive to voltage than conventional incandescent and halogen bulbs, and so small changes made to the dimmer switch setting have a much larger effect on bulb brightness.

The new style of dimmer switch which turns the supply on and off CANNOT be used with 240V AC LED bulbs as it will seriously reduce their operational lifetime.

To find out what kind of dimmer switch you have it is not necessary to be an electricity-whizz. If the dimmer switch feels warm to the touch when the lights have been on and dimmed for a while, you have the old type, otherwise you have the modern version.

[leelewis]

hi, im sorry for jumping in on this one a bit late!! but you dont have to use a grid system if you dont want to. you can by a switch module that will fit in place of the existing burnt out dimmer. ther only about 3-4 pounds and are very easy to fit. just pull off the dimmer knob unscrew the nut and remove to dimmer then replace with the switch module!

[eob]

Originally Posted by leelewis

hi, im sorry for jumping in on this one a bit late!! but you dont have to use a grid system if you dont want to. you can by a switch module that will fit in place of the existing burnt out dimmer. ther only about 3-4 pounds and are very easy to fit. just pull off the dimmer knob unscrew the nut and remove to dimmer then replace with the switch module!

Hi,
already replaced the dimmer switch because during my fault finding I used the other gang on the outside lights to see what happened and it went pop too!
Her indoors was none too happy (did it at night time) so I replaced it next day with an MK one.
It has an interesting feature of fading in to the last set level when you switch it on.
Very nice, but confusing to them not in the know as the twiddle the knob and then get blinded.

[Groover]

EOb, it IS a nice feature with the slight delay when turned on too. Gald it all worked out.