How many watts dimmer

The green wire connects to ground. If a dimmer has one black wire and one red wire, usually the black wire connects to line and red wire to the load. Ground connection is not shown. A 3- way dimmer can be used on 3 and 4- way lighting. One dimmer can replace one three way switch. The dimmer black wire connects to the line or load below it is connected to the line. The two colored wires usually red are the travelers.

The dimmer green wire connects to ground. Dimmer switches are used to control lighting level and can save energy. Our website uses cookies to improve its performance and usability. We don't use advertising tracking cookies.

We use some other tools on the website as data-processors Further information on our privacy policy. To work out the load on your dimmer, and therefore what dimmer wattage you need to order, you will need to make a simple calculation. The calculation couldn't be simpler. Add up the wattage of each light on that switch and you have your answer. The dimmer you have has several electrical requirements that must be met in order to ensure good performance.

The low wattage of LED bulbs means that in theory, you could connect numerous bulbs to the same dimmer switch. LED bulbs generate a spike of power when switched on, which may surpass the stated wattage of the bulb for a moment. A rule of thumb commonly used to calculate a load for LED dimmers is to divide the stated maximum load by For example, a W dimmer switch should have no more than 40W of LED bulbs connected to it, which would equate to ten 4W bulbs.

This behavior can include flickering, bad dimming range, flashing when off, or not even working at all.

This means that dimmers that are designed for incandescent loads tend to have a higher minimum load requirement because incandescent fixtures usually have higher wattages than LED fixtures. This means that these dimmers will require multiple LED fixtures to meet the minimum load requirement. Dimmers that are designed for LED loads normally have a much lower minimum load requirement and usually, only require one or two fixtures. Some retrofit LED light bulbs and fittings have drivers that allow them to work with either type, but for a better chance of the dimmer operating correctly, choose a trailing-edge dimmer.

There are a few reasons for this, but it's primarily because leading-edge dimmers have a higher minimum load, and the lower wattage of LED bulbs means they are not guaranteed to function correctly when paired with them. The gang is the number of switches or dials on the dimmer. If you just have one light fixture in a room, then you just need a dimmer switch with one gang. If you have multiple light fixtures e.

Traditionally, dimmer switches have a minimum electrical load that must be met to guarantee that the switch operates smoothly. A switch with a minimum load of 10 watts, for example, needs a bulb or bulbs totalling a minimum of 10W connected to it for it to function correctly. Anything lower than this and you may experience a flickering or stuttering dim.