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multiple position switch for chandelier

3K views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  PaliBob 
#1 ·
Originally to dim standard incandescent light bulbs, a Chandelier could have its five bulbs controlled by a dimmer switch. Specifically CFC lamps that are dimmer compatible apparently are very rare as I haven’t seen any in stores that don’t have a warning against using with dimmers in the last year although regular CFC lamps are much more available.
Therefore, I’ve roughed in wiring in two rooms that each have five lamps in each chandelier with three hot wires in addition to a neutral. They are wired so that one wire each goes to a socket intended for a low brightness lamp, another wire for a socket for a normal brightness lamp, and the third wire is for the three remaining sockets to be switched together. In this way it was anticipated the I could have three brightness settings: low (lust one small wattage CFC lamp), medium ( two circuits on for the low and normal lamp) and finally all three circuits on for all lamps to be on for the maximum brightness.
I expected that finding a switch would not be a problem given that people would want dimming and the popularity of the CFC lamps. I’ve looked for rotary switches with low, medium and high settings that are approved for home wiring use in several stores and no one seems to have a recommendation.
Any suggestions?
 
#2 · (Edited)
TW, Welcome to the Forum
I don't think you are going to find any three position rotary switches rated for your application.

You could get the same functionality with a triple rocker switch.
The bottom switch could be wired as Low, center as Medium, and top as High
.

Available in White and in colors




 

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#4 ·
The triple rocker switch pictured above gives you seven choices of brightness given your dividing up the lamp sockets into three groups -- more flexibility compared with a low-medium-high-off rotary switch.
 
#5 · (Edited)
....... Specifically CFC lamps that are dimmer compatible apparently are very rare..........
CFC Bulbs are not the same as CFL bulbs.

As I read it CFC's are incandescent, but I do not know why are called CFC

Here is a Link to CFC bulbs:
http://www.nextag.com/Bulbrite-B60CFC-546790529/prices-html

But the first Link on that page is to LightBulbEmporium
http://www.lightbulbemporium.com/bulbrite_483060_b60cfc.asp
These bulbs are not CFL's so I do not know why they would not be dimmable.

TW, can you give us a link or pic of the CFC bulbs you are considering?
Are you looking for candelabra base bulbs?
.
 
#6 ·
Whoops, jumped the gun. I decided to see what I wanted to see... "CFL"

:whistling2:

That said, CFC lamps? I hadn't heard of them in that term before. Although they have a candelabra base and they are incandescent. Why would you not be able to dim them?

I also don't seem to understand the wiring for groups of lamps... maybe I'm not reading it right.
 
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