I have to replace a 2 gang dimmer switch, one gang operates the lights,
the other gang I havent a clue, dont even know if it is wired.
Anyhow I bought a replacement but just noticed it is a 2 gang, 2 way.

Is usable or have I purchased the wrong item.
Its the 2 way part that I am not sure about.

ss wrote:

Its the 2 way part that I am not sure about.

It's ok, you can use 2-way switches as 1-way.

"ss" wrote in message
...
I have to replace a 2 gang dimmer switch, one gang operates the lights, the
other gang I havent a clue, dont even know if it is wired.
Anyhow I bought a replacement but just noticed it is a 2 gang, 2 way.

Is usable or have I purchased the wrong item.
Its the 2 way part that I am not sure about.

no problem ....

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 18:27:04 +0000, ss wrote:

I have to replace a 2 gang dimmer switch, one gang operates the lights,
the other gang I havent a clue, dont even know if it is wired.
Anyhow I bought a replacement but just noticed it is a 2 gang, 2 way.

Is usable or have I purchased the wrong item.
Its the 2 way part that I am not sure about.

It would annoy me incessantly to have a two gang switch with only one
in use. Why did you not buy a single gang switch instead?

On 26/11/2016 18:37, Scott wrote:
It would annoy me incessantly to have a two gang switch with only one
in use. Why did you not buy a single gang switch instead?

It was like that when we bought the house and have had too many other
jobs to spend time on it. Easier for me just to replace the switch
bearing in mind I dont know yet if both switches are connected.
If they are I will try and trace the `dead` one.
Maybe it was for an outdoor light or something. Previous owners done a
lot of DIY and they owned a light company :-)
I am slowly replacing their halogens with LED.
Lounge has 12 x 60w, kitchen 13 x halogens.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:04:55 +0000, ss wrote:

On 26/11/2016 18:37, Scott wrote:
It would annoy me incessantly to have a two gang switch with only one
in use. Why did you not buy a single gang switch instead?

It was like that when we bought the house and have had too many other
jobs to spend time on it. Easier for me just to replace the switch
bearing in mind I dont know yet if both switches are connected.

Not sure the time involved would be any different.

If they are I will try and trace the `dead` one.
Maybe it was for an outdoor light or something. Previous owners done a
lot of DIY and they owned a light company :-)

Are you in contact with them perchance? The answer may be a short
phone call away.

I am slowly replacing their halogens with LED.
Lounge has 12 x 60w, kitchen 13 x halogens.

Are these mains voltage or 12V? I have a lot of 12V halogen bulbs and
I am wondering if they can be replaced or if the huge drop in load
would damage the transformer.

On 26/11/2016 19:20, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:04:55 +0000, ss wrote:

On 26/11/2016 18:37, Scott wrote:
It would annoy me incessantly to have a two gang switch with only one
in use. Why did you not buy a single gang switch instead?

It was like that when we bought the house and have had too many other
jobs to spend time on it. Easier for me just to replace the switch
bearing in mind I dont know yet if both switches are connected.

Not sure the time involved would be any different.

If they are I will try and trace the `dead` one.
Maybe it was for an outdoor light or something. Previous owners done a
lot of DIY and they owned a light company :-)

Are you in contact with them perchance? The answer may be a short
phone call away.

I am slowly replacing their halogens with LED.
Lounge has 12 x 60w, kitchen 13 x halogens.

Are these mains voltage or 12V? I have a lot of 12V halogen bulbs and
I am wondering if they can be replaced or if the huge drop in load
would damage the transformer.


The problem is that older transformers do not suit leds. I did find
that as long as one halogen is retained (where several lamps are fed
from one transformer) everything is fine, but changing to all led makes
that circuit flicker. You could of course change transformer as well or
change the MR16 halogens to GU10 leds, you would need the GU10 bulb
connectors and some rewiring.
Where my halogens are only on for short times I have left them, ones
which tend to be kept on for long periods I replaced the transformers
and put in leds.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 20:10:23 +0000, MrCheerful
wrote:

On 26/11/2016 19:20, Scott wrote:
On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:04:55 +0000, ss wrote:

On 26/11/2016 18:37, Scott wrote:
It would annoy me incessantly to have a two gang switch with only one
in use. Why did you not buy a single gang switch instead?

It was like that when we bought the house and have had too many other
jobs to spend time on it. Easier for me just to replace the switch
bearing in mind I dont know yet if both switches are connected.

Not sure the time involved would be any different.

If they are I will try and trace the `dead` one.
Maybe it was for an outdoor light or something. Previous owners done a
lot of DIY and they owned a light company :-)

Are you in contact with them perchance? The answer may be a short
phone call away.

I am slowly replacing their halogens with LED.
Lounge has 12 x 60w, kitchen 13 x halogens.

Are these mains voltage or 12V? I have a lot of 12V halogen bulbs and
I am wondering if they can be replaced or if the huge drop in load
would damage the transformer.


The problem is that older transformers do not suit leds. I did find
that as long as one halogen is retained (where several lamps are fed
from one transformer) everything is fine, but changing to all led makes
that circuit flicker. You could of course change transformer as well or
change the MR16 halogens to GU10 leds, you would need the GU10 bulb
connectors and some rewiring.
Where my halogens are only on for short times I have left them, ones
which tend to be kept on for long periods I replaced the transformers
and put in leds.

Thanks. What do you mean by 'older' in the context of transfomers?
Mine are torroidal transformers installed about 10 years ago. Is the
situation different for electronic transformers and torroidal
transformers? I suspect the cost of replacing a three torroidal
transformers would exceed any savings to be be achieved.

On 26/11/2016 19:20, Scott wrote:
Are you in contact with them perchance? The answer may be a short
phone call away.

I am slowly replacing their halogens with LED.
Lounge has 12 x 60w, kitchen 13 x halogens.
Are these mains voltage or 12V? I have a lot of 12V halogen bulbs and
I am wondering if they can be replaced or if the huge drop in load
would damage the transformer.

No cant contact them.

I believe the halogens were 240v in and 12 v out.
The ones I have replaced and still to replace are in the kitchen and
where I had 9 halogens in the ceiling I have replaced with 4 LED 6 inch
panels total wattage for the 4 is 48W as against 540W and it is much
brighter (cool white).
They cost around £8 per panel on ebay I think each panel has 30+ LEDs in it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3019340747...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 21:38:16 +0000, ss wrote:

On 26/11/2016 19:20, Scott wrote:
Are you in contact with them perchance? The answer may be a short
phone call away.

I am slowly replacing their halogens with LED.
Lounge has 12 x 60w, kitchen 13 x halogens.
Are these mains voltage or 12V? I have a lot of 12V halogen bulbs and
I am wondering if they can be replaced or if the huge drop in load
would damage the transformer.

No cant contact them.

I believe the halogens were 240v in and 12 v out.
The ones I have replaced and still to replace are in the kitchen and
where I had 9 halogens in the ceiling I have replaced with 4 LED 6 inch
panels total wattage for the 4 is 48W as against 540W and it is much
brighter (cool white).
They cost around £8 per panel on ebay I think each panel has 30+ LEDs in it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3019340747...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thanks. That was exactly my concern. I thought that the load and the
coils on a transformer had to be balanced and thefore to substitute
48W for 540W would damage the transformer. I'm sure that overloading
a transformer can cause damage. What I don't know is whether
underloading can cause damage.

Hopefully, one of the experts will appear to explain.

is it two way or two gang?????

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:24:47 -0000, "Jimbo in the near of Hawick ..."
wrote:


is it two way or two gang?????


It's both.


--

Graham.

%Profound_observation%

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:24:47 -0000, "Jimbo in the near of Hawick ..."
wrote:


is it two way or two gang?????

He says it's both. Any reason to doubt that?

"Scott" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 19:24:47 -0000, "Jimbo in the near of Hawick ..."
wrote:


is it two way or two gang?????

He says it's both. Any reason to doubt that?

none...I see that now after re-reading...my sincere humble apogilies ....

Are you sure the old one was not one of those with a timer on/off inside it
for security purposes. I have one of these in my hall.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"ss" wrote in message
...
I have to replace a 2 gang dimmer switch, one gang operates the lights, the
other gang I havent a clue, dont even know if it is wired.
Anyhow I bought a replacement but just noticed it is a 2 gang, 2 way.

Is usable or have I purchased the wrong item.
Its the 2 way part that I am not sure about.

On 27/11/2016 10:01, Brian Gaff wrote:
Are you sure the old one was not one of those with a timer on/off inside it
for security purposes. I have one of these in my hall.
Brian

I doubt it as it has benn left in every conceivable position and nothing
has gone off or on or changed in any way. When I swap it over the next
few days I will find out for sure.

On Sat, 26 Nov 2016 18:27:04 +0000, ss wrote:

[snip]

Thanks for all the advice on 12 Volt LEDs. I have now ordered four
and will carry out some live testing on one of the lighting clusters.