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    Bluffwalker's Avatar
    Bluffwalker Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Mar 30, 2013, 03:02 PM
    Dimmer switch failure
    I have a low voltage ceiling pendant light on a dimmer switch that started dimming and stopped working. I checked the bulb and power to the switch and both were OK. When I connected the switch wires the light worked fine at full power. So I figured the switch was bad and bought a new, identical dimmer switch. But it didn't work either. So I hooked the light up to a regular switch and it works fine, albeit at full power. Hard to believe both dimmer switches could be bad?
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
    Home Improvement & Construction Expert
    		  
    #2

    Mar 30, 2013, 03:21 PM
    I have a low voltage ceiling pendant light on a dimmer switch that started dimming and stopped working
    Want to elaborate on the part?
    Exactly what kind of dimmer switch is it?
    You said that the light was low voltage. Is the dimmer a low voltage dimmer switch?
    ma0641's Avatar
    ma0641 Posts: 15,675, Reputation: 1012
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    #3

    Mar 30, 2013, 03:41 PM
    If you are trying to dim a low voltage light by putting a dimmer on the 120VAC line, it probably won't work because the transformer is wired for a particular voltage. Have you tried a touch type dimmer? They work on the low voltage side.
    Bluffwalker's Avatar
    Bluffwalker Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #4

    Mar 30, 2013, 08:37 PM
    Sorry for omitting information. The dimmer switch is a standard 120 volt switch. The light must have a transformer in it to change it to 12 volts. It has been working fine for several years. I guess I need to test the new switch somehow on a different circuit . It's just hard to believe two switches (one new) should be defective.
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