GFCI on a dimmer?

[gary]

I have a customer who wants me to put rope lights on an outdoor trellis 10' above an in-ground spa. Power is to come from the master bedroom plug circuit which is on an AFCI breaker. I mounted an FS box with a receptacle & bubble cover up on the trellis and plugged in the rope light. I planned to use a combination GFCI / switch in another FS box mounted on a support column to control the lights, but now owner says he wants the lights on a dimmer. :shock: If I used a dimmer to feed the lights through a GFCI receptacle, would the GFCI provide any shock protection when operating at less than 120 volts? :shock:

 

[George Stolz]

See 404.14(E). I doubt a GFCI receptacle is listed for use on the load side of a dimmer.

 

[sparky_magoo]

As George pointed out, you can't put a GFCI on the load side of a dimmer. Are these 120V ropes? If they are low voltage ropes, I think you need a special dimmer.

 

[pierre]

You are not permitted to dim any type of receptacle. Lutron does have a listed setup of a dimmer switch and receptacle, it comes as a listed package. Go to the site for more info.

 

[George Stolz]

You are not permitted to dim any type of receptacle.

I was going to make that statement, and could not provide a code reference. Can you cite one?

 

[infinity]

404.14(E)- George you've answered your own question.

 

[stars13bars2]

Ok so if he uses a blank face GFCI will it work when dimmed?

 

[George Stolz]

Trevor, what about permanently installed cord-and-plug-connected luminaires? See it?

 

[gary]

I don't see a code complient solution for this situation. Pierre's suggestion to use a Lutron NTR-25-DFDU dimmable receptacle / plug would solve part of the problem except for one thing. The plug on the cord for the rope light contains a small fuse and the installation instructions warn against altering the plug. George is no doubt right as well. The GFCI device will have to be installed ahead of the dimmer. Does anyone make a combination GFCI / toggle dimmer? :roll:

 

[bensonelectric]

I doubt it.

Your best bet would to be to look for a hard wired set of rope lights.