I'm thinking of fitting some low voltage halogens in a bathroom and I have
looked a the Wiki but have a few more questions:

1) Is the only reason you'd use a toroidal transformer to be able to use a
dimmer?

2) Is the switching generally done on the high voltage side?

3) I want to have a bank of four for the main bathroom and a separate one
for above the shower. Is there a more elegant way of switching them rather
than having two separate pendants? Can you get a single pendant that will
toggle two sets of lights like this: on/on, on/off, off/on, off/off? I would
imagine it's unlikely. What about a single unit with two cords? Any other
ideas for a switch that will be in the bathroom in Zone 3? I've thought
about a wireless switch but these seem to be very expensive.

4) Since at least one of the lights will be in Zone 2, all lights are going
to be IP65. Can you get the 'eyeball' type halogens in IP65? I imagine
they'd be expensive needing a good seal.

TIA

On 2007-09-03 11:56:53 +0100, "elziko" said:

I'm thinking of fitting some low voltage halogens in a bathroom and I have
looked a the Wiki but have a few more questions:

1) Is the only reason you'd use a toroidal transformer to be able to use a
dimmer?

There isn't really a reason to use one at all. You can get
electronic transformers which are dimmable




2) Is the switching generally done on the high voltage side?

Yes, and the dimming.


3) I want to have a bank of four for the main bathroom and a separate one
for above the shower. Is there a more elegant way of switching them rather
than having two separate pendants? Can you get a single pendant that will
toggle two sets of lights like this: on/on, on/off, off/on, off/off? I would
imagine it's unlikely. What about a single unit with two cords? Any other
ideas for a switch that will be in the bathroom in Zone 3? I've thought
about a wireless switch but these seem to be very expensive.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIQ1402.html



4) Since at least one of the lights will be in Zone 2, all lights are going
to be IP65. Can you get the 'eyeball' type halogens in IP65? I imagine
they'd be expensive needing a good seal.

TIA

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...gen/index.html

Thanks very much for your reply!

3) I want to have a bank of four for the main bathroom and a
separate one for above the shower. Is there a more elegant way of
switching them rather than having two separate pendants? Can you get
a single pendant that will toggle two sets of lights like this:
on/on, on/off, off/on, off/off? I would imagine it's unlikely. What
about a single unit with two cords? Any other ideas for a switch
that will be in the bathroom in Zone 3? I've thought about a
wireless switch but these seem to be very expensive.

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIQ1402.html


So would it be acceptable to mount one of these inside a bathroom? I thought
that I /had/ to use pull cords?


4) Since at least one of the lights will be in Zone 2, all lights
are going to be IP65. Can you get the 'eyeball' type halogens in
IP65? I imagine they'd be expensive needing a good seal.

http://www.tlcdirect.co.uk/Main_Inde...gen/index.html


None of those seem to be described as 'eyeball' which is the word that TLC
seems to use to describe a light that can be angled in various directions.
On that page are you saying that this one in particular is such a light?:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/GL3043C.html

It doesn't seem to look quite like the eyeball lights that TLC sell in the
non-shower section:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...age/index.html

TIA

elziko wrote:
Thanks very much for your reply!

3) I want to have a bank of four for the main bathroom and a
separate one for above the shower. Is there a more elegant way of
switching them rather than having two separate pendants? Can you get
a single pendant that will toggle two sets of lights like this:
on/on, on/off, off/on, off/off? I would imagine it's unlikely. What
about a single unit with two cords? Any other ideas for a switch
that will be in the bathroom in Zone 3? I've thought about a
wireless switch but these seem to be very expensive.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIQ1402.html


So would it be acceptable to mount one of these inside a bathroom? I thought
that I /had/ to use pull cords?

Not in Zone 3. You need to use something appropriate for the
circumstance. So if it is well away from sources of wet, then you are ok.

You could also control the shower light by other means... flow switch on
the shower perhaps!


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Sep 3, 3:24 pm, John Rumm wrote:
elziko wrote:
Thanks very much for your reply!

3) I want to have a bank of four for the main bathroom and a
separate one for above the shower. Is there a more elegant way of
switching them rather than having two separate pendants? Can you get
a single pendant that will toggle two sets of lights like this:
on/on, on/off, off/on, off/off? I would imagine it's unlikely. What
about a single unit with two cords? Any other ideas for a switch
that will be in the bathroom in Zone 3? I've thought about a
wireless switch but these seem to be very expensive.
http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIQ1402.html

So would it be acceptable to mount one of these inside a bathroom? I thought
that I /had/ to use pull cords?

Not in Zone 3. You need to use something appropriate for the
circumstance. So if it is well away from sources of wet, then you are ok.

You could also control the shower light by other means... flow switch on
the shower perhaps!

I moved our bathroom light switch outside of the door for that very
reason. I don't really see the need for it to be inside the room -
it's not like it is going to suddenly get dark whilst you are already
in there!

I've got pretty much the same arrangement as Andy suggested - a dual
varilight dimmer outside the door. One channel runs 'effect' lighting
(shelf lighting, behind mirror lighting and one to illuminate the
window recess), the other runs the main lights (4 x downlights).

When you are using SELV lighting, does it need to be IP rated if it's
not in a shower? I'm unclear on the regs there...

Going back to elziko's other question, the 'GL3043' ones from TLC are
pretty adjustable and should satisfy most requirements.

Steve

John Rumm wrote:
You could also control the shower light by other means... flow switch
on the shower perhaps!

Mmmm, I really like that idea! TLC doesn't seem to sell these flow
switches - have you seen them somewhere? I'm having a new shower fitted so
this is a good time to fit something like this.

elziko wrote:

I'm thinking of fitting some low voltage halogens in a bathroom and I have
looked a the Wiki but have a few more questions:

1) Is the only reason you'd use a toroidal transformer to be able to use a
dimmer?

Toroids should not be on dimmers. The advantage of toroidal is
reliability. Other than that they have nothing but downsides.


2) Is the switching generally done on the high voltage side?

yes

http://www.wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index....26_Switchbanks


NT

meow2222 wrote...
elziko wrote:
1) Is the only reason you'd use a toroidal transformer to be able to use
a
dimmer?

Toroids should not be on dimmers. The advantage of toroidal is
reliability. Other than that they have nothing but downsides.



Not strictly true, in a lot of situations the reduced stray magnetic field
is a big advantage (I make music in my loft, last thing I want is hum picked
up on the signal cables), they're a lot quieter acoustically (ditto for
noise picked up by microphones), not suffering from the magnetostrictive
vibration like traditional E-I core transformers, and usually a little more
efficient and smaller.
The electronic "transformers" are actually switch-mode supplies, and
generate a hell of a lot more electronic noise than the trad iron-cored
ones, although they are dimmable while transformers generally kill dimmers
due to induced voltages at switchover unless the dimmer's particularly well
designed.

--
Dave H.
(The engineer formerly known as Homeless)

"Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men" -
Douglas Bader

elziko wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
You could also control the shower light by other means... flow switch
on the shower perhaps!

Mmmm, I really like that idea! TLC doesn't seem to sell these flow
switches - have you seen them somewhere? I'm having a new shower fitted so
this is a good time to fit something like this.

Try part numbers 17896 or 17897 at www.bes.ltd.uk


--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

stevelup wrote:


I moved our bathroom light switch outside of the door for that very
reason. I don't really see the need for it to be inside the room -
it's not like it is going to suddenly get dark whilst you are already
in there!

Oh boy, you obviously didn't grow up in a family like mine or have kids
or a wife like me then.

Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net

On Mon, 03 Sep 2007 10:56:53 GMT, "elziko" wrote:

I'm thinking of fitting some low voltage halogens in a bathroom and I have
looked a the Wiki but have a few more questions:

1) Is the only reason you'd use a toroidal transformer to be able to use a
dimmer?

2) Is the switching generally done on the high voltage side?

3) I want to have a bank of four for the main bathroom and a separate one
for above the shower. Is there a more elegant way of switching them rather
than having two separate pendants? Can you get a single pendant that will
toggle two sets of lights like this: on/on, on/off, off/on, off/off? I would
imagine it's unlikely. What about a single unit with two cords? Any other
ideas for a switch that will be in the bathroom in Zone 3? I've thought
about a wireless switch but these seem to be very expensive.

4) Since at least one of the lights will be in Zone 2, all lights are going
to be IP65. Can you get the 'eyeball' type halogens in IP65? I imagine
they'd be expensive needing a good seal.

TIA

I think you'll find you only need IP44 for Zone 2, according to TLC's
technical data sheet on zoning

On Sep 4, 8:21 am, (Peter Ashby) wrote:
stevelup wrote:

I moved our bathroom light switch outside of the door for that very
reason. I don't really see the need for it to be inside the room -
it's not like it is going to suddenly get dark whilst you are already
in there!

Oh boy, you obviously didn't grow up in a family like mine or have kids
or a wife like me then.

Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a countrywww.the-brights.net

I can't comment on your family but I do have kids and a wife... They
all seem to cope just fine having the light switches outside the
bathroom!

"stevelup" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Sep 4, 8:21 am, (Peter Ashby) wrote:
stevelup wrote:

I moved our bathroom light switch outside of the door for that very
reason. I don't really see the need for it to be inside the room -
it's not like it is going to suddenly get dark whilst you are already
in there!

Oh boy, you obviously didn't grow up in a family like mine or have kids
or a wife like me then.

I can't comment on your family but I do have kids and a wife... They
all seem to cope just fine having the light switches outside the
bathroom!

You mean your kids have missed the obvious comedy opportunities afforded by
turning the lights out on their dad while he's in the bath?

cheers,
clive

stevelup wrote:

On Sep 4, 8:21 am, (Peter Ashby) wrote:
stevelup wrote:

I moved our bathroom light switch outside of the door for that very
reason. I don't really see the need for it to be inside the room -
it's not like it is going to suddenly get dark whilst you are already
in there!

Oh boy, you obviously didn't grow up in a family like mine or have kids
or a wife like me then.


I can't comment on your family but I do have kids and a wife... They
all seem to cope just fine having the light switches outside the
bathroom!

If your kids haven't thought of the wheeze of leaving their sibling in
darkness in the bathroom then I hold little hope for their creativity.
In my family a whole culture of ever more fiendish endarkenments would
have ensued.

Peter
--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net

Clive George wrote:

"stevelup" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Sep 4, 8:21 am, (Peter Ashby) wrote:
stevelup wrote:

I moved our bathroom light switch outside of the door for that very
reason. I don't really see the need for it to be inside the room -
it's not like it is going to suddenly get dark whilst you are already
in there!

Oh boy, you obviously didn't grow up in a family like mine or have kids
or a wife like me then.

I can't comment on your family but I do have kids and a wife... They
all seem to cope just fine having the light switches outside the
bathroom!

You mean your kids have missed the obvious comedy opportunities afforded by
turning the lights out on their dad while he's in the bath?

Yup, it's all in the timing. The comedic possibilities are almost
infinite. Back where I used to work in London in order to save
electrickery costs they installed movement sensors on the lights in the
corridors, they were so sensitive you were usually 3/4 of the way along
before they would turn on. The real problem was they also put them in
the toilets, so there you would be, on your own sitting on the bog, and
the lights would go out. Now yours truly having as a teacher once said:
'arms like an Orang-Utan' could just reach up and wave. They got lots of
complaints from the smaller members of the female sex though.

Fortunately this sort of thing stopped in the actual labs, not much fun
trying decant 4Molar NaOH into a measuring cylinder when the lights go
out.

Peter

--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net

In article , Clive George wrote:
You mean your kids have missed the obvious comedy opportunities afforded by
turning the lights out on their dad while he's in the bath?

Dad was a troglodyte (caver) before the kids were conceived. Kids can amuse themselves as they like, but the only way it's going to be troublesome is if Dad is in the bath trying to read something important. Of course, what is important in the bath is a little different from what is important in the toilet. But the wise troglodyte knows how to get to his back-up light under conditions that the Medway Handyman wouldn't get into.

--
Aidan
Aberdeen, Scotland
Written at Thu, 06 Sep 2007 01:34 +0100, but posted later.

Aidan Karley wrote:

In article , Clive George wrote:
You mean your kids have missed the obvious comedy opportunities afforded by
turning the lights out on their dad while he's in the bath?

Dad was a troglodyte (caver) before the kids were conceived. Kids can
amuse themselves as they like, but the only way it's going to be
troublesome is if Dad is in the bath trying to read something
important. Of course, what is important in the bath is a little
different from what is important in the toilet. But the wise troglodyte
knows how to get to his back-up light under conditions that the Medway
Handyman wouldn't get into.

I don't think we need to go into where he kept his candle while on the
loo...

Peter

--
Add my middle initial to email me. It has become attached to a country
www.the-brights.net

In article , Peter
Ashby wrote:
I don't think we need to go into where he kept his candle while on the
loo...

In the cistern, with the waterproof matches?

--
Aidan
Aberdeen, Scotland
Written at Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:09 +0100, but posted later.