Have you seen the latest chat online around multi-point LED dimming? If you have, you’ll know that a lot of electricians are still struggling to install multi-point dimming on their domestic and commercial projects.
Some are struggling with lamp limits. Some can’t find a multi-point dimmer that can cope with the load they need. Some simply aren’t aware that there are multi-point LED dimming products available off the shelf.
We’ve seen these conversations online and thought we’d ask our tech team to step in and shed some light on the discussions.
- Yes, multi-point dimming is possible.
- Yes, you can install multi-point off the shelf.
- Yes, you can dim large loads (even pesky LED tape).
- No, you don’t need to limit the number of lamps on your circuit (especially useful in commercial premises).
Here, we delve into some of the most recent questions we’ve seen in our online community to set the facts straight about multipoint LED dimming.
“Is there a dimmer that lets you dim from both sides of the 2 way?”
Yes, there are several.
The ZSMARTLED range enables up to 3-point dimming on a single circuit using a ‘master/slave’ system. It’s easy to fit straight out of the box and can give you rotary dimming from up to three points. For example, you could dim from the top and bottom of the stairs, or from three different points in a kitchen/lounge/diner. It’s available in a 2-point or 3-point offset module dimming kit and can control 5-150W/VA. What’s more, it connects directly to 3 core and earth wiring.
The ZSMARTLED is usually your best option for a run of the mill domestic job. However, if you need something that can cope with a higher wattage, a problematic driver, or need to add more dimming points, there’s also the ZBARLED range of remote dimming packs.
“I’m having a nightmare on a job and can’t get any multi-point dimmer to work with this driver. Anyone got any suggestions?”
There’s a reason our ZBARLED products are often referred to as the ‘get out of trouble’ products, and that’s because they repeatedly get electricians out of a tight spot when it comes to tricky installations.
As well as allowing you to install up to 32 rotary controllers on a single circuit (yes, you read that right – you can dim from up to 32 points), ZBARLED remote dimming packs work brilliantly with problematic drivers and difficult-to-dim fittings. Why do they work so well? Because the ZBARLED300 and ZBARLED1000 can control up to 300W/VA and 1000W/VA respectively. If that isn’t enough, multiple ZBARLEDS can be wired in parallel for extra-large loads (if, say, you’re trying to dim a series of chandeliers in a stately home – which if you have, we’d love to see it, so send us some pictures).
ZBARLED products can be used to dim LED, tungsten, low-voltage and CFL using existing twin and earth cable. We’ve seen them used to great effect with LED tape, LED panels and even LED strip lighting.
You can see ZBARLED products in action in our recent case study roundup.
“Client wants to dim LED tape. I said it’s not possible. Am I wrong?!”
LED tape, LED panels, LED strip lighting… they are a nightmare when it comes to multi-point dimming. That is, if you’re trying to use a standard, low-load LED dimmer. If you’re using ZBARLED products, as mentioned above, they aren’t a problem. It’s all about getting the right dimmer for the load on your circuit (and remembering to account for inrush in your calculations). All of those products listed above tend to have a pretty heavy load, which most multi-point dimmers can’t cope with. Luckily the ZBARLED range isn’t most dimmers, so if you’re struggling to dim any of these fittings (or any fitting at all) speak to our tech team and see if the ZBARLED range can help.
If you thought it wasn’t possible to install multi-point dimming off the shelf, without buying an expensive bit of custom kit, now you know the answer – and if you see anyone in your own network asking questions like these, you’ll know you can point them in the direction of Zano Controls for a simple multi-point LED solution. They can give us a call on 0845 519 5858 to speak to a technician, or email sales@zanocontrols.co.uk to place an order.
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