[momof2labs]

Hello all!
I have a dimmer switch which stays hot an hour after it's turned off. I bought the house from a nice man who did alot of the work himself. Should I be concerned ? The dimmer no longer works - only the on/off button.

Is this reason for concern?

Thanking you in advance.

 

[sirsparksalot]

Yeah, I'd say so. When you say it "stays hot an hour.." are you talking about tempreature or voltage (meaning the light stays on after you turn it off)?

 

[sirsparksalot]

If you can, take a closeup pic of the switch box and post here.

1st, turn off the breaker to the circuit, then remove the switch plate cover, and remove the Dimmer screws, and pull it out of the box (leave the wires attached to the Dimmer). We want to see as much as possible of the wiring (actual number of cables and conductor insulation, etc.)

 

[dmxtothemax]

Worth checking out !
yes reason for concern !

Hello all!
I have a dimmer switch which stays hot an hour after it's turned off. I bought the house from a nice man who did alot of the work himself. Should I be concerned ? The dimmer no longer works - only the on/off button.

Is this reason for concern?

Thanking you in advance.

 

[Jim Port]

Dimmer switches normally run hot to the touch, especially when close to their design limit or all the way up. How many watts of lighting is the dimmer controlling?

 

[momof2labs]

comment to Jim Port

Dimmer switches normally run hot to the touch, especially when close to their design limit or all the way up. How many watts of lighting is the dimmer controlling?

This is actually an investment property I own. The dimmer is connected to a chandelier I had installed 1 1/2 yrs ago. My new tenant drew this to my attention 1 day ago.
I read that dimmers usually stay warm and that I may need to up the dimmer to 1000w (I'm not sure what it is now). The chandelier is using 5x65w bulbs. The last resort is removing the dimmer and installing a regular outlet.
I would welcome your input!

 

[Missouri Bound]

It's your call. Either a regular switch (on / off) or a dimmer with a higher wattage capacity. They run hot and they do wear out. I have seen dimmers get warm on just a 100 watt load, so 325 watts would surely heat it up.

 

[momof2labs]

Thank you, Missouri Bound!

It's your call. Either a regular switch (on / off) or a dimmer with a higher wattage capacity. They run hot and they do wear out. I have seen dimmers get warm on just a 100 watt load, so 325 watts would surely heat it up.

Thanks v.m. :thumbsup:

 

[Red Squirrel]

Dimmers only go on/off after a dead short has occurred on what it is feeding. Don't ask why I know this. :whistling2:

You may want to replace it. They do run a bit hot to the touch especially when they are half way dimmed (that seems to be the least efficient setting, and also the most noisy). For an hour after seems kinda odd though. They arn't expensive enough, think I'd just replace it simply to get the dimming back, or if you only want on/off then just buy a regular switch.

 

[momof2labs]

Thanks!

Dimmers only go on/off after a dead short has occurred on what it is feeding. Don't ask why I know this. :whistling2:

You may want to replace it. They do run a bit hot to the touch especially when they are half way dimmed (that seems to be the least efficient setting, and also the most noisy). For an hour after seems kinda odd though. They arn't expensive enough, think I'd just replace it simply to get the dimming back, or if you only want on/off then just buy a regular switch.

I replaced the switch and upgraded from 550w (?) to 1000. There was no sign of overheating on the wiring inside or plastic socket box (thank goodness). :thumbsup: