Very hot dimmer switch
I just wired 6 6 recessed can lights (65 watts) with a three way dimmer switch and a three way toggle switch. Everything works perfect, however, when the dimmer is set high and on for about 15 minutes it gets so hot that i can't hang on the metal part of the dimmer switch. the dimmer is not screwed down into the gang box. Is this Normal or do i need to buy a heavy duty dimmer switch beyond the 600 watt rating and which one should i buy?. Also, I plan to have the same dimmer/toggle setup for my fan and fan lights. on the same circuit. I used 14/3 wire to the breaker box because thats all I had. I just left out the red wire. Will 14/3 and a 15 amp breaker handle all of this? Or should I use the extra red wire and go to a seperate 15 amp breaker using the common ground wire? Thank you for your anticipated help with this matter. That is not normal thats for sure,, especially if the switch is 600 W and you have under 200 on it. I am not really familiar with dimmers especially related to 3 ways,, but something is definately wrong. A device should never be that hot. Someone will come along who knows I am sure. your runing about 390 watts oon that dimmer. recheck the dimmer and see if it's not rated for only 300 watts. then let us know. Wow.. I read the post wrong the first time,, I dont know why I kept seeing 3 in there,,, now I see you said 6 fixtures,, thanks art ,, yes some of those are 300 W,,, seems I saw one the other day that I was going to use to build something then I couldnt believe how light the thing was. I delieve you will find the 600w dimmers will have fins, or vents so air will flow more freely through it to help cool it. You could even use a commercial type dimmer with a built-in heatsink I think the last ones I had were for a thousand watts or so. They often have a large, decorative heatsink on the front and are made to cover the entire box opening without the use of a switch plate. A higher end dimmer will not only handle more wattage, but will be typically be quieter and offer little or no RF interference sometimes associated with the cheaper ones. Thanks for the fast response. Yes I double checked to if the dimmer was rated at 600w and it was. It just blows my mind that this thing gets that hot. I won't be able to use one with a big heat sink, there is just no room for it. The first time i wired the dimmer i had miss configured it and i wonder if that damaged it. Oh well. Any suggestion let me know. Thank you for all your help. Is the only dimmer in the box? If not, and you have broken any of the side fins off the dimmer the capacity will need to be derated. Were you able to find a solution to this problem? I have the exact problem now. I have about 600 watts on the dimmer, so I bought a 1000 watt dimmer, but it still is getting hot. From the Lutron Website QA YOUR CUSTOMERS MAY NOTICE THAT THEIR DIMMERS SOMETIMES FEEL WARM TO THE TOUCH. WHY DO DIMMERS GET WARM, AND IS THIS SAFE? The technical explanation. During normal operation, solid-state dimmers generate heat. A solid-state dimmer is roughly 98% efficient-2% of the power is dissipates as heat, causing the dimmer to feel warm to the touch. The closer a dimmer is run to full output and the higher the load (watts) on the dimmer, the warmer it will feel. Your customers need to know. This is perfectly normal and safe. Lutron dimmers are designed to the strictest UL safety standard, and can handle their full rated load (a 600 Watt dimmer can handle a full 600W of power*. Without overheating. *Dimmers that are ganged together in a common wallbox may need to be derated. Consult the product instruction sheet or call the toll-free Lutron Hotline at (800) 523-9466 for more information about ganging and derating. Thanks HandyRon. I just saw earlier today, after the post, that in the instructions on the Lutron dimmer, it states that the dimmer may get hot to the touch. I appreciate the info and am glad that I will not be in danger of burning down the house.
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