Forums/Light Sources/Low Voltage Lighting
Which Type of Dimmer Switch
A Member from Previous Forum
asked this on March 21, 2011 03:52 pm
--- Originally posted by atomarc Dec 11, 2009 ---
Gentlemen,
This is my first post on this site so please excuse me if the topic has been covered ad nauseam. I am in the process of installing under cabinet lighting in the form of hockey puck Xenon lamps. I have just purchased a 150 Watt electronic transformer from Pegasus to power this small circuit.
The demo for these small hockey puck fixtures at the store has them plugged into a typical outlet as the string of lights has a small transformer wired in series . The demo at the store has the outlet controlled by a dimmer so folks can see how these neat, bright Xenon lamps work. The dimmer is an inexpensive incandescent unit, not the more expensive dimmer called out for 'electronic' transformers.
I have seen the store demo and it works perfectly. In my mind, the traditional incandescent dimmer is controlling voltage to the line side of the xformer. I don't see this as a 'electronic' application. What am I not understanding? Why must I use a very expensive dimmer for this application? Any help would be very much appreciated.
This is a wonderful site, full of tons of excellent information.
Stuart Miller
Comments
--- Originally posted Dec 12, 2009 ---
Stuart,
Some incandescent dimmers and some electronic transformers do seem to work well together. However, on occasion, a given combination of incandescent dimmer and electronic transformer will lead to a shortened life of the transformer or a small bit of noise coming from the transformer and in most cases the range of dimmability seems to be limited. So, to avoid these problems we recommend using a dimmer that has been specifically designed for an electronic transformer. We know that this type of dimmer is more expensive but we feel better about recommending a system that is more likely to be problem-free for a longer period of time.
--- Originally posted by atomarc Dec 12, 2009 ---
Thank you for the reply. I think this means I will be purchasing an electronic style dimmer from you folks in the immediate future.
Stuart Miller
--- Originally posted by atomarc Dec 17, 2009 ---
I received both the dimmer switch and the transformer I ordered from Pegasus today....very speedy shipping, thanks!
On the down side, I was a little disappointed to find out the transformer clearly states on the side of the box "Use with simple incandescent dimmer"
This was my original question, and the difference in price between a incandescent dimmer and one made for an electronic transformer is quite a bit. The folks at the store where I purchased the Xenon pucks advised me to use the inexpensive incandescent dimmer...
Stuart
--- Originally posted Dec 18, 2009 ---
Stuart,
You are very welcome to use an incandescent dimmer with the electronic transformer you purchased and it will probably work fine for many years. So, if you want to return the dimmer specifically designed for electronic transformers for an incandescent one, that is fine with us.
However, if I were making this purchase for myself, I would stick with the "electronic dimmer" and not use an incandescent dimmer.
--- Originally posted by atomarc Dec 18, 2009 ---
Thank you for the offer. I will keep the electronic dimmer and use it.
Stuart Miller
--- Originally posted by atomarc Dec 12, 2010 ---
I have revived this post because it contains information that may help someone answer my new questions.
I installed under cabinet Xenon puck lights using one of the transformers and dimmers from this site. The installation was very clean and worked perfectly.
This evening my wife was playing the stereo through the two ceiling mounted speakers in the kitchen. These units are not electrically connected with the transformer or under cabinet lights in any manner. When she turned on the under cabinet lights, the speakers quit...the speakers in the kitchen ceiling AND the speakers mounted in the living room wall.
When the Xenon's are turned ON, the speakers don't work...flip them OFF and the speakers function again. Is this a 'frequency interference thing' generated by the transformer? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Stuart Miller 12/12/10
--- Originally posted Dec 13, 2010 ---
I am very sorry but I am at a complete loss regarding this VERY unusual issue. I would suggest that you contact a local licensed electrician who has experience with low voltage lighting.
--- Originally posted by atomarc Dec 13, 2010 ---
Thanks for the reply...I have done a bit more detective work and this is what I have discovered. If the stereo is tuned to a station with limited strength, which is shown on a signal meter on the stereo receiver, and the Xenon's are switched ON, there is some type of RF (?) that kills this weak signal and in essence shuts off the speakers.
If a station is selected that has a relatively strong signal, turning on the Xenon's will knock the signal down, but not enough to lose the station (signal).
Now that I know more about this phenomenon, I will look into some way to shield the transformer or install some device to 'choke' any noise it may be generating....or tune the receiver to a station with a strong signal.
Stuart