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Default Wiring bedroom lights

i am in the process of refubishing our bedroom we have decided we would
like the main room light switched from just inside the door and either
side of the bed;

would this be wired as three way lighting? i.e. two 2 way switches and
one intermediate, if so are intermediate switches available as dimmers?
would it be possible to wire all three switches as dimmers
Thanks in advance

andy

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nightjar
 
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wrote in message
oups.com...
i am in the process of refubishing our bedroom we have decided we would
like the main room light switched from just inside the door and either
side of the bed;

would this be wired as three way lighting? i.e. two 2 way switches and
one intermediate,


Yes.

if so are intermediate switches available as dimmers?


I didn't find any when I wanted to do this.

would it be possible to wire all three switches as dimmers


It cannot be done with simple dimmers. ISTR I did find a very expensive
commercial system that would do the dimming centrally, from a number of
separate control points. However, in the end, I put a dimmer for the central
light by the door and switches on each side of the bed. I also put a
wall-mounted reading lamp each side of the bed, each dimmed from a switch
below it, and turned on or off by switches by the door and on the other side
of the bed.

Colin Bignell



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Dave Plowman (News)
 
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In article .com,
wrote:
i am in the process of refubishing our bedroom we have decided we would
like the main room light switched from just inside the door and either
side of the bed;


would this be wired as three way lighting? i.e. two 2 way switches and
one intermediate, if so are intermediate switches available as dimmers?


No - but most push on push off dimmers have a two way switch. But you can
only use one in the circuit. If looks are important, you can buy matching
push on push off switches for the other two way, but not IIRC as an
intermediate.

would it be possible to wire all three switches as dimmers


Only with a very expensive specialised system.

--
*Acupuncture is a jab well done.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
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Ian Stirling
 
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wrote:
i am in the process of refubishing our bedroom we have decided we would
like the main room light switched from just inside the door and either
side of the bed;

would this be wired as three way lighting? i.e. two 2 way switches and
one intermediate, if so are intermediate switches available as dimmers?
would it be possible to wire all three switches as dimmers
Thanks in advance


Hmm.

Ok, AIUI, you can wire dimmers in parallel safely, you just get the brightest
setting.

We have a problem - conventional three way lighting turns lights either
on or off when any switch is activated.
Add seperate dimmers at each switch. and then things become less defined.

Live
| |
-------
|o o|
| / | A
|o o|
-------
| |
| |
-------
|o o|
| / | B
|o o|
-------
| |
| |
-------
|o o|
| / | C
|o o|
-------
| |
| R
|-------------Dimmer A----|
|-------------Dimmer B----+----Light---- Neutral
|-------------Dimmer C----|
Q

Is one way of doing it.
This lets you turn on and off the light to the brightness of the maximum
brightness set.


I can't think of a simple way (other than replacing the light with a non-fan
heater of 2-3 times its rating, and connecting the light between point Q and
neutral, of doing it to minimum brightness.

What would be really handy for this would be a dimmer switch that took a
third wire, and when it went dead, reset to minimum brightness.


Hmm.
Thinking on this...
If dimmer A and B were moved to R, and were on the bed, this might work.
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Andy Burns
 
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Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

would it be possible to wire all three switches as dimmers

Only with a very expensive specialised system.


These master/slave dimmers aren't *horribly* expensive ...

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...s_5/index.html
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Stefek Zaba
 
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Andy Burns wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

would it be possible to wire all three switches as dimmers


Only with a very expensive specialised system.



These master/slave dimmers aren't *horribly* expensive ...

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...s_5/index.html

At a tenner a throw for the masters, seven notes for the slaves, and the
option of using just about any IR remote (or your trusty Palm Pilot ;-)
as an extra control - not 'horribly' pricey at all, and I suspect an
order of magnitude cheaper than the Strand, Zero88, and other
pro-installation dimmers I suspect Dave had in mind ;-)


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Dave Plowman (News)
 
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In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
Only with a very expensive specialised system.


These master/slave dimmers aren't *horribly* expensive ...


http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Wiring_Accessories_Menu_Index/White_Telco_Index/Wiring_Accessories~Dimmers_5/index.html

You're right. As A TLC junkie I'm mortified I hadn't seen these. ;-)

--
*I almost had a psychic girlfriend but she left me before we met *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.
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Simon Pawson
 
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I've used them - they are very good and do exactly what they say on the
tin. They work with the TLC lv transformers and lv lights as well.

I've got them both sides of the bed and at the door controlling the room
(3-way) and over bed lights and a separate setup at the dressing table
and door controlling the dressing table and wardrobe lights (2-way)..

The only drawback is that the plastic covers on the back of some of the
fittings is a little loose so I added a drop of glue so that the covers
didn't come off when I put them in. It was fiddly putting multiple wires
into one set by the bed head (as I couldn't run one side of the bed back
to the junction box). I used deep metal boxes to allow for the extra
wiring.

The masters run slightly warm even when the lights are off - at some
time I'll dismantle the system to see what the current drawn is when it
is off.

Any questions and I'll try to answer them.

Simon


In article , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Andy Burns wrote:
Only with a very expensive specialised system.


These master/slave dimmers aren't *horribly* expensive ...


http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind..._Menu_Index/Wh
ite_Telco_Index/Wiring_Accessories~Dimmers_5/index.html

You're right. As A TLC junkie I'm mortified I hadn't seen these. ;-)


--
Simon Pawson
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