Lighting (Dimmers, EU Dimmers)

SMART SERIES - How do I wire 2-Way or Multiway dimmers?

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18 comments

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    Nigel Fowler

    It's now 8th January and you promised instructions "during December 2017" (see above). Please can you update this.

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    Darren Walsh

    This needs a bit more information.

    I have the first switch in without a problem, but the wiring of the 2nd switch is confusing. I can't seem to get it working without one of the switches losing power.

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    Darren Walsh

    Figured it out. 

    Wire the first switch in the series as normal.

    The 2nd switch, wire the first half as normal.

    The trick comes with wiring the 2nd half which feeds off the primary switch. Leave the live empty and put the 2 wires into the neutral slot. 

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    David Johnson

    I can’t seem to get my gen 2 light switches to work on an existing two way circuit, one switch will work however the second switch has no power feed, can anyone help? Three wires in each back box instructions say live in and live out what happens to the third wire?

    please help as I’m trying to do this for my son who is rapidly going blind 

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    Adrian Rockall

    I am also confused. Can you provide typical wiring diagrams.

    I also have a 2 gang downstairs and a 1 gang upstairs so I am worried it will link the separate upstairs and downstairs circuits through the 2 gang dimmer.

    Please help us out here.

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    Tom Luke

    I’m having the same issues. I replaced two existing switches using the same wiring but it didn’t work.

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    Tak Chiu

    That wiring diagram is definitely half complete... I assumed button 2 would be the same (repeat) wiring layout.

    I did it, and it doesn't work. Constantly both circuits are "on" and the buttons are constantly flashing green, pushing both buttons (on/off) won't start the linking... So I'm going to have to return the product...

     

    And "yes", it linked upstairs and downstairs lighting circuits...

    Closer reading that the whole unit is powered by 1 live wire... this would mean that existing live wire for lamp 2 is not required?

    I would give that a go, however, for my setup

    button 1 = "live" in upstairs wire circuit & neutral upstairs wire circuit

    button 2 = "live" in upstairs wire circuit & neutral downstairs wire circuit

    I'm no sparky but wouldn't that cause some sort of problem?  maybe trip a RCD or something?

    I have this product on a normal 2 gang is okay, but 2 gang + 2-way doesn't work for me

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    Matthew Glew

    So... Each smart series 2-gang switch requires only one live in. Ok. But my bottom of the stairs switch gets live in from the downstairs lighting circuit and my tops of the stairs switch gets live in from the upstairs lighting circuit. Now as per the Lightwave wiring diagrams for 2-way switching; switched live-out (X) should be connected between the two switches. Great. Now when I turn on both dimmers I’ll bridge the downstairs and upstairs circuits, overloading the lights... Errrr... That’s not good! Where’s the wiring diagram for how to do this properly?

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    Tak Chiu

    That was my exact problem, it would bridge the two circuits.

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    Adrian Rockall

    Have you tried to connect the light to the upstairs dimmer and then just link the downstairs one virtually in the app?

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    Tak Chiu

    Nah, LW development as not getting anywhere so I binned LW and changed all to Hue.

     - drawback was no power switchs on Hue (but I'm seeing some now)... pluses, OMG the things you can do with the lights... especially the colours - syncing with a movie, wow.

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    Matthew Glew

    @Adrian Rockall - I would do that, but unfortunately the left-most gang as you look at the back of a switch (primary channel) requires a complete circuit otherwise the module won’t power on & for my downstairs switch that is the gang that needs to control my upstairs light... Snookered.

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    Matthew Glew

    @Tak Chiu - I had Hue but decided to change to SmartSwitches. Hue needs the switch left on and the kids / guests of course turn lights off/on at the switch!

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    Adrian Rockall

    The solution I found for the hue switch was a cover plate that goes over the normal switch and a hue dimmer fits on top. I use that in a bedroom that has a ceiling fan which only has one connection for the fan and the light.

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    Tak Chiu

    I have the covers aswell - I swapped out the LW switches with some basic MK ones and the cover goes on top with a Hue remote magnetically on top - so you can leave the remote on it or take off

    I also have 2 different wireless batteryless (kinetic?) switches which I can put anywhere

    - I have the official round one which is nice for 1 touch mood changes

    - and a "niko" branded square one with 4 buttons with short/long hold assignable to anything from the app - individual lights or moods or rooms or upstairs or downstairs...

    - the "niko" in theory can replace the official light switch, but I don't like hard wiring it "on", hence I'm keeping the switches covered (unless a 3rd party comes up with ta product that has both the mechanical switch + wireless kinetic)

    So the stairs have their mechanical switches but covered so guests can't change the "always on" switch underneath - and up/downstairs can be controlled from the remotes or wireless switches.

    When my wife had mobility problems in the house, I added the infrared sensors and all the hallway lights were activated by them - didn't use the switches at all.

    I had the LW infrared device for downstairs, but found I had to change the battery quite often, and the timing settings were switches on the device itself - while the Hue is all on the app, including sensitivity and testing of sensitivity :)

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    Matthew Glew

    Ok, so after talking to Lightwave support there was a simple solution; they sent me an older mark I (you can only buy mark 2) dimmer, where the right-most gang (as you look at the back of the switch) is the primary channel... Problem sorted. Simples! After spending a lot of time with these switches the most important lesson I learned was never use the existing wiring between switches. (Some wiring diagrams on these FAQs are incredibly confusing). Just wire in the main switch to your light - additional switches just need power. Use automation in the app to have them all operate the light.

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    Harminder Kundi

    This video is somewhat incorrect. 

    You have to first establish what com brings the power in and which com connect to the bulb and then wire such that both switches get a live feed, switch one get a load (which would be switch two), and both switch one and switch two can put power out to the bulb (via the terminal marked x on the switches).

    Lightwave, fo you agree?

     

    thanks

     

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    Anton H

    Regarding bridging the circuits, I have this problem as well. Unfortunately LW multi-gang switches only have one live terminal, not separate ones for each lighting set.

    However to be clear you won't "overload" the lights, connecting two lives together from different mains circuits doesn't somehow double the voltage: it creates a parallel circuit not a series one.

    The issue is if the two circuits are on different RCDs in the consumer unit (fuse box). The reason for this is that the circuits on different RCDs must be isolated from one another. There must be no cross-connections between live or neutral wires on different circuits, otherwise current will tend to "leak" from one circuit to other, so the live and neutral currents through each RCD won't match any more, and the RCD will trip.

    Unfortunately the only answer is to get an electrician in to move the circuits onto the same RCD at the consumer unit.

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