Like any continuous load, it must be derated 125% so this counts as 1500W toward hard circuit limits of 1800W (15A) or 2400W (20A). This with the dimmers consumes more than 50% of a 20A circuit's capacity, so it must be on a dedicated circuit that serves only hardwired loads and does not power any receptacles. If you really, really, really want to support incandescents, then use 2 dimmers and call it a "feature".
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Candelabra sockets are readily available in LED at no cost disadvantage, but incandescent candelabra bulbs are commonly 40W and can be found as large as 60W. However GU24 screw-in LEDs are notably more expensive. If you really want to use those fixtures, you can switch their sockets to something like GU24 which do not support incandescents. (The system you are currently angling for is "the old way of dimming" that is made for incandescents, and LEDs struggle to work properly because it works the exact opposite way LEDs do.) This also opens the door to using more robust dimming controls like 0-10V, PWM or smart dimming. 00:00 - Do you need a special dimmer switch for LED lights00:35 - What type of dimmer switch do I need for LED lights01:03 - What is the best dimmer switch. LEDs are so reliable, and they don't "burn out" like bulbs, that there is no reason to socket them and a lot of reasons not to - such as this. This ceases to be a factor if you use dedicated LED luminaires which don't have sockets.
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Is there a rule or exception that makes using a small dimmer in this case OK? Can I write "max lamp size: 10 watts" inside each fixture to derate it? Or should I just put a toggle switch on the circuit and replace it with an LED dimmer after getting the CO? I know that using a smaller LED dimmer would be safe and work fine for my application, but since this is new construction and must pass inspection, is there a code-complaint way to handle this scenario? (Probably because no one needs to put 240 fixtures on a single dimmer!) The dimmer would need to be able to dim LEDs.īut I'm having a hard time finding an LED compatible dimmer that is rated for 1200 watts. A dimmer for LED lights is specially designed to send power and control signals to each type of electronic LED driver. With LED bulbs you cannot limit the power to the driver, because if you do, the bulb would flicker or just turn off. Normally, if I wanted to dim them, I would need a 1200 watt dimmer (75*16=1200).īut the dimable LED bulbs I intend to use are 5 watts each, so only an 80 watt dimmer would be required. In traditional dimming systems you are simply lowering the voltage/power to the bulb, which in turn dims it down.
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They are technically rated at 75 watts because they have medium screw base sockets and can take 75 watt incandescent lamps.
Do you need a led dimmer for led lights install#
I plan to install 16 Halo H7 recessed lights in the ceiling of a new home.