Hi All
The recent thread about blowing bulbs reminded me of this:

Some years ago I fitted a pair of touch dimmer switches from TLC:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIDQ1401MS.html

These are for for ceiling lamps in our living room. These were originally 'standard' light bulb fitting; I have since replaced them with two fittings each with 3x Halogen g9 40W bulbs.

Cut to a number of years later, and over a period of a year or som, both dimmers got less reliable (light would cut out on its own etc.). Eventually I replaced them both with the same item.

One of these works fine. The second dimmer seemed to fail after a week or so (light failed to turn on when touch place pressed) and I returned it to TLC for a replacement.

However there seems to be more to it than that; What seems to happen is that after a few days the replacement dimmer also stops working. If I then trip the mains MCB for that lighting circuit, and re power it, it is fine ... for a few days.

The wiring to the dimmer is solid and I don't think anything else has been changed in the lighting circuit.

Assuming I've not just been unlucky with dwo dodgy dimmers, any thoughts as to what might be causing this? I originally wondered if the load might be too little but the switches are rated at 60W minimum...

Thanks a lot
J^n

jkn wrote:
Hi All
The recent thread about blowing bulbs reminded me of this:

Some years ago I fitted a pair of touch dimmer switches from TLC:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIDQ1401MS.html

These are for for ceiling lamps in our living room. These were originally 'standard' light bulb fitting; I have since replaced them with two fittings each with 3x Halogen g9 40W bulbs.

Cut to a number of years later, and over a period of a year or som, both dimmers got less reliable (light would cut out on its own etc.). Eventually I replaced them both with the same item.

One of these works fine. The second dimmer seemed to fail after a week or so (light failed to turn on when touch place pressed) and I returned it to TLC for a replacement.

However there seems to be more to it than that; What seems to happen is that after a few days the replacement dimmer also stops working. If I then trip the mains MCB for that lighting circuit, and re power it, it is fine ... for a few days.

The wiring to the dimmer is solid and I don't think anything else has been changed in the lighting circuit.

Assuming I've not just been unlucky with dwo dodgy dimmers, any thoughts as to what might be causing this? I originally wondered if the load might be too little but the switches are rated at 60W minimum...

Thanks a lot
J^n

Is the earth connected all the way through to the back box and to the
dimmer itself?

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 1:00:35 PM UTC+1, jkn wrote:
Hi All

The recent thread about blowing bulbs reminded me of this:



Some years ago I fitted a pair of touch dimmer switches from TLC:



http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIDQ1401MS.html



These are for for ceiling lamps in our living room. These were originally 'standard' light bulb fitting; I have since replaced them with two fittings each with 3x Halogen g9 40W bulbs.



Cut to a number of years later, and over a period of a year or som, both dimmers got less reliable (light would cut out on its own etc.). Eventually I replaced them both with the same item.



One of these works fine. The second dimmer seemed to fail after a week or so (light failed to turn on when touch place pressed) and I returned it to TLC for a replacement.



However there seems to be more to it than that; What seems to happen is that after a few days the replacement dimmer also stops working. If I then trip the mains MCB for that lighting circuit, and re power it, it is fine .... for a few days.



The wiring to the dimmer is solid and I don't think anything else has been changed in the lighting circuit.



Assuming I've not just been unlucky with dwo dodgy dimmers, any thoughts as to what might be causing this? I originally wondered if the load might be too little but the switches are rated at 60W minimum...

I'm not sure how this minimim works, but I have noticed that if my dimmer (rotate to dim, push for on/off) is set to mininmum and I push for ON the lights don't come ON, even on turning it 'up' but if I switch push off/on again then they light and I can then dim them to miniumum without a problem.

I assume they still use SCRs so maybe they need a certain current flowing through thier gates in order for them to conduct properly, if not they stay off. The current needed might equate to a 60W of load.

Remebring that they don;t reduce the current to the load but switch off or on depending what part of teh sine wave cycle ...

I don;t have an MCB's just fuses so not sure about that side of it.

On 16/05/2013 13:00, jkn wrote:
However there seems to be more to it than that; What seems to happen
is that after a few days the replacement dimmer also stops working.
If I then trip the mains MCB for that lighting circuit, and re power
it, it is fine ... for a few days.

I don't have an answer for you, but do recall someone describing exactly
this situation with their lounge lights on the same dimmer to me as
well. So I guess its a known issue. I would be tempted to call varilight
and ask for their tech support people.



--
Cheers,

John.

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

Hi John

I don't have an answer for you, but do recall someone describing exactly

this situation with their lounge lights on the same dimmer to me as

well. So I guess its a known issue. I would be tempted to call varilight

and ask for their tech support people.


Hmm ...

http://www.varilight.co.uk/technical/t17.html

"""
VARILIGHT® Technical Support
VARILIGHT Touch or Remote Control Dimmers

My Touch or Remote Control Dimmer won't turn on

This problem can sometimes be solved by resetting the dimmer by turning off and on again at the circuit breaker.
"""

not impressed ... I'd better give them a call.

Thanks
J^n

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 3:37:38 PM UTC+1, jkn wrote:
Hi John



I don't have an answer for you, but do recall someone describing exactly



this situation with their lounge lights on the same dimmer to me as



well. So I guess its a known issue. I would be tempted to call varilight



and ask for their tech support people.





Hmm ...



http://www.varilight.co.uk/technical/t17.html



"""

VARILIGHT® Technical Support

VARILIGHT Touch or Remote Control Dimmers



My Touch or Remote Control Dimmer won't turn on



This problem can sometimes be solved by resetting the dimmer by turning off and on again at the circuit breaker.

"""



not impressed ... I'd better give them a call.

Yeah tech support.., IT Crowd have you tried turning it off and on again :-)

Well most touch devices like this have a high impedance impute that either
picks up noise from the person touching it, or it just changes an
oscillator. Not up to speed with the latest methods, but if the plate picks
up stuff, one can imagine the situation where it will no longer respond to
touch as its already saturated or overloaded.
I've never had much luck with these touch dimmers myself and though I do
not now have much need of them, I thought by now they would have got them
working reliably!

Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"jkn" wrote in message
...
Hi All
The recent thread about blowing bulbs reminded me of this:

Some years ago I fitted a pair of touch dimmer switches from TLC:

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/VLIDQ1401MS.html

These are for for ceiling lamps in our living room. These were originally
'standard' light bulb fitting; I have since replaced them with two
fittings each with 3x Halogen g9 40W bulbs.

Cut to a number of years later, and over a period of a year or som, both
dimmers got less reliable (light would cut out on its own etc.).
Eventually I replaced them both with the same item.

One of these works fine. The second dimmer seemed to fail after a week or
so (light failed to turn on when touch place pressed) and I returned it to
TLC for a replacement.

However there seems to be more to it than that; What seems to happen is
that after a few days the replacement dimmer also stops working. If I then
trip the mains MCB for that lighting circuit, and re power it, it is fine
... for a few days.

The wiring to the dimmer is solid and I don't think anything else has been
changed in the lighting circuit.

Assuming I've not just been unlucky with dwo dodgy dimmers, any thoughts
as to what might be causing this? I originally wondered if the load might
be too little but the switches are rated at 60W minimum...

Thanks a lot
J^n

This rememinded me of a guy whos mobile kept turning on his hall light
which had a touch plate switch on it. Not terribly useful...
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"whisky-dave" wrote in message
...
On Thursday, May 16, 2013 3:37:38 PM UTC+1, jkn wrote:
Hi John



I don't have an answer for you, but do recall someone describing exactly



this situation with their lounge lights on the same dimmer to me as



well. So I guess its a known issue. I would be tempted to call varilight



and ask for their tech support people.





Hmm ...



http://www.varilight.co.uk/technical/t17.html



"""

VARILIGHT® Technical Support

VARILIGHT Touch or Remote Control Dimmers



My Touch or Remote Control Dimmer won't turn on



This problem can sometimes be solved by resetting the dimmer by turning
off and on again at the circuit breaker.

"""



not impressed ... I'd better give them a call.

Yeah tech support.., IT Crowd have you tried turning it off and on again
:-)

Hi guys,
from the website your shared, this kind of dimmer switch is too old one, we always use glass panel dimmer switch. it's more safety then that one