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Remember that dimmers are for incandescent lights only unless you invest BIG BUCKS on dimmable fluorescent lights and fluorescent dimmers. Make sure that the switch that you replace with the dimmer does not control a plug-in outlet unless it is a lamp. You could do harm to an appliance not designed for such use.
Otherwise,just add up the wattage of all the bulbs on the dimmer and buy one of the next size rating. So if you have two 60 watt bulbs, two 75 watt bulbs-- that's 270 watts total.Find a dimmer rated for 300 watts or more.
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Can you use a fan control switch as a dimmer switch?
Probably not, since a volume control switch is designed for extremely low current measured in fractions of a watt, while a dimmer switch is typically capable of handling several hundred watts.
Is there a way to wire a 3 way household dimmer switch as a 2 way dimmer switch?
You need a three way switch to control lights from two locations. The name is misleading. Three way switch refers to the connection points on the switch. You can use a three way switch as a single switch as long as you place hot wire on the brass screw and the use any of the other screws for the return hot.
I am removing a dimmer switch to put in a regular switch but there are two incoming hot wires what do i do?
The regular switch just connects in the circuit the same way as the dimmer switch came out. If the dimmer switch had its own wires the only difference will be is you will have to supply your own wires from the new switch to the existing connection. IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY SURE YOU CAN DO THIS JOBSAFELY AND COMPETENTLYREFER THIS WORK TO QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS. If you do this work yourself, always turn off the power at the breaker box/fuse panel BEFORE you attempt to do any work AND always use a meter or voltage indicatorto insure the circuit is, in fact, de-energized.
Can you use a sodium lamp in a mercury ballast?
No you can't. You can use a metal halide lamp of the exact wattage of the original mercury lamp. You cannot vary on wattage at all.
Can you use a dimmer on diode Christmas lights?
Yes, just splice a potentiometer (dimmer knob) in series and it should work just fine. In fact they are a lot more energy efficient at just a little below max output, and look just as bright.
