Three-way Dimmer with a twist

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bjp_ne_elec

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Southern NH
First, what type of dimmer do you use with those fluorescents that screw in, in place of regular incandescents? I would think you'd have to get one that is designed for a fluorescent, but I'm not absolutely sure. Do these things actually have a small ballast in them to fire the lamp?

Now the twist - I have a case where right now there are one of those double switches - the ones that get fit with a duplex receptacle plate. The customer would like a dimmer installed in one of the locations, so I'm not sure if you can get a dimmer/switch combo like that. It's also a three-way, where the dimmer has to be wired in.

Thanks

Brett
 
Just google "dimmable compact flourescent bulbs". They're out there and work on a standard dimmer. I didn't look for that combo switch/dimmer though. That might be a tough one to find.
 
Brett, you're not going to find a 3-way-dimmer and a switch in a single device. Your best bet will be to install a 3-way dimmer at the other box, and keep the duplex switch where it is.
 
bjp_ne_elec said:
First, what type of dimmer do you use with those fluorescents that screw in, in place of regular incandescents? I would think you'd have to get one that is designed for a fluorescent, but I'm not absolutely sure. Do these things actually have a small ballast in them to fire the lamp?
Click to expand...

You're not going to find a dimmable CFL that screws into a med-base style lamb holder easily. They do now make them, but will be hard to find, and will require a bit of customer edjucation for them not to putting the wrong lamp in it down the line... Regular self-ballasted screw-in CFL's will either not work, work right, or cause damage to the lamp, or dimmer they are on. These are the only dimmable ones I know at the moment.
http://www.maxlite.com/PDFs/FocusSheets/DimMax&DimMaxFlood.pdf

Otherwise, dimmable ballasts are pretty specific, and the dimmers used are too. Choices between dimmable 3-wire, (phase neutral control) and dimmable "two-wire" (dimmed phase and nuetral) are manufacturer specific.

And FYI - if you cut tight to a 4S 1900 box with a 2-gang ring - a two gang plate will cover the edges. Or a two gang masonary. 'Cause I am yet to see a combo dimmer in a 1 gang single yoke device.
 
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