Dimmer switch to bulb socket - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: dpaslay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 15, 2020, 05:16:02 am
content: Hi I have a dimmer switch connected to a bulb socket to dim the light, nothing is happening when I plug it in. Do I have the wiring connected correctly?

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2020, 05:26:59 am
content: That looks right, although you really need to have some wire nuts on those connections.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2020, 06:02:42 am
content: What type of lightbulb are you using? CCFLs and many cheaper LED bulbs are not dimmer compatible. Cheap two wire dimmer modules typically require a resistive load i.e. an incandescent bulb.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 15, 2020, 06:32:10 am
content: Also those rubber utility sockets seal around the neck of the bulb so you have to make sure you get it screwed in all the way until the button on the end of the base is touching the contact. Does the bulb light if you wire the socket directly to the cord without the dimmer?

author: dpaslay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 16, 2020, 12:19:32 am
content: I removed the dimmer, re-wired it, and tested the bulb, works fine. Yes the bulb is dimmable, confirmed on the box. Could I be using a wrong dimmer? Here's the link"https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0765Q5T85/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2020, 12:40:42 am
content: Try it with a known-working old-school incandescent bulb (wattage not important), just to eliminate variables (like the bulb in the box not being what the box claims it is). If that works, you know it's not a wiring or socket issue. You'll also then know for sure which direction is full-brightness on the dimmer knob. If it doesn't work, the problem is with the dimmer, not the bulb.

author: dpaslay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 16, 2020, 12:59:52 am
content: I’ll give that a try. Out of curiosity, if a non-dimmable bulb is attached to a dimmer, the light just not turn on?

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2020, 02:51:38 am
content: QuoteDepending on the dimmer circuit ,too low a load can cause the lamp to flash ,give full brightness even at the lowest setting or not work at all ,too large a load might let the magic smoke appear.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2020, 03:03:54 am
content: Quote from: themadhippy on June 16, 2020, 02:51:38 amPerhaps if you'd looked at the specs of the linked dimmer. Advertised as 250W (unlikely he has more than 150W handy as a single bulb) and supporting LED bulbs (typically 4-9W), which means it should cover the low end of incandescent night-light bulbs.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 16, 2020, 03:24:45 am
content: QuoteQuoteso the wattage is important

author: dpaslay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 29, 2020, 05:27:37 am
content: I bought this very simple on/off toggle switch to solve my faulty non-working dimmer switch. The two black wires going out of the toggle switch are both negative? And they connect with the other two black wires correct? (see photo)

author: alsetalokin4017
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2020, 06:17:35 am
content: That kind of toggle switch has no polarity; you can connect either of its black wires to either of the open wires. But it doesn't look to me like you have that bulb screwed all the way into its socket.Please be very careful. Before you connect the thing to the wall outlet, be sure to put wire nuts on the connections, which will both secure and insulate them, and be sure to have the bulb screwed all the way in. There is a lot of bare metal sticking up at the base of the bulb, this does not look right, and this "could" be "live" when the lamp circuit is plugged in, even with the switch off, depending on whether the outlet you plug it into is wired correctly or not. That is, very dangerous if you touch it.

author: dpaslay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 29, 2020, 07:25:16 am
content: Yes, this photo was entirely for demonstration purposes. A photo diagram, I would call it. Totally aware of proper wire connectors.So just to confirm...my 2 black wires are ok to connect to the other two black wires?

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2020, 12:43:17 pm
content: Other than safety concerns about bare wires, yes. That's exactly how a switched lamp cord works.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 29, 2020, 06:45:09 pm
content: Quote from: dpaslay on June 15, 2020, 05:16:02 amYou obviously lack the skills to do this safely, otherwise you wouldn't be asking such basic questions.Please go and do some experiments with a much lower, less hazardous voltage. I recommend a 12V AC halogen lamp transformer. They're cheap, widely available and will reduce the risk of your killing yourself.

author: dpaslay
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 29, 2020, 11:03:06 pm
content: You're obviously an unhappy person that's giving unsolicited advice. I've already shocked myself before from a 120v wall socket, guess what, I didn't die...wasn't that big of deal either.So stop trolling trying to make yourself feel better because you can sit behind a computer preaching to novice weekend craftsman people like myself.

author: Nusa
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2020, 02:37:51 am
content: Let's not get into personal attacks. You may not have liked his bluntness, but I don't think it was intended as a troll. Working with a lower voltage would be a lot safer.

author: james_s
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2020, 03:20:25 am
content: Quote from: dpaslay on June 29, 2020, 11:03:06 pmSo have I, but just because it wasn't a big deal doesn't mean it's never going to be a big deal. An electrician was killed by a 120V circuit at the (old) building where a friend of mine worked about 12 years ago, he was an actual licensed professional electrician who should have known better than to do whatever he did. There are a lot of different factors including the part of your body that touches the live wire, the path the current takes through your body to whatever ground it finds, the amount of sweat on your skin and the amount of salt in your sweat, these can make all the difference between a tickle and a jolt that knocks you dead where you stand.It only takes once, under the right set of circumstances there's no second chance, don't blow off safety, 120V can and does kill people.

author: tooki
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2020, 04:11:52 am
content: Quote from: dpaslay on June 29, 2020, 11:03:06 pmYou will find, rightfully so, that this forum (which has plenty of disagreements on all kinds of things) always agrees on one thing: safety. It’s not personal. If we see someone asking questions and/or making statements that indicate they are working on things they do not understand the safety ramifications of, they will tell you. Not because we want to show off, but because we want you tonot become dead. It’s not always stated with a lot of tact, but it’s always out of well-intentioned concern for the person in question.And you are showing lots of signs of not understanding or respecting what you’re dealing with. Not an insult, simply a statement of fact.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 30, 2020, 07:34:03 am
content: Quote from: dpaslay on June 29, 2020, 11:03:06 pmGood, I'm glad you didn't die, you we're lucky that time. That doesn't mean it wasn't a big deal. The fact is you could have died. The most concerning thing is if you make something dangerous, it could also kill someone else.You shouldn't just twist wires together like that on mains circuits, even for quick tests. A wire can easilly sping off and hit you, giving you a nasty shock. I've been there and done it myself. At the very least use terminal blocks to join wires together.There's no need to take unnecessary risks. There isn't much you can learn from playing with the mains, that you can't learn from experimenting with much less hazardous voltages.