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#1
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600-watt light dimmer overheats
I have six 75-watt incandescent lights being controlled
by a 600-watt rated dimmer. The dimmer is getting very hot when the lights are set to full on. Is it possible that these six lights are somehow drawing more amperes than the dimmer can safely handle? Dick |
#2
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"Dick M." wrote in message news:uyk1d.36011$9Y5.17743@fed1read02... I have six 75-watt incandescent lights being controlled by a 600-watt rated dimmer. The dimmer is getting very hot when the lights are set to full on. Is it possible that these six lights are somehow drawing more amperes than the dimmer can safely handle? Dick I'd be curious if it is the only dimmer in the box ? And what make/model dimmer. If its the only dimmer in one box, 6 standard old 75w bulbs is fine. Dimmers do get pretty hot, you say very hot which might mean something is aloof. Some dimmers have heat sink fins on the side or cover plate to disapate heat and you derate wattage as you remove these fins. When two dimmers are mounted side by side, depending on manufactor most will derate to 500 or 450 watts max, three dimmers and the middle dimmer might only be 300w. |
#3
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If its the only dimmer in one box, 6 standard old 75w bulbs is fine. Dimmers do get pretty hot, you say very hot which might mean something is aloof. I'm pretty sure you meant "amiss" here, not "aloof". |
#4
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Dick M. wrote:
I have six 75-watt incandescent lights being controlled by a 600-watt rated dimmer. The dimmer is getting very hot when the lights are set to full on. Is it possible that these six lights are somehow drawing more amperes than the dimmer can safely handle? Dick Are there any other devices other than that one dimmer in the work box? In any case I would up the capacity of the dimmer. I don't like to run them over 50% or their rated capacity. -- Joseph E. Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math |
#5
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This is the only dimmer switch in the box. If I get a 1000-watt
dimmer, will it be less hot than the 600-watt dimmer? Is that because the components in the larger dimmer are more efficient? Dick ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are there any other devices other than that one dimmer in the work box? In any case I would up the capacity of the dimmer. I don't like to run them over 50% or their rated capacity. -- Joseph E. Meehan |
#6
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Dick M. wrote:
This is the only dimmer switch in the box. If I get a 1000-watt dimmer, will it be less hot than the 600-watt dimmer? Is that because the components in the larger dimmer are more efficient? Dick Maybe, but I believe you will find it will also have cooling integrated into the design ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are there any other devices other than that one dimmer in the work box? In any case I would up the capacity of the dimmer. I don't like to run them over 50% or their rated capacity. -- Joseph E. Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math |
#7
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How could the cooling design help? The heat has to get out thru
the wallplate regardless of the cooling design. Dick ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Joseph Meehan" wrote: Maybe, but I believe you will find it will also have cooling integrated into the design |
#8
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In article Cfp1d.37734$9Y5.14014@fed1read02, Dick M. wrote:
How could the cooling design help? The heat has to get out thru the wallplate regardless of the cooling design. Dick Most walls are hollow and heat can get out the sides of the switch box. If your switch box has its sides covered, then I suspect this can reduce the capacity of your dimmer. - Don Klipstein ) |
#9
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That's what I thought. I guess the 600-watt specification on the dimmer is
overly optimistic. Dick wrote: A dimmer turned wide open should not be hot. That should be it's coolest operation. The heat associated with dimmers comes from converting energy that would otherwise go to the lights to heat instead by use of resistance. There are some advanced dimmers that use pulse width modulation to regulate instead, and they run much cooler. BB |
#10
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Dick M. wrote:
How could the cooling design help? The heat has to get out thru the wallplate regardless of the cooling design. Dick I am not sure they are still making the same design dimmers that I am was thinking of. The ones I was thinking of were or are built with cooling fins on the faceplate and the even heavier duty ones took up two spaces in the work box to get more cooling fins. It could be that they are made with more efficient electronics today. I really don't know. it has been a while since I have needed to work on such a thing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Joseph Meehan" wrote: Maybe, but I believe you will find it will also have cooling integrated into the design -- Joseph E. Meehan 26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math |
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#12
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Joseph Meehan wrote:
Dick M. wrote: How could the cooling design help? The heat has to get out thru the wallplate regardless of the cooling design. Dick I am not sure they are still making the same design dimmers that I am was thinking of. The ones I was thinking of were or are built with cooling fins on the faceplate and the even heavier duty ones took up two spaces in the work box to get more cooling fins. It could be that they are made with more efficient electronics today. I really don't know. it has been a while since I have needed to work on such a thing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Joseph Meehan" wrote: Maybe, but I believe you will find it will also have cooling integrated into the design The semiconductor manufacturers have been continuously improving (lowering)the "on resistance" (A parameter called Rdon) of their power switching devices, and the lower that resistance, the less heat is generated for a given average current. Economics being what they are, the chincier manufacturers will use older lower cost semiconductors as long as they can get away with it Short of putting on an electrical engineering hat, setting up a measuring system, and comparing different makes of dimmers, there's no practical way to tell from just the "wattage rating" exactly how hot one dimmer will run compared to another. HTH, Jeff -- My name is Jeff Wisnia and I approved this message.... (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE) "As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public schools" |
#13
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