Often asked: How Many Watts Can A Dimmer Handle?

How many watts can a dimmer handle in normal conditions? Dimmer switches can handle bulbs from 1 Watt to 1000 Watts. Some dimmers can even handle different bulb types in the same circuit.

How many watts is a dimmer switch?

The majority of dimmer switches are rated for 600 watts – this rating can be found right on the front of the dimmer switch, underneath the cover plate.

How many lights can a dimmer switch control?

As an example – if you have a dimmer switch with a maximum rating of 400W (rule of thumb translates to 40W) you can run five 7.1W dimmable LED light bulbs (see example below for further explanation).

How many LED bulbs can you put on a dimmer?

Varilight recommend putting no more than 10 LED lamps on one dimmer module. You can put multiple lamps on one plate, so if you have a three gang dimmer plate you can put thirty LED lamps on the plate in total (10 on each module).

How many watt dimmer do I need?

Generally speaking, you will be looking for either 600 watt max load or 1000 watt. When choosing dimmers for dimmable LEDs or CFLs, you should not load a dimmer higher than approximately 25% of the rated load for the dimmer.

Does a dimmer reduce wattage?

With LED lights the effect of dimming compared to power use is fairly linear. However, dimming incandescent is actually less efficient than using a lower wattage of bulb. For example, a 60W bulb dimmed to the brightness of a 40W bulb will use more energy than a 40W bulb on maximum.

How many watts can a switch handle?

2 Answers. A 120 volt, 15 ampere circuit can provide 1800 watts (unless it’s a “continuous load”, then only 1440 watts).

What wattage LED dimmer switch do I need?

A rule of thumb commonly used to calculate a load for LED dimmers is to divide the stated maximum load by 10. For example a 400W dimmer switch should have no more than 40W of LED bulbs connected to it, which would equate to eight 5W bulbs.

What is the highest wattage dimmer switch?

Standard household dimmer switches range from 150W to 1000W, so the highest wattage for a dimmer switch is 1000 wattage.

Can I put a dimmer switch on LED lights?

A standard dimmer switch cannot be used with an LED light as you will never be able to dim the LED light either completely or not very well. LED lights need their own special electronic dimmer switch to have a fully functioning and dimming light.

Can you overload a dimmer switch?

new jersey — Did you know that you can accidentally overload a dimmer switch? If you do, it can become hot to the touch – sometimes extremely hot – to the point where it can become a fire hazard. It means that the switch has enough capacity to dim, for example, up to six 100-watt bulbs or as many as ten 60-watt bulbs.

Can dimmer switches cause fires?

The most common fire caused by dimmer switches is putting too much power through them. The reason dimmer switches get hot is fairly simple. Some dimmers get hotter than others because of their design. Old dimmer switches typically were rheostats that varied the amount of voltage going to the light bulbs.

Does dimming LED lights use less electricity?

Yes, dimmers reduce energy consumption of dimmable LEDs. Unlike incandescent bulbs, the electricity used is fairly linear with the light output; at 50% brightness it should use roughly 50% of the power. Generally speaking, dimming will allow the bulbs to run cooler and extend their life spans.

What’s the difference between 250W and 400W dimmer switch?

Thanks. Hi difference is max lamp loads, go for lowest that will be more than you need! ie if dimming 1 X 100w lamp then get a 250W dimmer as thats the smallest made, if say 3x 100W lamps you need next size up, ie 400W sw.

How do I choose a dimmer?

Choose a dimmer with a wattage rating that meets or exceeds the total wattage of all the light bulbs the dimmer will control. For example, if the dimmer controls a fixture with ten 75-watt bulbs, you need a dimmer rated for 750 watts or higher.

Can one dimmer control multiple lights?

With a standard single-pole dimmer, a single switch controls the light. With a three-way dimmer, you can control a light with two switches. If only one switch controls the light, purchase a single-pole dimmer. If two switches control a single light or a group of lights, you will need a three-way dimmer.