Why couldn't I troubleshoot this dimmer?

[mark32]

I hooked up a ceiling light and installed a used (From the owner) dimmer the other day for someone. I confidently told the owner to flip the breaker back on fully expecting the light to come on. When it didn't light up I asked him to change the bulb, which did nothing but noticed the locator light in the dimmer go off and on when the bulb was removed and installed, just like it's suppoed to. I whipped out my meter but the battery was dead. The owner handed me a his tester, the 120v or 240v type with two leads. The 120v light in the tester lit up when I tested at the light's socket. I couldn't understand what the problem could be. The owner said he had shorted one of the leads of the dimmer when he initially installed it and then told me the light hadn't worked since. I removed the dimmer and touched the feed and sw leg together and the light came on. My question is why would the locator light light up and why would I get a voltage reading at the light socket when the light still would not work?

 

[BigMac333]

Is this a resistance type of dimmer or solid state electronic type.

 

[wireguru]

when he shorted the leads on the dimmer he blew up the triac ruining the dimmer. The indicator light in the dimmer is a neon lamp across line and load, having nothing to do with the former.

 

[qcroanoke]

I found out the hard way that when the dimmer instructions tell you to turn off power you really should turn off power because the smoke will get out if you don't......

 

[Cavie]

I found out the hard way that when the dimmer instructions tell you to turn off power you really should turn off power because the smoke will get out if you don't......

Those statements on dimmers are not there as a safty warning.

 

[mivey]

I had a bulb blow on a ceiling fan light (remote on/off/dim) and the remote would not work after that. I had cut the light on with the remote when the bulb blew.

 

[brantmacga]

I confidently told the owner to flip the breaker back on fully expecting the light to come on. When it didn't light up I asked him to change the bulb,

Why was the owner flipping breakers and changing bulbs with you there? :-?



Just asking. . . . .

 

[fondini]

Why was the owner flipping breakers and changing bulbs with you there? :-?



Just asking. . . . .

lol! Ineed to figure that one out, to bad the ho didnt invest in a quality meter, maybe that can be asked in the sales pitch!

 

[LarryFine]

Why was the owner flipping breakers and changing bulbs with you there? :-?

Credible witness?

 

[mark32]

when he shorted the leads on the dimmer he blew up the triac ruining the dimmer. The indicator light in the dimmer is a neon lamp across line and load, having nothing to do with the former.

Thank you wireguru for the info.

Why was the owner flipping breakers and changing bulbs with you there? :-?


Just asking. . . . .

I guess that sounds strange since I didn't go into much detail. The owner turned off the breaker for the circuit before I started as he's done work on it before and knew which one it was. When I finished the dimmer he was standing only a few feet away which was right next to the panel (It's located in the living room) so it only seemed natural to ask him to turn it back on, the same really for the bulb. It's his place and I didn't bring any bulbs up (He's in a high rise) with me.

 

[DavidA]

I've found some strange voltages from illuminated switches. Fixing lighting problems in a kitchen where I had unknowingly installed an illuminated switch. Checking the ceiling box for hots and switch legs and my voltage detector was making noise on a SL from the illuminated switch that was turned off. Put the meter on it and got around 70 V SL to N. Made a few trips into the attic before I finally got back to the switch as the source of the voltage. I didn't notice at first since the lamp inside of it was not lit at the time. Really confused the heck outta me though.

 

[mxslick]

OK, I'm gonna play the pot-stirrer here and ask why would anyone waste their time troubleshooting a $10 dimmer? Just replace the darn thing! I'm sure your time is worth a lot more than the cost of the part. :grin:

As a theoretical discussion is has merit, but on a practical level I would just swap the dimmer out, after a quick test with a regular switch to make sure the load doesn't have any problems.

 

[K8MHZ]

OK, I'm gonna play the pot-stirrer here and ask why would anyone waste their time troubleshooting a $10 dimmer? Just replace the darn thing! I'm sure your time is worth a lot more than the cost of the part. :grin:

As a theoretical discussion is has merit, but on a practical level I would just swap the dimmer out, after a quick test with a regular switch to make sure the load doesn't have any problems.

Not only that, we have covered the effects of the impedance of testers several times.

Call me persnickety, but I think the time spent learning about a device should start with our test equipment before we use said equipment to try to understand and troubleshoot additional devices.

 

[mark32]

OK, I'm gonna play the pot-stirrer here and ask why would anyone waste their time troubleshooting a $10 dimmer? Just replace the darn thing! I'm sure your time is worth a lot more than the cost of the part. :grin:

As a theoretical discussion is has merit, but on a practical level I would just swap the dimmer out, after a quick test with a regular switch to make sure the load doesn't have any problems.

The title to my post isn't 100% accurate but couldn't think of how else to put it into words. I wasn't there to troubleshoot anything, but when I got done doing what I was doing (See this post http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=122605) the ceiling light didn't work and I was confused due to the 120v reading at the socket and the locator light illuminating in the dimmer telling me the bulb was okay.

 

[N844AA]

For what it's worth, I rarely turn off the power when hooking up a dimmer, but I make sure the dimmer is set to "Off" so there is no load on it when I wirenut the leads to energize it. Never had a problem.

 

[jaylectricity]

What's the difference between wiring a dimmer live and replacing a bulb with the dimmer on?

 

[Buck Parrish]

You can't trouble shoot with a used dimmer. IMO
I throw them away, esspecially if it was the customers.
I have noticed recently that the slightest ground fault will ruin them.