4-way switch for ceiling lamp?
 

Hello, I just installed a halogen ceiling fixture that has three
individual lamps, all wired together in parallel, controlled from a
wall switch. What I'd like to do is install another type of switch
which will let me control how many of the three lamps are on (e.g.
alternating between one, two, three, all or off), perhaps based on how
many times the switch is clicked (in the above case, there would be
five "settings".

Can someone suggest an inexpensive switch that would work? If not, I'll
just use a dimmer.

Thanks.

In article .com,
wrote:
Hello, I just installed a halogen ceiling fixture that has three
individual lamps, all wired together in parallel, controlled from a
wall switch. What I'd like to do is install another type of switch
which will let me control how many of the three lamps are on (e.g.
alternating between one, two, three, all or off), perhaps based on how
many times the switch is clicked (in the above case, there would be
five "settings".

Can someone suggest an inexpensive switch that would work? If not, I'll
just use a dimmer.

No such animal AFAIK. Use a dimmer but make sure its rated for enough
watts.

--
Rich Greenberg Marietta, GA, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 770 321 6507
Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines:Val, Red & Shasta (RIP),Red, husky Owner:Chinook-L
Atlanta Siberian Husky Rescue. www.panix.com/~richgr/ Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

I've never seen such a switch, but when we lived in Taiwan, many of our
lighting fixtures worked like that. The switching mechanism must have
been part of the fixture, because I'm certain that the switch was a
normal on/off one.

Perce


On 02/10/05 05:31 pm tossed the following ingredients
into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

Hello, I just installed a halogen ceiling fixture that has three
individual lamps, all wired together in parallel, controlled from a
wall switch. What I'd like to do is install another type of switch
which will let me control how many of the three lamps are on (e.g.
alternating between one, two, three, all or off), perhaps based on how
many times the switch is clicked (in the above case, there would be
five "settings".

Can someone suggest an inexpensive switch that would work? If not, I'll
just use a dimmer.

Yes, I know I'd have to modify the lamp somehow, since there's no wall
switch that can do this. Does anyone know of a circuit or device that
can be wired into the lamp for this purpose?

The lamp uses 3 halogen receptacles at 50w each max. If I use a dimmer,
I guess I'd need one rated at 150w?

On 10 Feb 2005 22:25:30 -0800, someone wrote:

Yes, I know I'd have to modify the lamp somehow,

OK, 'cuz that wasn't clear from the phrasing of your 1st post.

You'd have to wire at least the hot lead from each lamp over to your
switches. You wanna pull wire over to the wall box, it would then be
easy to get the result you wanted, though with several switches
instead of one.


Reply to NG only - this e.mail address goes to a kill file.

(v) wrote
someone wrote:
Yes, I know I'd have to modify the lamp somehow,
OK, 'cuz that wasn't clear from the phrasing of your 1st post.
You'd have to wire at least the hot lead from each lamp over to
your switches. You wanna pull wire over to the wall box, it
would then be easy to get the result you wanted, though with
several switches instead of one.

Depending on the type of fitting there may be no need to run 3 'hots'
to the wall switch. If it doesn't matter *which* lamps are lit,
parallel 2 of the lamps to one switch and 1 lamp to another switch.
Then 1 or 2 lamps can be illuminated by one switch, both switches on
for 3 lamps.

Owain