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Subject Author Date
Blown Dimmer Switch fascha2 05-23-2006
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Posted by on May 30, 2006, 10:53 pm

This past weekend I replaced the light fixture and replaced the dimmer
switch with a new dimmer. Everything has worked fine. I believe it must
have been a short somehwere in the light fixture causing the issues. I
appreciate the suggestions and the assistance.


Posted by Art Todesco on May 30, 2006, 11:03 pm
I don't know about previous postings,
however, I have seen a lamp burn
out rather violently creating a
momentary short, which in turn, takes out
the dimmer. Now this was a number of
years ago. I think newer dimmers
are built a little more robust.

fascha2@hotmail.com wrote:
> This past weekend I replaced the light fixture and replaced the dimmer
> switch with a new dimmer. Everything has worked fine. I believe it must
> have been a short somehwere in the light fixture causing the issues. I
> appreciate the suggestions and the assistance.
>

Posted by Chris Lewis on May 31, 2006, 5:42 pm
> Quite right.

> The dimmer is rated at 600W and the breaker at least 15A. Anything
> between these will fry the dimmer and not bother the breaker.

And a heavy short in excess of 15A will fry the dimmer before
the breaker notices. Breakers are very slow compared to the
overheat time of a silicon junction.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Posted by on May 24, 2006, 5:04 am
On 23 May 2006 17:02:30 -0700, fascha2@hotmail.com wrote:

>I have a dimmer switch installed for the bathroom light at my cottage.
>The light fixture itself has 6 small 25W lightbulbs. For the past three
>years, the dimmer has worked perfectly. Three weeks ago the dimmer
>stopped dimming and could only be used to switch on and off. I replaced
>that dimmer with a similar (inexpensive) switch that worked quite well
>for three weeks - then the same thing happened - the switch was blown
>and would only turn off and on. This weekend I replaced the second
>blown dimmer with a more expensive ($20) dimmer. It worked long enough
>to show my wife how brilliant I was, and then stopped altogether. I
>replaced it with a normal switch for now.
>
>I suspect two things - a short in the light fixture or a short in the
>wiring. On my next trip up to the cottage I plan to replace the light
>fixture with a simple fixture and install a (cheaper) dimmer to see if
>it the fixture that is causing the issue.
>
>Any thoughts or advice on
>1) what could cause the dimmer to fail after working fine for 3 years?
>2) how will I be able to identify if there is a short in the light
>fixture (ie what do I look for)?
>3) how can I determine if there is a short in the wiring?
>
>Thanks!

Just so you know, they make the standard dimmers for 600 watt maximum,
but they sell heavy duty or industrial ones in the 1000 and higher
wattages.

Just curious, is this in a metal or a plastic box? Metal boxes help
dissipate the heat from the dimmers faster. Heat is what kills them.
Better to use a metal box, and always tighten the screws directly to
the metal. DO NOT leave those little cardboard or plastic holders on
the screws. A metal switch cover (plate) will also help cool them.

Mark

Posted by Jeff Wisnia on May 24, 2006, 9:38 am
fascha2@hotmail.com wrote:

> I have a dimmer switch installed for the bathroom light at my cottage.
> The light fixture itself has 6 small 25W lightbulbs. For the past three
> years, the dimmer has worked perfectly. Three weeks ago the dimmer
> stopped dimming and could only be used to switch on and off. I replaced
> that dimmer with a similar (inexpensive) switch that worked quite well
> for three weeks - then the same thing happened - the switch was blown
> and would only turn off and on. This weekend I replaced the second
> blown dimmer with a more expensive ($20) dimmer. It worked long enough
> to show my wife how brilliant I was, and then stopped altogether. I
> replaced it with a normal switch for now.
>
> I suspect two things - a short in the light fixture or a short in the
> wiring. On my next trip up to the cottage I plan to replace the light
> fixture with a simple fixture and install a (cheaper) dimmer to see if
> it the fixture that is causing the issue.
>
> Any thoughts or advice on
> 1) what could cause the dimmer to fail after working fine for 3 years?
> 2) how will I be able to identify if there is a short in the light
> fixture (ie what do I look for)?
> 3) how can I determine if there is a short in the wiring?
>
> Thanks!
>
Any lightning strikes or possible power surges in your cottage's area?

You might want to consider installing a "whole house" surge arrestor
across the incoming power line at the breaker box.

A 150 watt load isn't much for a dimmer like that, but perchance did a
bulb burn out at the same time as the dimmer failed?

Bulbs can burn out with a "tungsten arc" effect which produces a very
short high current spike which can fry solid state devices like dimmers.
You can prevent that by wiring a 2 amp "fast blow" 3AG fuse in an inline
fuseholder in series with the fixture. Then, if a bulb goes with a
tungsten arc the 25 cent fuse will blow and save the dimmer.

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Life is like a sewer -- what you get out of it depends on what you put
into it."

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