Toomey Banshee Posted June 28, 2006 Report Posted June 28, 2006 Ok, I just had a chandelier hung in my foyer when you walk into my home. I just put a dimmer on the switch for it. Its a 2-way, you can turn the chandelier on from upstairs and down. The problem is this, when I dim the light I hear a buzzing sound, the dimmer I make the lights the louder the buzzing is. Also the switch plate is warm to the touch after the chaendelier was on for about 2 hours. Whats the problem here? Thanks. Bob Quote
RIPPEN Posted June 28, 2006 Report Posted June 28, 2006 You need to make sure that the dimmer is rated for the wattage your light is using. Maybe over loading the dimmer. However dimmers are known to make SOMEwhat of a humming noise and give off a some heat. Thats normal but you just want to add up the total wattage being used and make sure the dimmers correct. Just so you know, when a light is wired to be switch on or off in two locations the switch is actually a 3-way rather than a 2-way. Hope this helps :beer: RIPPEN Quote
Toomey Banshee Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Posted June 28, 2006 Thanks. The dimmer is rated for 600W I think. The Chandelier has about 15 40W lights on it. I'm not sure what the chandleier is putting out. You have a guess with that many lights? Quote
RIPPEN Posted June 28, 2006 Report Posted June 28, 2006 Well that should be about 600 watts so I would say your right at the max. Did you have to break any tabs off the sides to get he dimmer to fit with the rest of the switches in the box??? On some if you break the tabs off the sides then it de-rates the wattage of the dimmer. RIPPEN Quote
BigRed350x Posted June 28, 2006 Report Posted June 28, 2006 You need to make sure that the dimmer is rated for the wattage your light is using. Maybe over loading the dimmer. However dimmers are known to make SOMEwhat of a humming noise and give off a some heat. Thats normal but you just want to add up the total wattage being used and make sure the dimmers correct. Just so you know, when a light is wired to be switch on or off in two locations the switch is actually a 3-way rather than a 2-way. Hope this helps :beer: RIPPEN Right from an eletricians mouth right there! You beat me to this one. Quote
[email protected] Posted June 28, 2006 Report Posted June 28, 2006 dimmer switches will get luke warm nothing seriously hot . rippen beat me to it .... im wiring up the new place im moving into with 3 inch low voltage lights , they are PIMMMMMMP Quote
Toomey Banshee Posted June 28, 2006 Author Report Posted June 28, 2006 Alright, I really am an idiot when it comes to electrical shit. If I have 15 40W lights in a fixture do I add them up? If I do its 600W. So, if I put 30 W bulbs in I'm at 450W and20W I'm at 300? Right? Quote
dogboystoy Posted June 29, 2006 Report Posted June 29, 2006 right. find a higher wattage dimmer or lower wattage bulbs. Unless you want to run at the max. Quote
Toomey Banshee Posted June 30, 2006 Author Report Posted June 30, 2006 right. find a higher wattage dimmer or lower wattage bulbs. Unless you want to run at the max. Thanks. I went out and got me a 1000 wat dimmer. All better now. But geez, 52 bux for a friggin dimmer. Quote
[email protected] Posted June 30, 2006 Report Posted June 30, 2006 so you have a entire circut dedicated to this light system ? If you branched off something else you can really be overloading it , youll notice if the breaker trips like a hippy in the 60's Quote
RIPPEN Posted July 1, 2006 Report Posted July 1, 2006 so you have a entire circut dedicated to this light system ? If you branched off something else you can really be overloading it , youll notice if the breaker trips like a hippy in the 60's Possible but he'll prob be fine... Even though it sounds like its a big light, most entry circuts end up being pretty lightly loaded... RIPPEN Quote
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