Residential Dimmer Switches...How Hot Should They Get?

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e57

Senior Member
All of the dimmers mentioned all have different technologies and circuitry that dimm the load.

An Adriani and a Nova dimm the load in very different ways. The Nova has huge heat sinks, considered a commercial grade heavy duty dimmer. Crude circuit but resiliant construction. Adriani - crude triac circuit - lightly built 'inexpensive' construction.

Whereas some of the other dimmers are much more sofisticated electronic and newer circuit designs - and often cost more...

That said - mistakes like mixing load types, or even wattages of the same type without interfaces. Or not compansating for loads, derating - to include losses in transformers of cheap (I mean 'less expensive') cans.

While back I went to troubleshoot some othe companies install - found they put miles of track with electronic transformers on most heads - mixed with line voltage par lamps all on MLV dimmers. They apparently replaced them a bunch of times. Needed to run new 2 circuit track - seperate and add SW's and use the right dimmers for each type - of course more expensive dimmers... But if designed right up-front the customer would have less problems and not had to spend extra to fix poor design.
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
I spent years trying to educate customers on dimmers before I decided not to install them any more. And I already know all the info in the posts about how to do a proper install. . It is my choice .

No dimmers, no MWBCs, maybe you are in the wrong trade?:grin:
 

jetlag

Senior Member
No dimmers, no MWBCs, maybe you are in the wrong trade?:grin:

The dimmer switch companys are in the wrong trade, it doesnt matter how many lab test and temperature rating limits the dimmer passes, they failed to predict the thousands and thousands of calls that would result from unhappy customers about the heat and smell of the dimmers. Some of the installs are properly done and some are not . It is not my calling to go to bat for the dimmer companys about their products , I am not on their pay roll. I will pass that job on to you and others who are still young and ambitious. I have designed and installed a ceiling fixture in my home that uses 3 way bulbs controlled by a wall switch , you might be installing my fixtures one day when the patend is complete :cool:
 

jetlag

Senior Member
It's all about physics.... resistance creates heat.

A device is not suppose to be a piece of utilization equiptment that uses current beyond the nornal resistance of the conductors. A dimmer utilizes current and that is energy lost. By the way dimmers dont work on resistance any more like the old reostats :)
 

Hendrix

Senior Member
Location
New England
The dimmer switch companys are in the wrong trade, it doesnt matter how many lab test and temperature rating limits the dimmer passes, they failed to predict the thousands and thousands of calls that would result from unhappy customers about the heat and smell of the dimmers. Some of the installs are properly done and some are not . It is not my calling to go to bat for the dimmer companys about their products , I am not on their pay roll. I will pass that job on to you and others who are still young and ambitious. I have designed and installed a ceiling fixture in my home that uses 3 way bulbs controlled by a wall switch , you might be installing my fixtures one day when the patend is complete :cool:

Patend :confused::grin:
 

mxslick

Senior Member
Location
SE Idaho
I spent years trying to educate customers on dimmers before I decided not to install them any more. And I already know all the info in the posts about how to do a proper install. . It is my choice .

No dimmers, no MWBCs, maybe you are in the wrong trade?:grin:

Hey Bob, at least I use dimmers (and can admit that on certain installs a MWBC is the right thing to use. ) :grin:

A device is not suppose to be a piece of utilization equiptment that uses current beyond the nornal resistance of the conductors. A dimmer utilizes current and that is energy lost. By the way dimmers dont work on resistance any more like the old reostats :)

Read the FAQ's on the link I posted....a dimmer does NOT "utilize current", it is the resistance inherent in the triac that causes the heat dissipation.

I reiterate part of my reply in my first post to this thread....customers tend to overstate the severity of a situation...thus the smell of WARM plastic becomes "it's burning!"

Had the same issue a while back on a new screening room install..the projector lamp rectifiers always have a smell to them on initial use as the insulating varnish on the transformers finishes its curing. They call ed me back saying they were burning up. :roll:
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I've had a bit of that issue with dimmers. Customer thought dangerously hot, I run it an hour and it's warm, not painful to touch. Getting ready to put a few in a remodel. I'll use deep metal boxes as several suggested. I hate the dimmers with removable edge rings, they have to be removed for a 2 or 3 g install & must be derated by however much. Power & device use grows larger with most people, not smaller.
 
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