Eliminating 406.15 Dimmer Controlled Receptacles

[mwm1752]

With the elimination of 406.15 section 404.14 seem to govern this issue;
404.14 Rating and Use of Switches. Switches shall be used within their ratings and as indicated in 404.14(A) through (F).
(E) Dimmer Switches. General-use dimmer switches shall be used only to control permanently installed incandescent luminaires unless listed for the control of other loads and installed accordingly.

Can some one describe a non-general use dimmer?
Does this now state residential use receptacles are compliant with code when controlled by dimming modules associated with a lighting control system?

 

[GoldDigger]

With the elimination of 406.15 section 404.14 seem to govern this issue;
404.14 Rating and Use of Switches. Switches shall be used within their ratings and as indicated in 404.14(A) through (F).
(E) Dimmer Switches. General-use dimmer switches shall be used only to control permanently installed incandescent luminaires unless listed for the control of other loads and installed accordingly.

Can some one describe a non-general use dimmer?
Does this now state residential use receptacles are compliant with code when controlled by dimming modules associated with a lighting control system?

One example of what is allowed is the proprietary receptacle configuration which accepts special plugs attached to floor or table lamp cords but will not accept a standard male of the same configuration. Essentially there is a prong as part of the receptacle that requires a matching recess in the plug.
As far as I know there are no dimmer controlled receptacles that are designed to safely control any arbitrary plug-connected load.

 

[brantmacga]

I guess it’s deferring to the manufacturer’a instructions.

In my opinion, the best thing to do for dimming a receptacle load, is to use a wireless dimming module assigned to a remote dimming switch.


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[GoldDigger]

I guess it’s deferring to the manufacturer’a instructions.

In my opinion, the best thing to do for dimming a receptacle load, is to use a wireless dimming module assigned to a remote dimming switch.


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In which case you would still be well advised to have some way of discouraging plugging temporary loads (like vacuum cleaners) or media equipment or phone chargers into the output of the dimmer module.

 

[brantmacga]

In which case you would still be well advised to have some way of discouraging plugging temporary loads (like vacuum cleaners) or media equipment or phone chargers into the output of the dimmer module.

They’re typically labeled


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[mwm1752]

One example of what is allowed is the proprietary receptacle configuration which accepts special plugs attached to floor or table lamp cords but will not accept a standard male of the same configuration. Essentially there is a prong as part of the receptacle that requires a matching recess in the plug.
As far as I know there are no dimmer controlled receptacles that are designed to safely control any arbitrary plug-connected load.

a special plug still inserts into a receptacle Isn't that what 406.15 allowed? now 406.15 is not code & the specific is 404.14 which does not allow dimming of a receptacle(non permanent installed incandescent fixture) I haven't seen a dimmer designated for non permanent fixtures

 

[charlie b]

I have seen this only once. It was for a lighting design lab, a room dedicated to testing and demonstrating light fixtures. The lighting team wanted ceiling-mounted railing from which lighting vendors could hang their fixtures. There would be outlets on the ceiling to power the fixtures. They wanted half of the railing sections to have dimmer-controlled receptacles nearby, so that the vendors could demonstrate the dimming abilities of the fixtures. I stepped in with the NEC requirement described above (i.e., the outlets had to be unique, so that a vacuum cleaner could not be plugged in there). The problem is that the fixtures came with standard plugs. The compromise was that the outlets would be non-standard, but there would be pigtails to allow the fixtures to be connected to the non-standard outlets.

 

[brantmacga]

The lighting team wanted ceiling-mounted railing from which lighting vendors could hang their fixtures. There would be outlets on the ceiling to power the fixtures. They wanted half of the railing sections to have dimmer-controlled receptacles nearby, so that the vendors could demonstrate the dimming abilities of the fixtures.

One of the Lighting showrooms here had a track system made for displays with some sort of track attachment that has a recep for moving fixtures in and out easily.

I’d get you a pic but they closed this year after 30+ years.


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[mwm1752]

One example of what is allowed is the proprietary receptacle configuration which accepts special plugs attached to floor or table lamp cords but will not accept a standard male of the same configuration. Essentially there is a prong as part of the receptacle that requires a matching recess in the plug.
As far as I know there are no dimmer controlled receptacles that are designed to safely control any arbitrary plug-connected load.

With all due respect - the elimination of
406.15 Dimmer-Controlled Receptacles A receptacle supplying lighting loads shall not be connected to a dimmer unless t he plug/receptacle combination is a nonstandard configuration type that is specifically listed and identified for each such unique combination.
2014 Commentary ;A cord-connected lamp may be removed and replaced with other equipment not suitable for use with a dimmer. The installation of a dimmer to control a standard receptacle is prohibited. To prevent misuse, a non-standard receptacle is required for dimmer controlled lighting.
appears to remove the option for using a proprieatary receptacle in order to dim a non fixed luminaire in a residential application

2017 Commentary for 404.14(E);General-use dimmers are not permitted to control receptacles or cord and plug-connected table and floor lamps. If a dimmer evaluated only for the control of incandescent luminaires is used, the potential for connecting incompatible equipment such as a cord-and-plug-connected motor-operated appliance or a portable fluorescent lamp is increased by using the dimmer to control a receptacle. Section 404.14(E) does not apply to commercial dimmers or theater dimmers that can be used for fluorescent lighting and portable lighting.

Which relates to commercial application -- maybe the interpretation of the term General-use dimmer switches" refers to commercial applications only. I would agree the 2014 NEC code allowing dimmer controlled receptacles is a valid approach -- why did the NEC eliminate 406.15?

 

[GoldDigger]

I suspect that they are reacting to the "might happen" situation of a consumer replacing a dimmable bulb with a non dimmable bulb in a floor or table lamp that was initially fitted with a proprietary plug and designed to work with a specific type of dimmer.
Since it is just as easy to put the wrong type of bulb into a hard wired fixture, I do not see the necessity of this change.

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