Hopefully someone here can help me out.

My parents just added an addition to their stone patio in the backyard. With this addition they added three lamps that are wired to one switch on the back porch. (Flip one switch, all three lights come on)

The lights are pretty bright, so they thought about putting in lower wattage bulbs to help dim them on the occasions they don't want it to be so bright.

Would it be possible to add a dimmer switch in place of the switch that is used to turn them on now? So they can still have the full range of the higher wattage bulb. I was Home Depot the other day and saw these switches ranging from $10 to $40.

The patio builder sub-contracted the electrical work out so I wasn't able to ask the electrician directly. But the patio builder said that it would take almost a full work day to be able to add a dimmer switch.

 

No reason why not as long as the dimmer you select is rated for the total wattage of the bulbs.

 

> Greg loading up tools and moving to chicago. <



A days pay to change a single pole switch to a dimmer ? I love it. It must be buried 10 ft below grade .

 

Like Bdox said , yes , you can just install a dimmer switch instead of the present toggle.
No big deal,flip the breaker..grab a couple of Marrettes (Americans call them wire nuts)
remove the switch.
hook up the color coded wire on the Dimmer switch like the toggle was..secure the connections ,screw the switch into the box put the cover plate on and throw the breaker.


I could come and do it as I still have my tools out from doing electrical work downstairs today.

Let see , 4 days to drive there... 15 minutes to install the switch...5 days back home with a stop in Kansas City.

Yep, $7000.00 ought to cover it

 

Short answer - any ordinary light switch can be easily replaced with one of those Home Depot dimmers in about 10 minutes. Normally.

So long as you don't have something out of the ordinary.

Is the switch indoors? Or is it a special rain-resistant outdoor switch outside? If so, ya, you'll need some special equipment to protect the dimmer 'cause installing an ordinary dimmer outside would be very dangerous.

Are the lights something other than ordinary incandescent bulbs? If these are some special xenon or something bulbs that require a transformer, your ordinary dimmer won't work.

 

Thanks guys for the quick responses.

Dennis, I'll have to get an actual quote from them first, but yours seems to be ballpark.

Fred, the switch is on the back porch. Its "inside" from the outside but "outside" from the inside.

 

Porch or Vestibule is good enough.

For some reason I knew it was on an interior wall