Residential Dimmers

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arc-adian

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I am currently working on my first residential project design. I was wondering if dimmers are required and if so, is there a code that says this? Please help me. Thank you.
 
resistance

resistance

Senior Member
Location
WA
arc-adian said:
I am currently working on my first residential project design. I was wondering if dimmers are required and if so, is there a code that says this? Please help me. Thank you.
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No, dimmers are not required. Never heard of such a thing. But who knows, it may be a local requirement in California.
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

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Location
Simi Valley, CA
California Energy Code.

Lighting in bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms and/or utility rooms must be high efficacy, or must be controlled by a manual-on occupant sensor.
150(K)3

Permanently installed lighting in other rooms must be high efficacy, or a manual-on occupant sensor or a dimmer must control it. "Other rooms" includes hallways, dining rooms, family rooms and bedrooms. 150(K)4

At least half the lighting watts in a kitchen must be consumed by high efficacy luminaires. High efficacy fixtures and non-high efficacy fixtures are required to be switched separately. 150(K)2
 
resistance

resistance

Senior Member
Location
WA
cowboyjwc said:
Seems like most of them do:smile: but I was responding to resistance's comment. Don't know where the OP is from.
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I don't know where the OP is from either, but I said it, because I didn't know, yet I do know making assumptions about Cali isn't a bad one!! :D It would be nice if people would insert their location!
 
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nakulak

Senior Member
I think its great that calif is leading the way in green, and I applaud them for that. if my wife keeps leaving lights on I will have occu sensors on all the ckts here sooner or later (I finally put one on the laundry room after the light was left on for over a year. I think the kitchen is next) (I haven't been able to tell if the cats appreciate having their own automatic light when they go to the bathroom)
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

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Location
Simi Valley, CA
The State of California is actually adopting the Green Building Code and many of the cities here already have ordinances that adopt parts of it.

We can go green or we can go black, there is only so much coal out there to generate power.

But trust me when I say, it can be a real pain in the "you know what".:smile:
 
cowboyjwc

cowboyjwc

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Simi Valley, CA
slick 50 said:
I think that would be a dumb rule since a dimmer does not save electricity. All the dimmer does is chop the 60Hz wave form. The rest of the load will be at the hot dimmer. When heat is present, energy is used.:rolleyes:
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The thought process is probably that if you cut down the wattage, you cut down the heat and thus you cut down the A/C use. Just a guess.:smile:
 
Twoskinsoneman

Twoskinsoneman

Senior Member
Location
West Virginia, USA NEC: 2020
Occupation
Facility Senior Electrician
nakulak said:
I think its great that calif is leading the way in green, and I applaud them for that.
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I also support the green movement. The problem I think Cal is trying to force green onto their state without waiting for the technology to catch up. It doesn't suprise me that Cal is going bankrupt. They are so concerned about being the forerunners that they are leaping before looking.

slick 50 said:
I think that would be a dumb rule since a dimmer does not save electricity. All the dimmer does is chop the 60Hz wave form. The rest of the load will be at the hot dimmer. When heat is present, energy is used.:rolleyes:
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Or course dimmers save energy. Yes the dimmer electronics will consume a very small amount of power but it is nothing compared to the energy saved by dimming the light.
 
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