Dimming Groups of lights with dedicated switches

Apr 27, 2007 9 Replies
M

I am planning on installing recessed lighting in my basement and would like to control these lights with dedicated switches on the same circuit. Here is the scenario:



Group #1 - 6, 75W cans controlled by Dimmer #1 Group #2 - 10 50W cans controlled by Dimmer #2 Group #3 - 2 75W cans controlled by Dimmer #3



I plan to do this on a dedicated 15A, 120V circuit. I am not trying to implement 3-way or 4-way switching.



Could someone describe, or better yet point me in the direction of an illustration/diagram for this type of scenario?



Thanks,



Marc Mueller



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T

I'm not sure what the question is. This is just straight forward using 3 independent dimmer switches, that are on one 15 amp circuit, right? You have a 14 gauge romex going into a switch box, 3 dimmers,

3 romex leaving box going to light fixtures, which are daisy chained on appropriate romex.
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V

formatting link
has lots of info and diagrams. Use

600 watt dimmers. Your total watts is less than 80% of a 15 amp circuit, so you're good to go.
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G

Find yourself a theater tech.

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H

you must derate them if they are all in the same box!

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J

I may be mis remembering, but isn't there in the NEC a limit on the total number of fixtues / devices on a circuit, regardless of the total wattage drawn by the devices / fixtures?

Isn't 18 devces / fixtures too many?

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G

It won't be a simple 3-gang switch when the tech gets done with it. What kind of studio was this, again?

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V

Good catch. Yes, any equipment fastened in place can't exceed 50% of the circuit rating (NEC 210.23). If the fixtures are rated for 100 watts, he could only put 9 on a 15 amp circuit.

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T

Might as well as use 12 guage and wire it that way. I would be more interested in maxing out the rated limits in the switches. They do make more higher end stuff that can handle more continueous power.

Tom

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