Electricians....question about dimmer switches

[craze1cars]

I'm finishing the basement. Putting 10 can lights on one 3 way switched circuit, 65 watt incandescent R30 flood bulb in each light. So that's 650 watts total at full brightness. I want to put a 3 way dimmer on the circuit. Every dimmer I could find at Lowes is rated at only 600 watts. I really don't want to go with lower wattage bulbs and it probably wouldn't meet code anyway since the fixtures are all still rated and labeled at 65 watts each.<br /><br />Where can I get a dimmer that will handle more wattage? I assume they exist somewhere...

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

Seems I've answered my own question with a touch of research.....1000 watt is a pretty standard dimmer size and I'm finding them for sale all over the internet. Pretty expensive, but a few steals on Ebay.<br /><br />If someone has a better plan let me know, otherwise I believe a 1000 watt dimmer will be just what I need. Thanks!

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

There are other alternatives, but they are signifigantly more expensive than the 1000 watt dimmers. I think that will be your best choice.<br /><br />Be sure to check the specs on what you purchase. Most three way dimmers will only allow you to dim from one location. The other location would have to be a switch. If you want to be ablr to dim from both locations, I would recommend the Lutron Maestro series of dimmers, or Leviton's new Vizia series. Lightolier also used to make a system that would allow multi location dimming, but I don't know if it's still available.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

Good info, thanks...I'm aware that my 3 way setup will be dimmer on one end, switch on the other. We have the same situation in many other parts of my home right now...really not a problem, IMO.<br /><br />I stared at the multi-location dimmers for a while at Lowes, but decided they were a bit salty on the price and not that critical for our use. Plus they were also 600W rated. We will rarely use the switch on one side of the room anyway.<br /><br />I'm just getting the 1000 watt 3 way and be done with this thing for now, can always change them out later if I want something different.<br /><br />Thanks again!

 

[--GQ--]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

For residential wiring, 1000 w dimmer is more than sufficient. However I have this to say. Based on experience, three ways dimming nearly defeat the purpose of multi-location dimming. Basically you have three resistors in series. The resistor dimmed to the highest resistance setting will determine the amount of current through the circuit. Therefore the two remaining dimmer are nearly useless in the dimming function but the ON?OFF switching function is intact. <br /><br />Alternatively, there are commercial dimmers better suited for theisfunction. They are more expensive and the wiring is more complex. Requires more than 3 wires. But at this point, probably too late. I assume you used a 12 or 14/3 between the three locations. Won't work.<br /><br />For information purposes; the 600w dimmer would have worked fine. Slightly over the marked range not gonna blow-up or burn your shed down. Electrical devices are rated lower than their actual capability. For example: A 14 gauge wire can handle nearly twice the 15 amps current rating but manufactures limit their liability.

 

[bandit86]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

better check the voltage on the bulbs, if your pot lights are with a transformer, like the 12Vpotlights, you cannot use a regular dimmer on them. you need a pretty special dimmer that is $$$

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

GQ, I'm not as worried about fire as I am with passing muster when the inspector stops by in a couple weeks...so regardless of excess capacity built in to the switch, the 600 watt switch was never an option in my book unless I removed one can to make it a 585 watt circuit. Likewise I didn't mention that I'm putting it into a 3 gang box which lowers its rating even further due to the heat dissipation...I believe a 600W dimmer is only rated at 400W if you put it in a 3 gang box, especially if you have to knock of some heat sink tabs to make it fit. A 1000 watt switch in a 3 gang box should still be rated to at least 700W, I believe. As for your mutli-dimmer location comments, what you describe sounds to me like using two standard dimmers in the same circuit, which I agree would never work and cannot be considered at all. The multi location dimmer kits I believe are more complex switches that somehow communicate with each other remotely and likely have only one location that does the actual resistance work of dimming. Maybe someone else here can explain that better than I can. There's nothing commercial about them and no special wiring needed, I've seen them retrofitted in friends older homes around here (and in Lowes yesterday), and they work fine allowing full dimming from either side of the room...again the 600 watt rating was my holdback, plus I really didn't care to spend that much for a feature I'd rarely use.<br /><br />Bandit, yes these are straight up regular 120V IC cans rated at 65W each, it's not a low-voltage system and no transformers in sight, I bought, installed, and wired them all myself so I know exactly what's there.<br /><br />Thanks again, but I think we're beating a dead horse here...assuming I can jamb the 1000 watter into the 3 gang box without the rating dropping below 650W, problem solved. I've found a couple with specs that claim they will fit in a standard box with a standard cover plate, without the 1/4 inch protrusion some of the others have due to their large heat sinks. They do require metal boxes, and thankfully I didn't use plastic so based on my understanding of all the switch's specs this should work. Gonna call my inspector today to confirm that it will pass muster and assuming "yes" I'll order one today.

 

[Ron G]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

The horse is whooped <br /> I remolded and put split the cans up on 2 different dimmers everother one,made some nice accent lighting that way.i figured id throw my use less 2 cents in to.

 

[bandit86]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

you can always get box extensions, make it twice as deep, perfectly legal

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Electricians....question about dimmer switches

Start searching ebay for X10 stuff. They have tons of really cool home automation controls for DIRT cheap! I just bought a bunch a few months ago, and right now sitting on my couch I can turn on/off/dim almost any light in the house, as well as open/close the garage door, turn on the sprinklers, or turn up the A/C, all from my laptop! I spent less than $200 for everything, and it's all wireless.