Dimming FAQ

Are all dimmers 100% Factory Tested Lutron performance-tests every product at the end of the manufacturing line to meet rigid quality standards. Customers receive products that have been tested to work the first time, every time. Will dimmers operate at 100% Wattage Capacity Lutron dimmers can be loaded to their full wattage capacity. For example, a 600 watt dimmer, with the side section attached (not derated), can handle 600 watts of load. What are the differences between dimmer types There is a wide variety of lighting sources on the market today. Each has individual characteristics which require special types of dimming. Load Type Optimization Each dimmer is designed for the specific load type it is meant to control. This optimizes performance and reliability....always check that you have the correct dimmer for the load. Incandescent Lighting Standard light bulbs are incandescent line voltage (120 Volt). Incandescent lamps contain filaments that give off light when heated by an electric current. They are very affordable and are easy to dim. Electronic Low-Voltage (ELV) Track lights are usually electronic low-voltage. Control electronic low-voltage lamps with an electronic low-voltage dimmer ONLY. Magnetic Low-Voltage (MLV) Recessed lights are most often magnetic low-voltage. Magnetic low-voltage lights tend to be larger and heavier than electronic low-voltage. Fluorescent lighting Lutron’s fluorescent dimmers control only fluorescent fixtures that incorporate rapid start fluorescent lamps and dimming ballasts. To achieve dimming, use a Lutron fluorescent dimmer and Lutron dimming ballast. Dimming fluorescent lights including compact fluorescent can be costly. Single Pole Dimmer Single-pole dimmers provide control from one location only (see graphic above) Multi-Location Control from Each Location Multi-location dimmers can be used with accessory dimmers for full control of the lights from up to 10 locations (see graphic above) What happens when I use a 3-way Dimmer with on/off Switches 3-way dimmers adjust the light level from one location. When used with 3-way and 4-way switches, the lights can be turned on to the dimmer level or off from multiple locations (see graphic above) Ganging and Derating a dimmer A typical dimmer is wider than a switch. This increased size helps the dimmer dissipate the internal heat normal to it's operation. Dimmers can be ganged together so the space between them is the same as for switches. To do this, a portion of the side sections must be removed. The side sections are grooved to make the removal easy using a pair of pliers. The removal of these side sections "Fins" reduces the capacity (load) the dimmer can control. What is Ganging? All dimmers are designed to fit in an American Standard 1-gang electronic wallbox (backbox). Ganging is two or more controls mounted side by side in a series of connected wallboxes. What is derating? All dimmers rely on heat conduction and convection to keep the electronic components cool. Derating is the reduction of the maximum capacity (load) a unit can reliably handle when fins/side sections are removed. Heat Dissipation During normal operation, dimmers do get warm to the touch. Wallbox dimmer efficiency is typically around 99%. The other 1% is dissipated in the dimmer as heat. So a dimmer on a 600 W load would produce around 6 watts of heat. This is on the order of a small night light. Operating on it’s rated load, Lutron dimmers will stay below the UL limits of 140º F (60º C). Low-Voltage (12 Volt Lamps) Low-voltage lighting uses a transformer to step down the incoming line voltage (typically to 12 VAC). The bulbs contain a smaller filament than incandescent bulbs for higher efficiency and more precise beam control. These bulbs have a long life expectancy and bright white light. Low-voltage lighting may use magnetic or electronic transformers. What are the benefits of dimming my lights? A dimmer gives you much more flexibility with your lighting control--it allows you to adjust the lights in a room for a specific activity or create ambience, rather than simply having the lights turned on or off. Install a dimmer in your kitchen, for example, and you can brighten lights at breakfast or when preparing meals, and lower them to catch up with your family over an evening snack. In the bathroom, a dimmer means you don't have to begin your morning routine in full bright light, but rather in a soft glow to help you ease into your day. Dim the lights in your dining room and you can create the perfect atmosphere for entertaining friends. How does a dimmer work? Incandescent and halogen bulbs have a thick metal wire in them, called a filament. (That's the wire you can see through the bulb's glass.) When you turn on a light switch, electrical current passes through the filament, and the filament heats up. When the filament gets hot, it produces light. A dimmer works by interrupting the current flowing into the filament (the current is interrupted too fast for our eyes to see). When less current flows into the filament, the filament doesn't get as hot, and it produces less light. Does a dimmer save energy? Yes, a dimmer does save energy. When the dimmer interrupts the electrical current flowing through it, essentially no power is being consumed. How much money can I save by using a dimmer? The amount you save depends on how many bulbs you use with the dimmer, the amount of time you dim the lights, and by what percentage you dim them. For example, dimming four 75W bulbs by 33% for 3 hours a day saves 26% electricity, translating into $48 in savings over 5 years. Are there other green benefits of dimming? Yes; dimmers can also help reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, if every household in the U.S. installed one Lutron dimmer, we would reduce CO2 emissions equivalent to that from 370,000 cars. Dimmed light bulbs also last up to 10 years, reducing landfill waste. Is a dimmer difficult to install? Installing a dimmer isn't complicated. All you need to do is replace a regular light switch with a dimmer switch. You can do this yourself in as little as 15 minutes. What types of light bulbs can I use with a dimmer? You can use incandescent or halogen bulbs with a standard dimmer. Can I use CFLs (Compact Fluorscent lights) with my dimmers? Currently, Lutron does not recommend using screw-in CFLs ("spiral" or "energy saver" bulbs) with dimmers. Some screw-in CFL bulbs are labeled as dimmable, but their performance does not meet Lutron's standards. What happens if I use a screw-in CFL with a dimmer? Using a dimmer with a screw-in CFL may result in poor dimming quality, as evidenced by flickering lights, poor response to the dimmer, lack of low light levels and humming sound. The reason dimming with a screw-in CFL differs from dimming with an incandescent bulb is that a CFL, like any fluorescent bulb, needs a ballast to make it work. The ballast has to be small to fit inside the base of the bulb; because of the ballast's size some components that would be included in a separate dimming ballast are often left out, which results in poor performance when used with a dimmer. In contrast, an incandescent light bulb doesn't require a ballast to make it work.