Why would a light fixture be incompatible with dimmer switches?












3















I'm considering buying the Aero Pure AP80-RVL, which is a recessed bathroom light/exhaust fan combo. It's important to me to be able to use a dimmer switch for the light, but the installation instructions for this unit specifically say not to use one.




Use an on/off switch to operate this fan. See “Connect Wiring” for details.
The humidity control and fan can be operated separately. Can be used with a dual “stacked” switch for fan / light control. Do not use
a dimmer switch to operate the humidity control or light.




I checked the "Connect Wiring" section for further detail, as mentioned in the quote above, but there is no further information about dimmer switches. Doing a text search on the rest of the installation manual yields no further references to dimmer switches either.



I understand why you can't install a dimmer switch for the fan/humidity control, but for light fixtures I always assumed it was just the bulb and whether or not the dimmer switch was compatible with the bulb (in the case of an LED bulb) that determined if you could install a dimmer switch. This leads me to the following two questions:




  1. Why would a light fixture itself not be compatible with a dimmer switch or why would a manufacturer say not to use a dimmer?

  2. Would I run any risks such as damaging the unit, causing a fire, etc. if I went against the installation instructions and put a dimmer on the light anyway?










share|improve this question









New contributor




TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

























    3















    I'm considering buying the Aero Pure AP80-RVL, which is a recessed bathroom light/exhaust fan combo. It's important to me to be able to use a dimmer switch for the light, but the installation instructions for this unit specifically say not to use one.




    Use an on/off switch to operate this fan. See “Connect Wiring” for details.
    The humidity control and fan can be operated separately. Can be used with a dual “stacked” switch for fan / light control. Do not use
    a dimmer switch to operate the humidity control or light.




    I checked the "Connect Wiring" section for further detail, as mentioned in the quote above, but there is no further information about dimmer switches. Doing a text search on the rest of the installation manual yields no further references to dimmer switches either.



    I understand why you can't install a dimmer switch for the fan/humidity control, but for light fixtures I always assumed it was just the bulb and whether or not the dimmer switch was compatible with the bulb (in the case of an LED bulb) that determined if you could install a dimmer switch. This leads me to the following two questions:




    1. Why would a light fixture itself not be compatible with a dimmer switch or why would a manufacturer say not to use a dimmer?

    2. Would I run any risks such as damaging the unit, causing a fire, etc. if I went against the installation instructions and put a dimmer on the light anyway?










    share|improve this question









    New contributor




    TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
    Check out our Code of Conduct.























      3












      3








      3


      1






      I'm considering buying the Aero Pure AP80-RVL, which is a recessed bathroom light/exhaust fan combo. It's important to me to be able to use a dimmer switch for the light, but the installation instructions for this unit specifically say not to use one.




      Use an on/off switch to operate this fan. See “Connect Wiring” for details.
      The humidity control and fan can be operated separately. Can be used with a dual “stacked” switch for fan / light control. Do not use
      a dimmer switch to operate the humidity control or light.




      I checked the "Connect Wiring" section for further detail, as mentioned in the quote above, but there is no further information about dimmer switches. Doing a text search on the rest of the installation manual yields no further references to dimmer switches either.



      I understand why you can't install a dimmer switch for the fan/humidity control, but for light fixtures I always assumed it was just the bulb and whether or not the dimmer switch was compatible with the bulb (in the case of an LED bulb) that determined if you could install a dimmer switch. This leads me to the following two questions:




      1. Why would a light fixture itself not be compatible with a dimmer switch or why would a manufacturer say not to use a dimmer?

      2. Would I run any risks such as damaging the unit, causing a fire, etc. if I went against the installation instructions and put a dimmer on the light anyway?










      share|improve this question









      New contributor




      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.












      I'm considering buying the Aero Pure AP80-RVL, which is a recessed bathroom light/exhaust fan combo. It's important to me to be able to use a dimmer switch for the light, but the installation instructions for this unit specifically say not to use one.




      Use an on/off switch to operate this fan. See “Connect Wiring” for details.
      The humidity control and fan can be operated separately. Can be used with a dual “stacked” switch for fan / light control. Do not use
      a dimmer switch to operate the humidity control or light.




      I checked the "Connect Wiring" section for further detail, as mentioned in the quote above, but there is no further information about dimmer switches. Doing a text search on the rest of the installation manual yields no further references to dimmer switches either.



      I understand why you can't install a dimmer switch for the fan/humidity control, but for light fixtures I always assumed it was just the bulb and whether or not the dimmer switch was compatible with the bulb (in the case of an LED bulb) that determined if you could install a dimmer switch. This leads me to the following two questions:




      1. Why would a light fixture itself not be compatible with a dimmer switch or why would a manufacturer say not to use a dimmer?

      2. Would I run any risks such as damaging the unit, causing a fire, etc. if I went against the installation instructions and put a dimmer on the light anyway?







      lighting light-fixture bulb






      share|improve this question









      New contributor




      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.











      share|improve this question









      New contributor




      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.









      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 4 hours ago









      Machavity

      6,68211634




      6,68211634






      New contributor




      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.









      asked 5 hours ago









      TACHEONTACHEON

      163




      163




      New contributor




      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.





      New contributor





      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.






      TACHEON is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.






















          3 Answers
          3






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          3














          The best explanation I can think of is that many compact fluorescent(CFL) and LED bulbs are not compatible with dimmers. The reason why is




          non-dimmable CFLs cannot and should not ever be used with dimmer switches.




          and




          To put it in layman's terms, most modern dimmer switches essentially function the same way as if you were to turn a light on and off really, really fast (about 100 times per second). (snip)



          basically the problem is this: CFLs have less resistance than incandescent bulbs, which means that the floodgates are opened when they are exposed to the electrical fluctuations that a dimmer sends, and they actually can consume up to 5x the current as when they're not connected to a dimmer (and that's when the dimmer is set to max). This overheats the bulb and can actually cause it to light on fire. Bad news.




          The fixture has a GU24 base (non-standard) which is going to further limit your selection of bulbs (as in your local store may only carry non-dimmable bulbs). So rather than accept liability for a potential fire hazard, they're just going to tell you not to use a dimmer at all for the light.



          In theory you should be able to hook a CFL/LED friendly dimmer to the light only and install a dimmable GU24 bulb, but beware that any liability for doing so lies solely with you.






          share|improve this answer
























          • I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

            – TACHEON
            3 hours ago











          • @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

            – Machavity
            3 hours ago





















          1














          My guess is that it's a boilerplate CYA statement due to the variety of bulb options listed. A user could inadvertently attempt to dim a CFL or other non-dimmable bulb and exceed the heat specs of the unit.



          Assuming that the light circuitry is completely isolated from the fan, etc., and you use dimmable bulbs, I'd probably go ahead with your plan.






          share|improve this answer































            0














            Product testing, listing, and instructions



            The first six paragraphs of NEC include 110.2: Equipment must be approved, and 110.3 it must be installed according to its labeling and instructions. What's up with that?



            The approver is generally Underwriters Laboratories or other nationally recognized testing lab. The manufacturer submits the product, labeling and instructions. The lab tests it according to the labeling and instructions.



            If you go, as we graciously say, "off-label" -- you are in the wild west. Nobody knows what will happen if you use the device that way. That means




            • It may not work.

            • The company won't be responsible for that usage, i.e. void the warranty.

            • If trouble follows and a safety inspector connects it with the misapplication, homeowner/fire insurance may refuse coverage and leave you to finance the consequences yourself.


            In this case, I could not find any prohibition on dimmers in the item's marketing and instructions, which seem to describe a fixture made for incandescents, and taking an Edison socket LED only as an afterthought. Note that the fixture I describe cannot comply with modern building codes, unless it is used with a motion sensor. So I suspect you are dealing with a mod of that fixture which is either socketed for LED only, or has a built-in hardwired LED. In those cases, the prohibition on dimmers is reasonable.



            Dimmers are not magic. They are not resistor or variac based. They do fairly bizarre wave-shaping to make the dimmer as cheap as possible to build with 1970s silicon tech, exploiting a unique behavior of incandescents. Now they are building CFL and LED bulbs which have a microcontroller which analyzes that 70‘s waveform and decodes it into a dimming command for the CFL or LED. So now we are stuck with that dimming method for good. If only we had found another system, like the 0-10V signal used by commercial dimming.






            share|improve this answer























              Your Answer








              StackExchange.ready(function() {
              var channelOptions = {
              tags: "".split(" "),
              id: "73"
              };
              initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

              StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
              // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
              if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
              StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
              createEditor();
              });
              }
              else {
              createEditor();
              }
              });

              function createEditor() {
              StackExchange.prepareEditor({
              heartbeatType: 'answer',
              autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
              convertImagesToLinks: false,
              noModals: true,
              showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
              reputationToPostImages: null,
              bindNavPrevention: true,
              postfix: "",
              imageUploader: {
              brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
              contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
              allowUrls: true
              },
              noCode: true, onDemand: true,
              discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
              ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
              });


              }
              });






              TACHEON is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










              draft saved

              draft discarded


















              StackExchange.ready(
              function () {
              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fdiy.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f155119%2fwhy-would-a-light-fixture-be-incompatible-with-dimmer-switches%23new-answer', 'question_page');
              }
              );

              Post as a guest















              Required, but never shown

























              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes








              3 Answers
              3






              active

              oldest

              votes









              active

              oldest

              votes






              active

              oldest

              votes









              3














              The best explanation I can think of is that many compact fluorescent(CFL) and LED bulbs are not compatible with dimmers. The reason why is




              non-dimmable CFLs cannot and should not ever be used with dimmer switches.




              and




              To put it in layman's terms, most modern dimmer switches essentially function the same way as if you were to turn a light on and off really, really fast (about 100 times per second). (snip)



              basically the problem is this: CFLs have less resistance than incandescent bulbs, which means that the floodgates are opened when they are exposed to the electrical fluctuations that a dimmer sends, and they actually can consume up to 5x the current as when they're not connected to a dimmer (and that's when the dimmer is set to max). This overheats the bulb and can actually cause it to light on fire. Bad news.




              The fixture has a GU24 base (non-standard) which is going to further limit your selection of bulbs (as in your local store may only carry non-dimmable bulbs). So rather than accept liability for a potential fire hazard, they're just going to tell you not to use a dimmer at all for the light.



              In theory you should be able to hook a CFL/LED friendly dimmer to the light only and install a dimmable GU24 bulb, but beware that any liability for doing so lies solely with you.






              share|improve this answer
























              • I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

                – TACHEON
                3 hours ago











              • @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

                – Machavity
                3 hours ago


















              3














              The best explanation I can think of is that many compact fluorescent(CFL) and LED bulbs are not compatible with dimmers. The reason why is




              non-dimmable CFLs cannot and should not ever be used with dimmer switches.




              and




              To put it in layman's terms, most modern dimmer switches essentially function the same way as if you were to turn a light on and off really, really fast (about 100 times per second). (snip)



              basically the problem is this: CFLs have less resistance than incandescent bulbs, which means that the floodgates are opened when they are exposed to the electrical fluctuations that a dimmer sends, and they actually can consume up to 5x the current as when they're not connected to a dimmer (and that's when the dimmer is set to max). This overheats the bulb and can actually cause it to light on fire. Bad news.




              The fixture has a GU24 base (non-standard) which is going to further limit your selection of bulbs (as in your local store may only carry non-dimmable bulbs). So rather than accept liability for a potential fire hazard, they're just going to tell you not to use a dimmer at all for the light.



              In theory you should be able to hook a CFL/LED friendly dimmer to the light only and install a dimmable GU24 bulb, but beware that any liability for doing so lies solely with you.






              share|improve this answer
























              • I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

                – TACHEON
                3 hours ago











              • @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

                – Machavity
                3 hours ago
















              3












              3








              3







              The best explanation I can think of is that many compact fluorescent(CFL) and LED bulbs are not compatible with dimmers. The reason why is




              non-dimmable CFLs cannot and should not ever be used with dimmer switches.




              and




              To put it in layman's terms, most modern dimmer switches essentially function the same way as if you were to turn a light on and off really, really fast (about 100 times per second). (snip)



              basically the problem is this: CFLs have less resistance than incandescent bulbs, which means that the floodgates are opened when they are exposed to the electrical fluctuations that a dimmer sends, and they actually can consume up to 5x the current as when they're not connected to a dimmer (and that's when the dimmer is set to max). This overheats the bulb and can actually cause it to light on fire. Bad news.




              The fixture has a GU24 base (non-standard) which is going to further limit your selection of bulbs (as in your local store may only carry non-dimmable bulbs). So rather than accept liability for a potential fire hazard, they're just going to tell you not to use a dimmer at all for the light.



              In theory you should be able to hook a CFL/LED friendly dimmer to the light only and install a dimmable GU24 bulb, but beware that any liability for doing so lies solely with you.






              share|improve this answer













              The best explanation I can think of is that many compact fluorescent(CFL) and LED bulbs are not compatible with dimmers. The reason why is




              non-dimmable CFLs cannot and should not ever be used with dimmer switches.




              and




              To put it in layman's terms, most modern dimmer switches essentially function the same way as if you were to turn a light on and off really, really fast (about 100 times per second). (snip)



              basically the problem is this: CFLs have less resistance than incandescent bulbs, which means that the floodgates are opened when they are exposed to the electrical fluctuations that a dimmer sends, and they actually can consume up to 5x the current as when they're not connected to a dimmer (and that's when the dimmer is set to max). This overheats the bulb and can actually cause it to light on fire. Bad news.




              The fixture has a GU24 base (non-standard) which is going to further limit your selection of bulbs (as in your local store may only carry non-dimmable bulbs). So rather than accept liability for a potential fire hazard, they're just going to tell you not to use a dimmer at all for the light.



              In theory you should be able to hook a CFL/LED friendly dimmer to the light only and install a dimmable GU24 bulb, but beware that any liability for doing so lies solely with you.







              share|improve this answer












              share|improve this answer



              share|improve this answer










              answered 4 hours ago









              MachavityMachavity

              6,68211634




              6,68211634













              • I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

                – TACHEON
                3 hours ago











              • @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

                – Machavity
                3 hours ago





















              • I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

                – TACHEON
                3 hours ago











              • @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

                – Machavity
                3 hours ago



















              I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

              – TACHEON
              3 hours ago





              I hadn't researched the bulb base until you mentioned it. On researching it though, it states "ENERY STAR compliant when used with a GU24 Kit. ( GU24 Kit not included. )" Otherwise, a PAR30/PAR30L/BR30 bulb will fit. A Quick search does give me dimmable LED BR30 bulbs. Regardless, I suspect the same thing you and isherwood are saying: Liability/CYA.

              – TACHEON
              3 hours ago













              @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

              – Machavity
              3 hours ago







              @TACHEON I was basing the GU24 base on a PDF manual that said that's what it was. Either way, you can buy dimmable GU24 bulbs, they're just not as common as the PAR30/screw base

              – Machavity
              3 hours ago















              1














              My guess is that it's a boilerplate CYA statement due to the variety of bulb options listed. A user could inadvertently attempt to dim a CFL or other non-dimmable bulb and exceed the heat specs of the unit.



              Assuming that the light circuitry is completely isolated from the fan, etc., and you use dimmable bulbs, I'd probably go ahead with your plan.






              share|improve this answer




























                1














                My guess is that it's a boilerplate CYA statement due to the variety of bulb options listed. A user could inadvertently attempt to dim a CFL or other non-dimmable bulb and exceed the heat specs of the unit.



                Assuming that the light circuitry is completely isolated from the fan, etc., and you use dimmable bulbs, I'd probably go ahead with your plan.






                share|improve this answer


























                  1












                  1








                  1







                  My guess is that it's a boilerplate CYA statement due to the variety of bulb options listed. A user could inadvertently attempt to dim a CFL or other non-dimmable bulb and exceed the heat specs of the unit.



                  Assuming that the light circuitry is completely isolated from the fan, etc., and you use dimmable bulbs, I'd probably go ahead with your plan.






                  share|improve this answer













                  My guess is that it's a boilerplate CYA statement due to the variety of bulb options listed. A user could inadvertently attempt to dim a CFL or other non-dimmable bulb and exceed the heat specs of the unit.



                  Assuming that the light circuitry is completely isolated from the fan, etc., and you use dimmable bulbs, I'd probably go ahead with your plan.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 4 hours ago









                  isherwoodisherwood

                  46k454117




                  46k454117























                      0














                      Product testing, listing, and instructions



                      The first six paragraphs of NEC include 110.2: Equipment must be approved, and 110.3 it must be installed according to its labeling and instructions. What's up with that?



                      The approver is generally Underwriters Laboratories or other nationally recognized testing lab. The manufacturer submits the product, labeling and instructions. The lab tests it according to the labeling and instructions.



                      If you go, as we graciously say, "off-label" -- you are in the wild west. Nobody knows what will happen if you use the device that way. That means




                      • It may not work.

                      • The company won't be responsible for that usage, i.e. void the warranty.

                      • If trouble follows and a safety inspector connects it with the misapplication, homeowner/fire insurance may refuse coverage and leave you to finance the consequences yourself.


                      In this case, I could not find any prohibition on dimmers in the item's marketing and instructions, which seem to describe a fixture made for incandescents, and taking an Edison socket LED only as an afterthought. Note that the fixture I describe cannot comply with modern building codes, unless it is used with a motion sensor. So I suspect you are dealing with a mod of that fixture which is either socketed for LED only, or has a built-in hardwired LED. In those cases, the prohibition on dimmers is reasonable.



                      Dimmers are not magic. They are not resistor or variac based. They do fairly bizarre wave-shaping to make the dimmer as cheap as possible to build with 1970s silicon tech, exploiting a unique behavior of incandescents. Now they are building CFL and LED bulbs which have a microcontroller which analyzes that 70‘s waveform and decodes it into a dimming command for the CFL or LED. So now we are stuck with that dimming method for good. If only we had found another system, like the 0-10V signal used by commercial dimming.






                      share|improve this answer




























                        0














                        Product testing, listing, and instructions



                        The first six paragraphs of NEC include 110.2: Equipment must be approved, and 110.3 it must be installed according to its labeling and instructions. What's up with that?



                        The approver is generally Underwriters Laboratories or other nationally recognized testing lab. The manufacturer submits the product, labeling and instructions. The lab tests it according to the labeling and instructions.



                        If you go, as we graciously say, "off-label" -- you are in the wild west. Nobody knows what will happen if you use the device that way. That means




                        • It may not work.

                        • The company won't be responsible for that usage, i.e. void the warranty.

                        • If trouble follows and a safety inspector connects it with the misapplication, homeowner/fire insurance may refuse coverage and leave you to finance the consequences yourself.


                        In this case, I could not find any prohibition on dimmers in the item's marketing and instructions, which seem to describe a fixture made for incandescents, and taking an Edison socket LED only as an afterthought. Note that the fixture I describe cannot comply with modern building codes, unless it is used with a motion sensor. So I suspect you are dealing with a mod of that fixture which is either socketed for LED only, or has a built-in hardwired LED. In those cases, the prohibition on dimmers is reasonable.



                        Dimmers are not magic. They are not resistor or variac based. They do fairly bizarre wave-shaping to make the dimmer as cheap as possible to build with 1970s silicon tech, exploiting a unique behavior of incandescents. Now they are building CFL and LED bulbs which have a microcontroller which analyzes that 70‘s waveform and decodes it into a dimming command for the CFL or LED. So now we are stuck with that dimming method for good. If only we had found another system, like the 0-10V signal used by commercial dimming.






                        share|improve this answer


























                          0












                          0








                          0







                          Product testing, listing, and instructions



                          The first six paragraphs of NEC include 110.2: Equipment must be approved, and 110.3 it must be installed according to its labeling and instructions. What's up with that?



                          The approver is generally Underwriters Laboratories or other nationally recognized testing lab. The manufacturer submits the product, labeling and instructions. The lab tests it according to the labeling and instructions.



                          If you go, as we graciously say, "off-label" -- you are in the wild west. Nobody knows what will happen if you use the device that way. That means




                          • It may not work.

                          • The company won't be responsible for that usage, i.e. void the warranty.

                          • If trouble follows and a safety inspector connects it with the misapplication, homeowner/fire insurance may refuse coverage and leave you to finance the consequences yourself.


                          In this case, I could not find any prohibition on dimmers in the item's marketing and instructions, which seem to describe a fixture made for incandescents, and taking an Edison socket LED only as an afterthought. Note that the fixture I describe cannot comply with modern building codes, unless it is used with a motion sensor. So I suspect you are dealing with a mod of that fixture which is either socketed for LED only, or has a built-in hardwired LED. In those cases, the prohibition on dimmers is reasonable.



                          Dimmers are not magic. They are not resistor or variac based. They do fairly bizarre wave-shaping to make the dimmer as cheap as possible to build with 1970s silicon tech, exploiting a unique behavior of incandescents. Now they are building CFL and LED bulbs which have a microcontroller which analyzes that 70‘s waveform and decodes it into a dimming command for the CFL or LED. So now we are stuck with that dimming method for good. If only we had found another system, like the 0-10V signal used by commercial dimming.






                          share|improve this answer













                          Product testing, listing, and instructions



                          The first six paragraphs of NEC include 110.2: Equipment must be approved, and 110.3 it must be installed according to its labeling and instructions. What's up with that?



                          The approver is generally Underwriters Laboratories or other nationally recognized testing lab. The manufacturer submits the product, labeling and instructions. The lab tests it according to the labeling and instructions.



                          If you go, as we graciously say, "off-label" -- you are in the wild west. Nobody knows what will happen if you use the device that way. That means




                          • It may not work.

                          • The company won't be responsible for that usage, i.e. void the warranty.

                          • If trouble follows and a safety inspector connects it with the misapplication, homeowner/fire insurance may refuse coverage and leave you to finance the consequences yourself.


                          In this case, I could not find any prohibition on dimmers in the item's marketing and instructions, which seem to describe a fixture made for incandescents, and taking an Edison socket LED only as an afterthought. Note that the fixture I describe cannot comply with modern building codes, unless it is used with a motion sensor. So I suspect you are dealing with a mod of that fixture which is either socketed for LED only, or has a built-in hardwired LED. In those cases, the prohibition on dimmers is reasonable.



                          Dimmers are not magic. They are not resistor or variac based. They do fairly bizarre wave-shaping to make the dimmer as cheap as possible to build with 1970s silicon tech, exploiting a unique behavior of incandescents. Now they are building CFL and LED bulbs which have a microcontroller which analyzes that 70‘s waveform and decodes it into a dimming command for the CFL or LED. So now we are stuck with that dimming method for good. If only we had found another system, like the 0-10V signal used by commercial dimming.







                          share|improve this answer












                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer










                          answered 15 mins ago









                          HarperHarper

                          67.2k344137




                          67.2k344137






















                              TACHEON is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










                              draft saved

                              draft discarded


















                              TACHEON is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













                              TACHEON is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












                              TACHEON is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
















                              Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange!


                              • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                              But avoid



                              • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                              • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                              To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                              draft saved


                              draft discarded














                              StackExchange.ready(
                              function () {
                              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fdiy.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f155119%2fwhy-would-a-light-fixture-be-incompatible-with-dimmer-switches%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                              }
                              );

                              Post as a guest















                              Required, but never shown





















































                              Required, but never shown














                              Required, but never shown












                              Required, but never shown







                              Required, but never shown

































                              Required, but never shown














                              Required, but never shown












                              Required, but never shown







                              Required, but never shown







                              Popular posts from this blog

                              Magento 2 controller redirect on button click in phtml file

                              Polycentropodidae