Lights on Dimmer switch flicker from 2/3 to full
 

Hi,

I am wondering if anybody could shed some light on this...

I have two 40W bulbs in my lounge on a double switch. I replaced the
switch for a double dimmer.

All was ok for a while until one of them started to flicker rapidly as
I turned the dial up from about 2/3 to full, the flickering got faster
as the dial was rotated closer to full, but below the 2/3 mark, the
bulb appeared steady.

The other light was fine until the dimmer stopped working completely
one night and I could only get full on/off, with no flickering.

I took the dimmer back to Homebase and swapped it. Wired it in last
night and now both bulbs flicker rapidly when turned up from about 2/3
to full. Again, below about 2/3 the bulbs appear to be steady.

The lounge bulbs are on a seperate fuse from everything else.

Is this my wiring? Or have I managed to buy two dud dimmer switches?

It's starting to confuse me as up to now, I have never had a problem
with wiring.

Thank you for your time.


/Heds

In article .com,
wrote:
I have two 40W bulbs in my lounge on a double switch. I replaced the
switch for a double dimmer.

All was ok for a while until one of them started to flicker rapidly as
I turned the dial up from about 2/3 to full, the flickering got faster
as the dial was rotated closer to full, but below the 2/3 mark, the
bulb appeared steady.

First thing I'd look at is the *minimum* load requirement. As a rough
guide it's

40 watt for a 250 watt dimmer
60 watt for a 400 watt one.

But it should be somewhere on the packaging or instructions.

--
*A day without sunshine is like... night.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I am wondering if anybody could shed some light on this...

I have two 40W bulbs in my lounge on a double switch. I replaced the
switch for a double dimmer.

All was ok for a while until one of them started to flicker rapidly as
I turned the dial up from about 2/3 to full, the flickering got faster
as the dial was rotated closer to full, but below the 2/3 mark, the
bulb appeared steady.

The other light was fine until the dimmer stopped working completely
one night and I could only get full on/off, with no flickering.

I took the dimmer back to Homebase and swapped it. Wired it in last
night and now both bulbs flicker rapidly when turned up from about 2/3
to full. Again, below about 2/3 the bulbs appear to be steady.

The lounge bulbs are on a seperate fuse from everything else.

Is this my wiring? Or have I managed to buy two dud dimmer switches?

It's starting to confuse me as up to now, I have never had a problem
with wiring.

Thank you for your time.

Minimum load on cheap dimmers is 100W. Had to buy an expensive £15 one to
dim kids bedroom 60W bulb.

In article .com,
writes:
Hi,

I am wondering if anybody could shed some light on this...

I have two 40W bulbs in my lounge on a double switch. I replaced the
switch for a double dimmer.

All was ok for a while until one of them started to flicker rapidly as
I turned the dial up from about 2/3 to full, the flickering got faster
as the dial was rotated closer to full, but below the 2/3 mark, the
bulb appeared steady.

The other light was fine until the dimmer stopped working completely
one night and I could only get full on/off, with no flickering.

I took the dimmer back to Homebase and swapped it. Wired it in last
night and now both bulbs flicker rapidly when turned up from about 2/3
to full. Again, below about 2/3 the bulbs appear to be steady.

The lounge bulbs are on a seperate fuse from everything else.

Is this my wiring? Or have I managed to buy two dud dimmer switches?

It's starting to confuse me as up to now, I have never had a problem
with wiring.

Dimmers have a minimum load as well as a maximum load.
Are you below the minimum load for the dimmer?
You could temporarily try a 60W or 100W lamp and see
if this solves the problem (although the symptom you
describe is not what I've seen from running them below
their minimum power rating).

When one dimmer failed to on/off mode only, did that
coincide with a lamp blowing? Sounds like the Triac
died, which is not unexpected on lamp failure, but if
it happened otherwise, I suspect the dimmer is just
too cheaply made. What make is it?

--
Andrew Gabriel