Lighting Compatibility Guide
If you are going to use LightwaveRF equipment in your house, please read the information
below to ensure you will get the most out of your hardware with no problems.
Standard Halogen & Incandescent Lighting
Our one and two gang Dimmers can handle a maximum of 250W of load on each gang of
the switch. The three and four gang switches have a maximum load of 210W on each gang.
If you exceed this load, the switches may overheat and cease to work correctly.
Each gang requires a minimum load to function. When used in a standard one-way lighting
circuit (i.e no Slave/2 Way Dimmer), this loading is 20W approx. This increases to 40W approx.
for two-way/multi-way lighting circuits (where LightwaveRF Slave/2 Way Dimmer switch are
used). As more Slave switches are added, more load is required for operation.
Reduced Lighting
When used with dimmer switches some bulbs suffer a slight reduction in brightness. To keep
the receiver in the LightwaverRF dimmer switch powered, some energy must be taken from
the power circuit. This causes the maximum output voltage and possibly the bulb brightness
to be reduced.
Our tests show an approximate 10 to 15% brightness reduction when using LightwaveRF
dimmers. This may differ from bulb to bulb. This slightly reduced light also results in lower
energy usage.
2/Multi Way Wiring and Intermediate Switching
A LightwaveRF Dimmer can be used in conjunction with a LightwaveRF Slave dimmer to
perform 2-Way Switching. For full instructions on how to install 2/Multi Way Switching, please
consult the instruction booklet for this product. Intermediate switching with LightwaveRF is
achieved by placing slave switches at each additional location. There is no intermediate
LightwaveRF switch.
The 2-Way Dimmers use standard 3-core connecting wires; however, because they are
electronic dimmers, they utilise one of the cores as a signal cable (‘S’) running between the
Dimmers (as shown on the diagram). This is low voltage only and SHOULD NOT BE CONNECTED
TO 230V MAINS.
IMPORTANT: The Dimmer must be used with a LightwaveRF 2-Way Switch and cannot be used
with any other LightwaveRF dimmer or a standard light switch. The switching will not work
from both locations and this can damage to the dimmer.
Up to six 2-Way Dimmers (individuals gangs) can be connected to a standard LightwaveRF
Dimmer Switch; each 2-Way can be connected directly or daisy-chained together instead of
using intermediate switches.
IMPORTANT: Never install and run power to a 2-Way slave dimmer before first installing and
connecting the master LightwaveRF dimmer. Serious damage could be caused to the unit.
LED/CFL Lighting Compatibility Guide
LED Lighting
LED lighting is quickly becoming a popular solution for people looking to reduce their energy
consumption. However, many LED lights can have difficulty when dimming. LightwaveRF
Dimmer switches can work with LEDs if the LEDs are labeled dimmable, but there are
guidelines that need to be followed:
IMPORTANT - An LED load is not the same as a standard load and must be treated differently.
Although the Dimmer switches can handle 250/210W of halogen/incandescent load, this is
not the case for LED lighting.
Maximum Loading: The maximum recommended LED load of when used with dimmers varies
across the market; a common guideline is not to go beyond 10% of the maximum halogen
rating of the dimmer switch. However, there is no specific rule as the many LEDs on the
market have their own traits. Using 10x 5W LEDs from Brand A can give vastly different results
from using 5x 10W LEDs from Brand B, despite both totaling 50W of load.
As a guide, we would not recommend going above 60W of LED lighting per gang on
LightwaveRF Dimmer switches. Exceeding this may lead to damage of the LightwaveRF
Dimmer switch. Some LEDs may appear to work initially with >60W loading, but this may
cause damage to the Dimmer switch over time.
Minimum Loading: LEDs that are compatible with LightwaveRF may still need to have a
minimum load on the circuit for operation. This typically cannot be attributed to a Watt value
and instead relates to the number of LEDs in the circuit. We find that two lamps of any
compatible LEDs is an absolute minimum requirement, with four lamps or more
recommended.
Two/Multi Way Switching: Due to LightwaveRF switches requiring a small amount of power
from the lighting circuit when operating, this can affect the LED performance. More power is
required with every Slave/2 Way Dimmer switch installed, exaggerating this effect even with
compatible LEDs.
This issue can be resolved by using of the LightwaveRF Wire-free switches together with the
Dimmer(JSJSLW201/JSJSLW221) in place of the Slave/2 Way Dimmer units. These switches look
visually similar to the Dimmer switches, but are battery operated thus not affecting the lighting
circuit. Use of a resistive load (see below) can be another solution for this.
Compatibility: For trouble free LED dimming with LightwaveRF, we would strongly recommend
using LED lighting that we have tried and tested with our dimmer switches. We have tried the
following with success:
- GU10 Luminox Dimmable, by SaveLightUK (~10-100% dim range)
- GU10 & MR16 LEDs, by IstoriaLED (~50-100% dim range)
- Fire Rated Downlighter ZEP1, by EcoLED (~25-100% dim range)
Resistive Load: If you have used LEDs other than the ones recommended above (or the
above LEDs with Slave/2 Way Dimmer switches) which flicker when on and/or glow when
switched off then this is an indication that there is not enough load in the circuit. Halogen
and incandescent lighting give a resistive load equal to their stated wattage while LEDs do
not. Having 20W of LED lighting does not necessarily give 20W of resistive load. As a minimum
resistive load is required for LightwaveRF Dimmers to operate, erratic behavior can result
when this resistance is not met.
A quick way to check if an LED problem you have is resistance related is to temporarily
replace one of the LED lamps with a 50W halogen/incandescent lamp. If any problems are
resolved then the fix required will be to wire a resistive load in parallel across the circuit.
LightwaveRF recommend the Danlers 10W “RESLOADE”. In some cases two may be required.
Strip LEDs: Using Strip LEDs with LightwaveRF Dimmers is not recommended. The very small
load produced by these strips mean they do not work with LightwaveRF Dimmer switches.
CFL & Fluorescents
Most CFL and fluorescent lamps are not dimmable and long-term performance with those
that are when used LightwaveRF has been inconsistent. We do not recommend using these
with the LightwaveRF Dimmer switches. This includes the LightwaveRF Dimmable CFR lamp
that should be used as an alternative to the Dimmer.
In-line Dimmer: LightwaveRF have a product that is more compatible with LED & CFL lighting
than the Dimmer switch: the JSJSLW831 In-line Dimmer. This can be used with any
LightwaveRF transmitter for operation with these lamps. There is a switch on this unit to adjust
the dim range of any lamps it that it powers to give maximum compatibility.
Plug-In Dimmer: The LightwaveRF plug-in Dimmer (JSJSLW300/301) is not compatible with any
CFL or LED lighting options. The LightwaveRF Dimmable CFR lamp should be used as an
alternative to the Dimmer as a standalone solution.
Reference Documents:
http://bit.ly/qmnxwO - How to Choose the Best Dimmer for Your LED Bulbs
http://bit.ly/192tvGw - LED Dimmer Recommendations
http://bit.ly/1eZIRwQ - Diagnosing LED Flashing
http://bit.ly/1hn83Qa - Professional Electrician “Blinking Lights”
http://bit.ly/1aOXr6i - Save Light UK LightwaveRF Compatibility