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[ericmark]

I was directed to this page for B&Q and I am trying to understand how one can change or fit a ceiling rose without doing any wiring? Says 240 volt and I would expect to find battery in switch but can't see how you could fit a 240 volt battery in ceiling rose?

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.j ... d=products

I did find base site and the ceiling rose is wired like any normal ceiling rose and the unit includes a dimming feature which means it will not work with energy saving bulbs neither of which seem to be shown on B&Q site.

Is it any wonder we have the DIY man getting in such a knot?

[swidders]

I suppose technically you could fit the rose and not wire it up, in which case it'd be very cheap to run and the bulb would last forever!!

On a slightly less frivolous note, I thought that incandescant bulbs were being phased out in the very near future, and since you advise that low energy bulbs cannot be dimmed, what precisely is the point of buying anything with bayonet/edison fittings with a dimmer switch (halogen 240volts or lv are dimmable ?)

Or am I missing something completely?

[swidders]

I suppose technically you could fit the rose and not wire it up, in which case it'd be very cheap to run and the bulb would last forever!!

On a slightly less frivolous note, I thought that incandescant bulbs were being phased out in the very near future, and since you advise that low energy bulbs cannot be dimmed, what precisely is the point of buying anything with bayonet/edison fittings with a dimmer switch (halogen 240volts or lv are dimmable ?)

Or am I missing something completely?

[ericmark]

There are some dimmable discharge lights but in the main HF and built into control gear and very expensive.

From B&Q info I would have expected I could have used normal compact florescent bulbs only when I read up on the manufactures web site did I even realise they were also dimming units.

What I could not quite work out is do they work like two way switch as it does look as if you could combine a rooms lighting so one fitting is dimmable and the other is standard.

But as to if they were good ideas was not point but it is the way they are advertised and the problems where people buy things with out realising what is involved.

My daughter did the same with last house came home with shower unit with the usual "Can you just fit this for me" yet another "Just" job. She says "Can't you JUST plug it in then" and I can't say it was all her fault no warning on them to say these items need a 40 amp supply.

To me it's all a con and any item offered for sale should tell you what is required.

When in Hong Kong I tried to buy a two way radio I needed either Passport and sign it was to be exported or my amateur radio licence.

Even in this country when I went to buy a car I was asked for my car licence before I could test drive it so I could not have bought one without knowing what was required.

Screwfix although they do sell to general public advertise themselves as a trade outlet but B&Q even used the web site address with DIY in it and to me should expect ordinary people to buy there products and should be labelled with that in mind?

[sparx]

Hi they are playing with words, (semantics) eg no wiring means just that as to change rose does not need any wiring merely reconnecting what's already there.
Switch works by piezo action ie moving dolly/rocker generates enough power to operate low power rf signal to receiver in new rose. so needs no wiring, clever eh?
sparx