0 -10 volt dimmer for high bay LEDs

[Stevenfyeager]

Estimating for 14 (18,000 lumens each) high bay lights, customer requests dimming. What kind of price range for (3) 3 way dimmers (0-10 volt) should I estimate ? I also will probably be running 18-2 wires, because its doubtful any exists. This is the first time I've used low voltage dimmers. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[DrSparks]

Estimating for 14 (18,000 lumens each) high bay lights, customer requests dimming. What kind of price range for (3) 3 way dimmers (0-10 volt) should I estimate ? I also will probably be running 18-2 wires, because its doubtful any exists. This is the first time I've used low voltage dimmers. Any advice is appreciated.

You really should use a lighting control panel and mm on momentary rockers for such a large installation. How many watts is each fixture?

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[Stevenfyeager]

You really should use a lighting control panel and mm on momentary rockers for such a large installation. How many watts is each fixture?

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171 watts each. I don't know anything about control panels, or "mm" I'm thinking on passing this job to an electrician friend who does more commercial, as I just do mostly residential. Thank you for your help,...

 

[ptonsparky]

Again, ask your supplier of fixtures. They will set up the whole project. I haven’t done that many, but they are no brainers.

 

[WSG]

Again, ask your supplier of fixtures. They will set up the whole project. I haven’t done that many, but they are no brainers.

I used a Lutron 0-10 V dimming module for some gym 'UFO' type light fixtures. The dimming modules use an input from a wall box dimmer.

A single dimmer was used as the input to more than one dimming module.

Reason for this set-up is that the sum of the 'sink current' for the fixtures exceeded the rating of a 0-10V type wallbox dimmer.

For the 0-10V wiring, I used a 16/2 shielded cable.

Available is an MC cable that contains both sets of conductors.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

I must apologize for a typo in my post. The correct term is "Blink'n'Dim", NOT "Blink'n'Sim", and especially not "Blink and Sim". 0-10V Blink'n'Dim Adapters are sold in two versions on Amazon: with and without the required small 12V power supply. If you buy the power supply separately, a Mean Well model APV-8-12 is recommended.

If I understand your job description correctly, you will have 3 separate groups of lights, each switched via 3-way switches. You will need one Blink'n'Dim Adapter for each group. Within each group, connect all Dim+ control wires to the Violet wire of the Blink'n'Dim Adapter, and all Dim- control wires to the Gray wire. If it is not feasible to connect all control wires within a group, you can use a separate Blink'n'Dim Adapter for any than cannot be connected. A brief signal from the power switch resets all adapters on the same switch so they will dim and brighten together.

That's my typo, sorry. I met again yesterday, there are 4 rows, but 3 switches that operate 5 ballasts separately in each fixture. They want me to change and divide the new lights from half and half, all dimmed. I will need to 18 g wire to two halves I guess. It's going to be confusing.
Thank you.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

It turns out that the 3 zones of existing fluorescent lights are not fed from the 3 way switches but from 3 contactors. We have only 8 amp Lutron low voltage dimmers to install. 8 new LED lights per zone equaling 11.4 amps. But a friend who does commercial tells me the 8 amp dimmer should work because the contactors provide the necessary amps, not the 8 amp Lutron dimmer. I was wondering that bec the 3 existing switches were all powered by one circuit which is not nearly enough amps for the whole gym. I do not know commercial, so I’m learning that contactors provide more power from a switch that just only needs to turn on the contactor. So the only wires we are running are low voltage ones. Are we on the right track?

 

[hillbilly1]

It turns out that the 3 zones of existing fluorescent lights are not fed from the 3 way switches but from 3 contactors. We have only 8 amp Lutron low voltage dimmers to install. 8 new LED lights per zone equaling 11.4 amps. But a friend who does commercial tells me the 8 amp dimmer should work because the contactors provide the necessary amps, not the 8 amp Lutron dimmer. I was wondering that bec the 3 existing switches were all powered by one circuit which is not nearly enough amps for the whole gym. I do not know commercial, so I’m learning that contactors provide more power from a switch that just only needs to turn on the contactor. So the only wires we are running are low voltage ones. Are we on the right track?

The only load on the dimmer’s is the contactor coils, so one circuit is fine. You can dim all with just one of the dimmers, that way if they are all in the same room, dimming will be even, in fact, you could just use one as a master dimmer, and leave the other two switches alone.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

The only load on the dimmer’s is the contactor coils, so one circuit is fine. You can dim all with just one of the dimmers, that way if they are all in the same room, dimming will be even, in fact, you could just use one as a master dimmer, and leave the other two switches alone.

Thank you. Is there a limit for the low voltage dimming ? We have 24 total LED ceiling lights, i.e., 24 drivers.

 

[synchro]

Thank you. Is there a limit for the low voltage dimming ? We have 24 total LED ceiling lights, i.e., 24 drivers.

Look up the sink current capability of your dimmer, and also the maximum current sourced from each light fixture when the two control wires have 0V across them (IEC standard is 2mA maximum but not all manufacturers meet this spec). You can measure this current by placing the probes of a meter that can measure DC current across the 0-10V control wires of the fixture (without a dimmer connected).

So if the dimmer sink current capability is 50mA and the light fixture sources a maximum of 2mA , then you can technically drive 50/2 = 25 fixtures from one dimmer.

 

[hillbilly1]

I had a heck of a time trying to get out of the engineers the actual draw per fixture for a big box customer. They had 300+ fixtures, and wanted it zoned. I think we figured 25 fixtures per dimmer output, engineers finally came back, and said 100 fixtures were fine on each output, so that’s what the customer went with. Seems to be fine still after several years.

 

[Stevenfyeager]

Well, everything seems to work. ( 3) 8 amp rated low voltage dimmers turning on 3 contactors for three zones of 8 LED lights 160 watts each. The 8 amp limit is fine since the power for the lights come from the contactors breakers. Does this all sound ok ? This is a learning experience for this residential guy. Thank you