On 05/23/2011 03:48 PM, hamish wrote:
I live in a 60s house with a problem. Normal dimmers will not fit the
switch boxes as they are too large or the the electrical box is too
small. Any idea where I might find a super slim dimmer switch. I am
in Canada so that makes it a more difficult solution.
Thanks

I'd personally bust out the old box and replace it with a new 3-1/2"
deep box. If you are careful you can do this w/o having to patch and
paint. If you use Madison hangers and the dimmer has terminals on the
side (rare, most of the ones I see now use fly leads) make sure to wrap
the device w/ tape.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote in news:irf1vp01fd8
@news3.newsguy.com:

On 05/23/2011 03:48 PM, hamish wrote:
I live in a 60s house with a problem. Normal dimmers will not fit the
switch boxes as they are too large or the the electrical box is too
small. Any idea where I might find a super slim dimmer switch. I am
in Canada so that makes it a more difficult solution.
Thanks

I'd personally bust out the old box and replace it with a new 3-1/2"
deep box. If you are careful you can do this w/o having to patch and
paint. If you use Madison hangers and the dimmer has terminals on the
side (rare, most of the ones I see now use fly leads) make sure to wrap
the device w/ tape.

nate


It's the most sensible solution. Skip all the hard to find, pricy, and
half-ass fixes.

On May 25, 10:25*am, Red Green wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote in news:irf1vp01fd8
@news3.newsguy.com:

On 05/23/2011 03:48 PM, hamish wrote:
I live in a 60s house with a problem. *Normal dimmers will not fit the
switch boxes as they are too large or the the electrical box is too
small. *Any idea where I might find a super slim dimmer switch. *I am
in Canada so that makes it a more difficult solution.
Thanks

I'd personally bust out the old box and replace it with a new 3-1/2"
deep box. *If you are careful you can do this w/o having to patch and
paint. *If you use Madison hangers and the dimmer has terminals on the
side (rare, most of the ones I see now use fly leads) make sure to wrap
the device w/ tape.

nate

It's the most sensible solution. Skip all the hard to find, pricy, and
half-ass fixes.

I'd sure rather spend $25 on a "pricey" dimmer that fits the existing
box instead of trying to change the box. How much is your time
worth? And that's assuming you might be able to get the old one
out and a new one in without having to do patching/painting.

" wrote in
:

On May 25, 10:25*am, Red Green wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote in news:irf1vp01fd8
@news3.newsguy.com:

On 05/23/2011 03:48 PM, hamish wrote:
I live in a 60s house with a problem. *Normal dimmers will not fit
t
he
switch boxes as they are too large or the the electrical box is
too small. *Any idea where I might find a super slim dimmer
switch. *I
am
in Canada so that makes it a more difficult solution.
Thanks

I'd personally bust out the old box and replace it with a new
3-1/2" deep box. *If you are careful you can do this w/o having to
patch and paint. *If you use Madison hangers and the dimmer has
terminals on th
e
side (rare, most of the ones I see now use fly leads) make sure to
wrap the device w/ tape.

nate

It's the most sensible solution. Skip all the hard to find, pricy,
and half-ass fixes.

I'd sure rather spend $25 on a "pricey" dimmer that fits the existing
box instead of trying to change the box. How much is your time
worth? And that's assuming you might be able to get the old one
out and a new one in without having to do patching/painting.


How much is your time
worth?

Depends on what you actually would be doing otherwise in that time.

On May 25, 10:49*am, "
wrote:
On May 25, 10:25*am, Red Green wrote:





Nate Nagel wrote in news:irf1vp01fd8
@news3.newsguy.com:

On 05/23/2011 03:48 PM, hamish wrote:
I live in a 60s house with a problem. *Normal dimmers will not fit the
switch boxes as they are too large or the the electrical box is too
small. *Any idea where I might find a super slim dimmer switch. *I am
in Canada so that makes it a more difficult solution.
Thanks

I'd personally bust out the old box and replace it with a new 3-1/2"
deep box. *If you are careful you can do this w/o having to patch and
paint. *If you use Madison hangers and the dimmer has terminals on the
side (rare, most of the ones I see now use fly leads) make sure to wrap
the device w/ tape.

nate

It's the most sensible solution. Skip all the hard to find, pricy, and
half-ass fixes.

I'd sure rather spend $25 on a "pricey" dimmer that fits the existing
box instead of trying to change the box. * How much is your time
worth? * And that's assuming you might be able to get the old one
out and a new one in without having to do patching/painting.

I've managed to do it before w/o too much trouble, at least with the
old style gem boxes. just push it back into the wall with a bar and
hammer and then pry off the stud. Usually it'll break into two pieces
making it easier to fish the busted pieces out of the wall (unless
they just fall down to the bottom in which case just let 'em go, man.)

NB: my house had (I say had, because I just got a good offer on it
yesterday so it's apparently not really "mine" for much longer)
plaster walls, not drywall.

nate

wrote in message
...
On May 25, 10:25 am, Red Green wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote in news:irf1vp01fd8
@news3.newsguy.com:

On 05/23/2011 03:48 PM, hamish wrote:
I live in a 60s house with a problem. Normal dimmers will not fit the
switch boxes as they are too large or the the electrical box is too
small. Any idea where I might find a super slim dimmer switch. I am
in Canada so that makes it a more difficult solution.
Thanks

I'd personally bust out the old box and replace it with a new 3-1/2"
deep box. If you are careful you can do this w/o having to patch and
paint. If you use Madison hangers and the dimmer has terminals on the
side (rare, most of the ones I see now use fly leads) make sure to wrap
the device w/ tape.

nate

It's the most sensible solution. Skip all the hard to find, pricy, and
half-ass fixes.

I'd sure rather spend $25 on a "pricey" dimmer that fits the existing
box instead of trying to change the box. How much is your time
worth? And that's assuming you might be able to get the old one
out and a new one in without having to do patching/painting.

The only dimmer I've ever seen that would fit in a shallow box, or a packed
box, is the Leviton "trimatron". It's half the thickness of every other
dimmer, and it's cheap.