What size dimmer switch do I need?
You should select a dimmer based upon your wattage requirements. The easiest way to do this is to add up the total wattage of the bulbs you wish to control. For example, a fixture with four 60W bulbs has a total wattage of 240. You can use a 600W dimmer to control this.
What voltage should a dimmer switch be?
The dimmer switch is rated for the same voltage as the lighting application. Use standard dimmers on 120 line voltage and low voltage dimmers for 12V and 24V applications.
How do I choose a dimmer switch?
Choose a dimmer with a wattage rating that meets or exceeds the total wattage of all the light bulbs the dimmer will control. For example, if the dimmer controls a fixture with ten 75-watt bulbs, you need a dimmer rated for 750 watts or higher.
Can you use a dimmer switch with LED bulbs?
A standard dimmer switch cannot be used with an LED light as you will never be able to dim the LED light either completely or not very well. LED lights need their own special electronic dimmer switch to have a fully functioning and dimming light.
What happens if you overload a dimmer switch?
new jersey — Did you know that you can accidentally overload a dimmer switch? If you do, it can become hot to the touch – sometimes extremely hot – to the point where it can become a fire hazard. Here’s how to avoid this happening using only some simple math. The majority of dimmer switches are rated for 600 watts.
How much wattage can a dimmer switch handle?
How many watts can a dimmer handle in normal conditions? Dimmer switches can handle bulbs from 1 Watt to 1000 Watts. Some dimmers can even handle different bulb types in the same circuit.
Can you use a dimmer switch with low voltage lights?
No longer do you have to use a separate low voltage transformer with an inline 120V dimmer to dim your landscape lighting system. The Brilliance LED 12V AC Dimmer can operate inline with any of your low voltage wires.
Will a dimmer switch work with any light?
Most light fixtures will work with standard dimmer switches, including those with halogen and incandescent lamps. Determine whether your fixture uses line or low voltage. If you install line-voltage track and rail lights with incandescent bulbs, you can use dimmer switches to control their brightness.
Do I need a low voltage dimmer?
If your lights run on line voltage – the standard voltage supply in your home (120V), or low voltage – a reduced supply (12V or 24V), you’ll need a dimmer that runs on the same. For line voltage systems, you can use a standard, basic dimmer.
Do you need a specific dimmer switch for LED lights?
A standard dimmer switch cannot be used with an LED light as you will never be able to dim the LED light either completely or not very well. LED lights need their own special electronic dimmer switch to have a fully functioning and dimming light.
What dimmer do you need for LED lights?
Since LED lights operate on a much lower voltage than alternatives, another type of dimmer that can be used in place of traditional switches is a 0-10V dimmer, provided the driver that works with the circuit is a compatible driver rated according to the same voltage.
What kind of dimmer switch works with LED lights?
Trailing edge dimmers work best with LED light bulbs and leading-edge dimmers work best with traditional incandescent and halogen light bulbs.
Why do some dimmers not work with LEDs?
While most LED bulbs are now dimmable, not all of them are and not all of them dim in the same manner Since LEDs consume such a low wattage, many types of dimmers do not function with LED in the same way that they do with high wattage load incandescents.
Why do my LED lights flicker with a dimmer?
LED bulb flickering can be traced in almost every instance to a non-compatible dimmer switch in the lighting circuit. Modern dimmer switches create the dimming effect by switching the power supply on and off many times per second.
What is the highest wattage LED dimmer switch?
Standard household dimmer switches range from 150W to 1000W, so the highest wattage for a dimmer switch is 1000 wattage.
How many LED lights can be on a dimmer switch?
Varilight recommend putting no more than 10 LED lamps on one dimmer module. You can put multiple lamps on one plate, so if you have a three gang dimmer plate you can put thirty LED lamps on the plate in total (10 on each module).
How many watts do I need for light switch?
If you’re trying to dim six 100-watt lightbulbs, use a switch rated for at least 600 watts. Newer models are fairly generous with their allowances (usually about 600 watts), but that won’t cut it if you’re trying to dim seven 100-watt bulbs.
What would cause a dimmer switch to get hot?
Your dimmer switch is overloaded
Every dimmer light switch has a maximum load, measured in watts, that it can safely handle. If your dimmer switch is excessively warm, you may have too many bulbs running off it.
Can one dimmer switch control 2 lights?
Yes, you can run two lights off the same dimmer switch.
